Here are some pointers to support reading materials that may complement the lectures you will attend during the school. Beware that not all of them are free-access, thus we do not provide downloadable versions on this website.
This is an introductory textbook at physics graduate student level that takes the reader from the basic definition of polarization of light, through the derivation of the radiative transfer equation to its solution under the assumption of local thermodynamical equilibrium (LTE). It starts by reviewing the Stokes formalisms, the ways light propagates through anisotropic media and the basic optical devices that allow us to modify (and measure) the polarization of light. Then it goes on to describing the classical Zeeman effect, the radiative transfers equation in the presence of magnetic fields, some simple spectral diagnostics and more sophisticated spectral line inversions based on response functions.
Published in 1992, this book was the product of the First Canary Islands Winter School of Astrophysics, edited by Francisco Sánchez, Manolo Collados and Manuel Vázquez. Its second chapter, entitled “Magnetic Field Measurements” by Egidio Landi Degl’Innocenti, is another introductory text to the polarization of light, the optical devices used to characterized it, radiative transfer equation in the presence of a magnetic field and the exploration of different solutions for use as magnetic field diagnostics in stellar atmospheres. Although not in print anymore, this book can still be found in some libraries at universities and research centers.
This is probably the bible of spectopolarimetry. Comprehensive and fairly advanced.
Chapter 12 of this book, "Astrophysical Plasmas" by Casini and Landi Degl'Innocenti covers atomic polarization and the Hanle effect.
This work provides a good introduction to the subject and some basic insight into more advanced treatments involving scattering and non-LTE polarized transfer.
This review provides a good introduction to the non-LTE problem of the 2nd kind.
Its first chapter presents an accessible description of the radiative transfer problem (for intensity only) and how the (non-polarized) radiative transfer equation is constructed in the general non-LTE case.
Classic text on radiative transfer.
http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/~manset/PolarizationLightIntro.ppt
This is the classic text on optics and light.
This review, by José Carlos del Toro Iniesta and Basilio Ruiz Cobo, revisits the foundations of spectral line inversion techniques.
This review, by Jaime de la Cruz Rodríguez and Michiel van Noort, presents an accessible overview of the polarized radiative transfer problem and some common spectral line inversion techniques, focusing on chromospheric diagnostics of magnetic fields.
Describes the original implementation of the SIR code.
This article describes the original HAZEL code.