The course will provide appetizers to various aspects of the subject, which is broad and diverse. At the end, a general understanding of the underlying physics, classification and interrelationships of active galaxies and AGN as well as their importance in cosmology is required.

The topic is extensive. Many classes of objects are known, and they are being studied over more than ten decades in frequency space, using the largest and most expensive telescopes (ground- and space-based).

The course (schedule HERE) will deal with (at least) the following aspects:

• history
• taxonomy/cosmology
• continuum emission, in radio, FIR, optical, and X-rays (mechanisms, energetics)
• optical, UV line emission (mechanisms, energetics)
• host galaxies and environments
• QSOs and cosmic evolution
• QSOs as cosmological probes
• AGN interrelationships, unification models

• written exam (November 7, 2003)
• oral literature paper review (November 3, 2003)

Bradley Peterson: `An introduction to AGN' (CUP, 1997)
Alternative: Ian Robson: `Active Galactic Nuclei' (Wiley, 1996)

More elementary, but good for starter: several entries in
Stephen P. Maran (ed.): `The Astronomy and Astrophysics Encyclopedia' (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1992)

More advanced texts include:
Weedman: `Quasar Astronomy' (CUP, 1986)
Woltjer/Blandford/Netzer: `Active Galactic Nuclei' (1990 Saas Fee Conf.)
Kembhavi/Narlikar: `Quasars and Active Galactic Nuclei' (CUP, 1998)
Krolik: `Active Galactic Nuclei' (Princeton Univ. Press, 1999)