ICTS:30775

Video URL

Quantum Astrophysics (Vishveshwara Lectures)

Quantum Astrophysics (Vishveshwara Lectures)

(2025). Quantum Astrophysics (Vishveshwara Lectures). SciVideos. https://www.youtube.com/live/33_SNwbwOGQ

Quantum Astrophysics (Vishveshwara Lectures). SciVideos, Jan. 17, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/live/33_SNwbwOGQ 

          @misc{ scivideos_ICTS:30775,
            doi = {},
            url = {https://www.youtube.com/live/33_SNwbwOGQ},
            author = {},
            keywords = {},
            language = {en},
            title = {Quantum Astrophysics (Vishveshwara Lectures)},
            publisher = {},
            year = {2025},
            month = {jan},
            note = {ICTS:30775 see, \url{https://scivideos.org/icts-tifr/30775}}
          }
Roger Blandford
Talk numberICTS:30775
Source RepositoryICTS-TIFR
Collection

Abstract

Although traditional astronomy was associated with visible light, it grew enormously in the twentieth century with the opening up of the electromagnetic and non-electromagnetic spectra. This happened in parallel with the development of quantum mechanics, which was employed by astrophysicists to explain planets, stars, galaxies and the history of the entire universe. Sometimes astrophysics provided a ready application for atomic, nuclear, particle and condensed matter physics; sometimes it provided an inspiration for fresh, basic understanding. This symbiotic relationship continues in the twenty-first century. In this talk, I will briefly recount some of this history and outline three contemporary observational challenges to quantum mechanics: neutron stars with ultra-strong magnetic fields, cosmic rays with individual energies comparable with that of a well-hit cricket ball and the origin of life.