| ACCEL INTRO ASTRONOMY 2: | ASTR 1040, Section 010 (4 credit hours) Spring 2008 |
| Stars & Galaxies | Tues Thur 11:00am-12:15pm in Duane G-131 + recitations |
| Thur Feb 7, Thur Feb 28, Thur Apr 10 Fiske Planetarium |
| Lecturer: | Prof. Juri TOOMRE (office: JILA Tower A-606,
phone (303) 492-7854) Office hours: Tues, Thur 1:00-2:00pm; or flexibly by appointment (phone or e-mail): jtoomre@solarz.colorado.edu |
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| Teaching Assistant: | Kyle AUGUSTSON (office: JILA Tower A-305,
phone (303) 492-0837) Office hours in Gamow Tower F-223: Wed 2:00-4:00pm; Thur 2:00-4:00pm; or flexibly by appointment: kyle.augustson@colorado.edu |
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| Course Description: | The course is concerned primarily with astronomy beyond the solar system. We start by reviewing the properties of light and atoms, and discuss how telescopes and spacecraft are used to observe astronomical objects. We turn then to the Sun as a typical star, concentrating next on other stars and their evolution, how stars are initially formed out of the interstellar matter, and what happens to stars late in their lives (white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes). We will also study the vast grouping of stars into galaxies, the properties of spiral and elliptical galaxies, and exotic objects like quasars. Cosmology and the early universe will then be considered, concluding with exobiology (life elsewhere). Methods of scientific research in astronomy will be emphasized throughout the course. We will look at deep-sky objects through telescopes, and study the skies with planetarium projectors. Course includes a significant amount of quantitative analysis invoking math and physics. There are two recitation sections, both on Mondays in Duane E-126 at either 9am or 10am and taught by Kyle Augustson. | ||
| Prerequisites: | ASTR 1030 and Calculus I (or equivalent). | ||
| Textbook & Notes: | Cosmic Perspective, 4th ed, Bennett, Donahue, Schneider & Voit, 2006 (required). The course makes extensive use of additional web-based material, and of announcements, that are accessible from course home page at http://zeus.colorado.edu/astr1040-toomre. Copies of lecture slides serving as notes will be web-posted after each lecture. Many assignments will use the extra resources provided by the textbook web site at http://www.masteringastronomy.com. You must establish a personal login to that site using an authentication code supplied with your copy of the book; your login from ASTR 1030 this Fall 07 should allow you access to this follow-on course. However, you must register with our class on that site, using the class ID of `ASTR1040TOOMRE2008', since only then will your work on assignments there count for credit. | ||
| Clickers: | Personal "i-clickers" (new radio-frequency response devices) are required for you to be able register your answers to various questions and discussions posed in the lectures and recitations. | ||
| Course Timing: | The course briefly reviews Chapters 1-6, and then turns in detail to Chapters 14-24, and S2-S4 in Cosmic Perspective (4th ed), plus considerable additional material in lectures. The topics are grouped as: |
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| 1 | Perspective and Astronomy Matter and Energy, Light/Atoms, Telescopes Our Star the Sun |
Chaps 1, 2, 3 |
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| 2 | Properties of Stars, H-R Diagram, Binaries Lives of Stars (Birth, Main Seq, Red Giants) |
Chap 15 |
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| 3 | Relativity (Space/Time/Gravity), Degeneracy White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, Black Holes Our Milky Way Galaxy |
Chaps S2, S3, S4 |
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| 4 | Other Galaxies, Hubble Law Galaxy Evolution, Quasars, Active Galaxies |
Chap 20 |
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| 5 | Dark Matter, Large-Scale Structure Cosmology: Creation and Fate of Universe Life in the Universe |
Chap 22 Chap 23 Chap 24 |
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| Exams & Grading: | Your final grade will be based on three in-class mid-term exams counting 45% overall (40 minutes each, closed book and closed notes, plus reminder sheet), the homework problem sets to be turned in counting 20%, and the final exam (comprehensive in content) counting 25% (2 hours, closed book and closed notes). All exams and the final will be based on the required readings from Cosmic Perspective and on the content of the lectures. The clicker in-class responses and discussion contributions will count for 10%. Regular attendance at both lectures and recitations is essential and required. Collaborative group work is encouraged.
Exam Dates: (in recitations) Exam 1: Mon Feb 18, Exam 2:
Mon Mar 17, Exam 3: Mon Apr 21, Final Exam (Comprehensive):
Mon May 5, 1:30pm-4:00pm (final only in Duane G-131).
Each of the in-class exams will consist of a mixture of
multiple-choice, true-false, and essay and quantitative analysis questions. You
are expected to take all three in-class exams; unexcused absences count
as an `F'. Absences will be excused only for a very good reason (such
as a verifiable illness or emergency), and only when confirmed in
writing not later than one week after the absence. There
will be no makeup exams!
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| Observatory Nights: | Six nights are scheduled throughout the semester at Sommers-Bausch observatory so that you can work on projects centered on deep-sky objects. Dates: 1: Tues Jan 22; 2: Thur Feb 7; 3: Mon Feb 25; 4: Wed Mar 12; 5: Thur Apr 3; 6: Wed Apr 23. Sign up for two nights, one in group 1-3, second in group 4-6. |
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| Planetarium: | The class meets in Fiske Planetarium Theater on three occasions -- Thur Feb 8, Thur Feb 28, Thur Apr 10 -- instead of in Duane G-131. Go directly to Fiske on those days. Please do not arrive late, because that will interfere with other people's adaptation to the dark. | ||