Charles D. Dermer is a theoretical astrophysicist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Govind Menon is professor of physics at Troy University.

"Filling an important gap in a topical and fast-evolving area, this interesting book will be a valuable addition to the astrophysics literature. The scientific content is of a high quality, and includes a notable level of rigor in the derivations."—Peter Mészáros, Pennsylvania State University

• Preface xix Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Chapter 2. Relativistic Kinematics 14 Chapter 3. Introduction to Curved Spacetime 25 Chapter 4. Physical Cosmology 36 Chapter 5. Radiation Physics of Relativistic Flows 50 Chapter 6. Compton Scattering 70 Chapter 7. Synchrotron Radiation 117 Chapter 8. Binary Particle Collision Processes 160 Chapter 9. Photohadronic Processes 187 Chapter 10. delta Pair Production 227 Chapter 11. Blast-Wave Physics 258 Chapter 12. Introduction to Fermi Acceleration 314 Chapter 13. First-Order Fermi Acceleration 327 Chapter 14. Second-Order Fermi Acceleration 351 Chapter 15. The Geometry of Spacetime 379 Chapter 16. Black-Hole Electrodynamics 417 Chapter 17. High-Energy Radiations from Black Holes 452 Appendix A: Essential Tensor Calculus 473 Appendix B: Mathematical Functions 488 Appendix C: Solutions of the Continuity Equation 492 Appendix D: Basics of Monte Carlo Calculations 497 Appendix E: Supplementary Information 499 Appendix F: Glossary and Acronym List 505 Bibliography 509 Index 531

Charles D. Dermer is a theoretical astrophysicist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Govind Menon is professor of physics at Troy University.

"Filling an important gap in a topical and fast-evolving area, this interesting book will be a valuable addition to the astrophysics literature. The scientific content is of a high quality, and includes a notable level of rigor in the derivations."—Peter Mészáros, Pennsylvania State University

• Preface xix Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Chapter 2. Relativistic Kinematics 14 Chapter 3. Introduction to Curved Spacetime 25 Chapter 4. Physical Cosmology 36 Chapter 5. Radiation Physics of Relativistic Flows 50 Chapter 6. Compton Scattering 70 Chapter 7. Synchrotron Radiation 117 Chapter 8. Binary Particle Collision Processes 160 Chapter 9. Photohadronic Processes 187 Chapter 10. delta Pair Production 227 Chapter 11. Blast-Wave Physics 258 Chapter 12. Introduction to Fermi Acceleration 314 Chapter 13. First-Order Fermi Acceleration 327 Chapter 14. Second-Order Fermi Acceleration 351 Chapter 15. The Geometry of Spacetime 379 Chapter 16. Black-Hole Electrodynamics 417 Chapter 17. High-Energy Radiations from Black Holes 452 Appendix A: Essential Tensor Calculus 473 Appendix B: Mathematical Functions 488 Appendix C: Solutions of the Continuity Equation 492 Appendix D: Basics of Monte Carlo Calculations 497 Appendix E: Supplementary Information 499 Appendix F: Glossary and Acronym List 505 Bibliography 509 Index 531