Neutrino Astrophysics and Astronomy
Abstract:
Neutrinos are elementary particles abundantly produced in the most energetic cosmic fireworks occurring in our Universe. Since neutrinos interact very weakly, we can use them as ideal messengers to learn about the physics of cosmic sources otherwise unaccessible. This course aims to provide a succinct introduction to neutrino astrophysics and astronomy within a multi-messenger context. After discussing the basics of neutrino flavor conversion physics, we will investigate the role of neutrinos in a wide range of astrophysical sources, such as the sun, core-collapse supernovae, the merger of two neutron stars, and cosmic accelerators. We will also discuss the neutrino detection prospects with existing and upcoming neutrino observatories, and the appealing possibility of using neutrinos as probes of the source inner workings.
The speaker will present her course in online fashion only.