Philosophy of Astrophysics

Overview & Synopsis

This PDF by Nora Mills Boyd, Siska De Baerdemaeker, Kevin Heng,
and Vera Matarese is an explication of how the theory and observation balance
within astrophysics. Items under discussion include laboratory astrophysics, the
problem with the Hubble constant, and also how theory plays a game of
give-and-take with observation in stellar population synthesis. Discussions on
epistemological lessons extracted from gravitational-wave astrophysics are also
present, covering simulation practices, idealisations in computer modeling, and
verification of data. Discussing the philosophical implications of observational
black hole astrophysics and entity realism in extragalactic studies, it ends
with reflections by a theoretical astrophysicist, providing an all-encompassing
view into the foundations and methodologies that guide todays astrophysical
research.