Description

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This text examines the propagation of thermal radiation through a fluid and its effects on the hydrodynamics of fluid motion. Its detailed discussion, derived from first principles, fully displays all of the equations pertinent to the specialized field of radiation hydrodynamics. Geared toward graduate-level students, it will also benefit researchers engaged in radiative transfer and radiation hydrodynamic work.
The first chapter introduces the fundamental concepts required to formulate a kinetic description of electromagnetic energy transport. Chapter II derives in various forms and geometries the equation of transfer containing the basic physics needed for most work in radiation hydrodynamics. Subsequent chapters consider approximate formulations of radiative transfer and the incorporation of additional physical effects--specifically, polarization, refraction, and dispersion--and the relativistic effects of fluid motion.
Chapter VII offers a brief introduction to the microscopic physics associated with the equation of transfer, followed by an extensive survey of the description of Compton and inverse Compton scattering as it enters the equation of transfer. The final chapter presents a hydrodynamic description of the fluid, including effects due to the presence of the radiation field. The text concludes with an appendix on the Lorentz transformation of the equation of transfer.