Particle Astrophysics with Gamma-Ray Telescopes (Series in Astronomy and Astrophysics)

Gamma-ray astrophysics combines the exciting fields of Particle Physics and Astronomy.We get to study particle interactions in space! Using the Universe as our laboratory, we are able to study fundamental physics in extreme environments unavailable in labs on Earth. This book summarizes the history, theory, instruments, and current results in the field of particle astrophysics with cosmic gamma rays.We frame things from the experimentalist’s perspective.This book is meant to be a practical guide for students just beginning gamma-ray astrophysics research.It covers topics they don’t teach you in your traditional physics classes!We start in the 1800s with Lord Kelvin’s “Thunderstorm” experiment, before going through the design and results of early balloon and satellite experiments, summarizing the particle physics theories of astrophysical phenomena like Pulsars and Dark Matter, describing current gamma-ray observatories, and finally discussing modern exciting results and open questions