Astronomy as a Branch of Physics
- Using the apparatus of physics to gather and interpret the data: assume that our physics is universal ( and we can test that!)
- Astronomical phenomena as a "cosmic laboratory"
- Relativistic physics (black holes, high gamma)
- Cosmic accelerators (HECR) and the early universe
- Matter in extreme conditions (e.g. neutron/quark stars, Gamma Radiation Bursts, high and low density plasmas)
- Astronomical discoveries as a gateway to the new physics (e.g. dark matter and dark energy ; neutrino mixing; inflation; etc.)
- Progress driven by technology (telescopes, detectors, computing)
Fundamental Limits to Measurements and Selection Effects
- S/N Poissonian and quantum limits of detection.
- Geometrical optics limits of angular resolution.
- Opacity of the Earth's atmosphere and the Galactic ISM (e.g.: soft X-rays and the missing baryons)
- Obscuration by dust in galaxies
- Turbulence of the atmosphere/ISM: erasing the spatial information
- Convolved backgrounds and foregrounds (e.g.: CMBR, CIRBs)
- And the "un-natural" limits: politics, funding, social psychology.