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This book is a collection of comprehensive reviews on astrophysics at the highest energies. It puts together, for the first time, discussions of astrophysics from MeV to EeV energies and beyond. Observations at these energies reveal nuclear and particle physics throughout our galaxy as well as in the most extreme environments in the entire cosmos. These reports range from the recent spectacular results from the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, including the latest information on enigmatic gamma ray bursts, to cosmic rays at the highest energies ever observed by man.

This book focuses mainly on the spectroscopy of laser materials, physics of laser materials, laser crystals and laser glasses. The spectroscopic and laser properties of rare earth and transition metal ion-doped solid state materials are systematically described based on modern quantum optics. The aim of this book is to relate the laser and spectroscopic properties to the structure and chemical composition of materials. It emphasises the nonlinear optical effects in laser materials, which are widely used in high power laser systems. The development of advanced solid state laser devices depends greatly on new laser materials. Much progress has been made recently in the development of new laser materials, and this is summarized in the book.