astronomy 2211: stars galaxies cosmology …hosting.astro.cornell.edu/~abrazier/...2010.pdf ·...
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ASTRONOMY 2211: STARS, GALAXIES & COSMOLOGY FALL 2010
THE GOALS: ! Survey the universe beyond the Solar System out to distances of billions of light years
and back in time to the first minutes of the universe’s life. ! Investigate problems in astrophysics using physics and mathematical methods ! See that seemingly intractable problems can be solved– it’s a method not a trick!
Time/Place: 11:40 –12:55 am Tuesday/Thursday
Rm 105 Space Sciences Building
Contact: Adam Brazier ([email protected]) 522 Space Sciences Building, tel: 255 (Office) Office hours: Tuesday 1:30pm-3:00pm
Textbooks: OPTIONAL
The exams/ problem sets are based on the lecture notes (which will be available online on the Blackboard site). The textbooks are optional and you can find them on reserve with the Cornell Library. ! “Astronomy: A Physical Perspective” 2nd edition by Marc Kutner ! “Foundations of Astrophysics” by Barbara Ryden and Bradley Peterson
(Note a good portion of this book focuses on solar system astronomy not covered in 2211.)
Prelims: 2 in-class, closed book, prelims ! You are required to sit both exams ! The exams will be a mix of testing of concepts and also analytical
calculations ! You should let me know soon if you will be absent for any exams for
religious or medical reasons.
25% of grade
Problem sets:
7 (one every other week) ! To be handed in during class, see lesson plan for due dates. ! Problem sets will be more involved mathematically than the exams. ! Except in special circumstances, late homework will be docked 10% for
each day of lateness, and no credit will be given after the solutions have been handed out.
50% of grade
Final exam: Posted at http://registrar.sas.cornell.edu/Sched/EXFA.html ! Final exam questions will be similar to the prelim questions.
25% of grade
**** IMPORTANT: You are expected to abide by the Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity. All materials submitted for grading must represent your own efforts. Discussion of homework problems with others is fine, but submissions must be the result of your own independent work.****
ASTRONOMY 2211: STARS, GALAXIES & COSMOLOGY FALL 2010
The problem set due dates are fixed, the lecture topics are a guide. Section Lecture Problem set
1 Thu Aug 26 I: Astronomical Introduction/ Stellar & cosmic distances
2 Tue Aug 31 observation Measuring brightness
3 Thu Sep 2 Blackbodies & HR Diagram
4 Tue Sep 7 Bohr atom, & Spectral lines
5 Thu Sep 9 Binary stars & stellar mechanics PS1 due
6 Tue Sep 14 Mass-luminosity relation
7 Thu Sep 16 II: Stellar Stellar structure I
8 Tue Sep 21 structure & Stellar structure II
9 Thu Sep 23 evolution Stellar structure III PS2 due
10 Tue Sep 28 Stellar evolution/ Origin of the elements
11 Thu Sep 30 III: Stellar Degenerate electron gas
12 Tue Oct 5 death & Stellar remnants I
13 Thu Oct 7 remnants IN CLASS PRELIM 1 PS3 due
Tue Oct 12 **** FALL BREAK ****
14 Thu Oct 14 Stellar remnants II
15 Tue Oct 19 IV: Star Star formation I
16 Thu Oct 21 formation Star formation II , Star clusters PS4 due
17 Tue Oct 26 V: Galaxies Our Galaxy I
18 Thu Oct 28 Our Galaxy II
19 Tue Nov 2 Galaxies I
20 Thu Nov 4 Galaxies II PS5 due
21 Tue Nov 9 VI: Cosmology Evidence for the Big Bang Model
22 Thu Nov 11 Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
23 Tue Nov 16 Cosmic Dynamics I
24 Thu Nov 18 IN CLASS PRELIM 2 PS6 due
25 Tue Nov 23 Cosmic Dynamics II
Thu Nov 25 **** THANKSGIVING BREAK ***
26 Tue Nov 30 Cosmic Composition I
27 Thu Dec 2 Cosmic Composition II, the Dark Universe PS7 due