Course Text: An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics2nd Edition, Carroll & Ostlie (Pearson) |
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Modern Astrophysics starts at an accesible level, and gradually builds up to research-ready graduate level. It incorporates plenty of historical context and background information. Don't be alarmed by the size, C&O provides everything in one place. It is perfect if you have not studied astronomy before, and don't want to dig through your old physics textbooks to keep up with the astrophysics! |
Known as "The Big Orange Book", this renowned text is also available as two volumes. The 2012 course (95.383) will cover the first one: An Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics And a next course (95.384) will cover the second: Modern Galactic Astrophysics & Cosmology. |
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These are books that I like and use for inspiration.
Astrophysics in a Nutshell , Maoz (Princeton)
This is an excellent, concise (suprisingly short) book. It skips the preliminaries and gets straight to the hard core astrophysics. Best if you have already mastered E&M, Thermo, Quantum, and like to use the text as a guide for your own reading and background study. The end-of-chapter problems are highly realistic, conceptual and calculus intensive. We used Maoz as the primary course text in Fall 2011.
Foundations of Astrophysics, Ryden & Petersen (Pearson)
Another shorter text, at a more introductory level that Maoz, nice color pictures.
Nortons Star Atlas and Reference Handbook
The original (and still the best) book on practical astronomy. A mine of information, with no heavy math or physics required.
If you want to actually do any astronomy, it is indispensible.
Astronomical Telescope Observing |
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Observing sessions will be scheduled at night, using our new robotic optical observatory recently installed on the roof of Olney Hall. Visit the observatory site for information of the telescope, instrumentation and observing projects! |
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| Field Trips: We may go on one or two field trips during the semester. | |
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| Group at Haystack Observatory (Fall 2011) | Haystack Radio Telescopes |
Syllabus, Class Schedule, Homework, Exam Topics |
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| 2013 Fall | Slide Set 1 | |
| 2012 Fall | ||
| Course Coverage and Homework Problems | List of Topics for Final | Past Exam (2011) |
Downloadable Lecture Materials.Course Description/Policies (PDF) The following materials are from Fall 2011. Each course will be a little different depending on scheduling and assignments. In general, slides from lectures will be posted after class, homework problems will be posted as they are set, and solutions will appear after the due date. Some material needs a password to open, so email me if you need it. |
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Lecture 1 |
Pre-Course Quiz | |
| Lecture 2 | Angular Resolution & Seeing | |
| Lecture 3 | Astronomical Detectors | |
| Lecure 4 | Wien's Law and Stefan's Law |
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| Lecture 5 | Plank's blackbody radiation law | Maoz Ch2 |
| Exercise/Quiz | Sirius A & B: Application of our learning so far Discovery of stellar properties |
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| Lecture 6 | Distances in Stellar Astronomy, Parallax, Magnitude, Spectral Types introduced | |
| HW 3 Assignment | Astronomical Spectra in digital table form (ascii) The 2 columns are: Wavelength (nm), Flux |
Answers |
| Physical Properties of Stars. HR Diagram, Spectral Types | Maoz Ch2 | |
| Lecture 8 | Physical Properties of Stars from Spectral Line Width | C&O Ch9 |
| Rotational broadening, Velocity profiles, Metallicity, Forbidden Lines | C&O Ch9 | |
| Lecture 10 | Binary Stars. Orbital Period, Kepler's Law, Radial velocity, Eclipsing and Spectroscopic Binaries, Mass Function, Homework Assignment. | Maoz Ch2, R&P Ch13 |
| Hydrostatic Equilibrium, Stellar Pressures | Maoz Ch3 C&O Ch 10 |
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| Kelvin Helmholtz Timescale | C&O Ch10 | |
| Stellar Internal Temperatures | Maoz Ch3 | |
| Proton-Proton Chain | Maoz Ch3 R&P Ch 15 |
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| Physical conditions needed for P-P chain, Nuclear Reaction Rates, Convection | Maoz Ch3 R&P Ch15 |
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| Study Guide | For Midterm Exam | |
| Slides | Stellar Physics | Maoz Ch3 |
| Slides | Historical attempts to measure the age of the Earth and Sun | |
| Slides | Supernovae to Stellar Relics | Maoz Ch 4 |
| Slides | Cosmic Distances, Galaxies to the Big Bang | Ch 6,7,8,9 |
| Study Guide | Complete List of Topics for Final | |
Homeworks, Assignments, Quizzes |
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| Precourse Quiz / Questionnaire | ||
| HW1 | Maoz Ch1, P 1,2 | |
| HW2 | Maoz Ch2, P1,2 | |
| Q1 / Assignment | The Sirius A-B System | |
| HW /Assignment | Analyze a real stellar spectrum. Identify spectral lines, estimate temperature, determine the spectral type (OBAFGKM), suggest a luminosity class if possible. Each student gets an different dataset to plot and analyze. |
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| Quiz 3 | Draw the HR diagram, solve problems using spectral line parameters | |
| HW4 | Maoz Ch2, P4,5 | |
| HW5 | 1. Use equation of Hydrostatic equilibrium to calculate the pressure at the center of the Sun. (Assume constant density) 2A. Derive the Kelvin Helmholtz Timescale, (i.e. the lifetime of the sun if all its energy has come form gravitational contraction) 2B. Calculate the annual rate of contraction to power present day luminosity. 2C. Estimate the chemical energy lifetime for the sun (e.g. if it were powered by burning something) |
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| Quiz 4 | Plot the evolutionary tracks of stars after they leave the main sequence | |
| Assignment | A Massive Star + Black-Hole Binary system. Find absolute magnitude, distance modulus, Luminosity, Mass function, Masses, Sizes. Using Radial velocity curve, X-ray Eclipse lightcurve and Optical photometry. Available Table of stellar properties across spectral types. |
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| Midterm Exam | ||
| HW6 | 1. Calculate the rate of conversion of H -> He in the Sun (kg/second) and express this as Msun/yr 2A. How long can a star of mass 100Msun, luminosity 10^6 Lsun keep shining before all the H is used up? (assume the PP chain only) 2B. Repeat the above calculation for a dwarf star of mass 0.5 Msun, L=0.1Lsun 3. How long could the Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction power a Brown Dwarf star? 4. Derive an expression, and a numerical estimate, for the maximum possible mass of a star, using Maoz Ch3 Q3 as a guide. 5. Explain how the fusion reactions in the Sun's core are regulated. |
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| Quiz | Derive the Schwartzchild Radius for a black hole, by finding the event horizon along semi-classical lines. Compute values for a stellar BH (one produced by the collapse of a single massive star) and a supermassive black hole (SMBH), as found in the center of galaxies. | |
| HW 7 | Maoz Chapter 4: Q3, Q4c, Q7a,b, Q9 | |
| Quiz | ||
| HW 8 | Maoz Ch5, Problem 3 (all parts a-e) | |
