A 402T Syllabus

last revised 4/27/18

Astronomy 402T Syllabus – Spring 2018

Text: There is no textbook; rather there is a compilation of readings bound into a booklet (for which the cost will be added to your term bill, < $10). There will also be assigned reading in an iBook: Interstellar and Intergalactic Medium, by Ryden and Pogge. It is available for download ($9.99) here – there are web links to earlier (free) draft versions of these topics given at relevant places in the reading assignments below.

Exams and Grading: Grades will be calculated as follows:

  • 60% from the average of your tutorials, including in-class participation and submitted assignments

  • 20% from the average of your observing project papers and presentations

  • 20% from the hour exam

Honor System: You may discuss tutorial questions among yourselves, and share references, but your submitted work must be solely your own. If you are in any doubt about how the honor system applies to a particular activity in this course, please consult me or Dr. Souza.

Lectures: There will be one weekly lecture on Fridays from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. The syllabus below lists the topics to be covered, which will form the material for the following week’s tutorial sessions. It is imperative that you do the assigned reading before each Friday’s lecture so that you can bring up any issues and we can discuss difficulties with the material before your tutorial sessions when you are responsible for it. What follows is a tentative schedule of topics and dates; we may deviate as circumstances dictate.

italics indicate student presentation/discussion; bold pink in Reading refers to course packet

DATE

CLASS TOPICS

READING
F 2/2

 

 1: Structure of the Milky Way Galaxy and the Interstellar Medium

Week 1 questions
  • Ryden &Pogge: Introduction and Chapter 1.1 and 1.2-1.4 (Similar material in Pogge’s online notes: http://tinyurl.com/hzlfmm2  Section I-1, I-1, I-3 
F 2/9

 

2: Radiation & Matter; Relation between Gas and Dust; Interstellar Extinction
  • 2 Astrophysics and Stellar Astronomy, Swihart Ch. 1, pp. 7-40 (don’t sweat the detailed equations)
  • 3 An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, Carroll & Ostlie, Ch. 5, pp. 111-137
  • GOOD site on Interstellar Dust
  • 4 The Physics and Chemistry of the Interstellar Medium,Tielens, Ch. 5 pp. 161-172
F 2/23

 

 3: Spectra; Thermal & Statistical Physics
Week 3 questions
  • 5 An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, Carroll & Ostlie, Ch. 8, 202-220
  • Astronomical Spectroscopy, Tennyson, Ch. 1-2 (e-book available on FRANCIS)
F 3/2

 

    4: Atomic Processes; Spectroscopic Notation
Week 4 questions
F 3/9

 

 5: Ionization Equilibrium; Stromgren Spheres
Week 5 questions
  • 7 Astrophysics of Gaseous Nebulae & Active Galactic Nuclei, Osterbrock & Ferland, Ch. 2, pp. 17-27
  • 8 The Physical Universe, Shu, Ch. 11, pp. 216-222
  • 9, 10 Ciardullo, lectures 19, 22
F 3/16 HOUR EXAM
  •  closed book, in class; constants provided; you may bring your own notes on a 4×6 index card (both sides)
F 4/6 6; Thermal Equilibrium in Photoionized Nebulae
Week 6 questions
  • 11, 12 Ciardullo, lectures 20 and 21
  • 13  AGN, Osterbrock & Ferland, Ch. 3, pp. 45-65
F 4/13 7: Plasma Diagnostics;   T and N in Photoionized Nebulae
Week 7 questions
  • 14 Ciardullo, lecture 23
  • 15  Elmegreen notes, pp. 103-107
F 4/20 8: Abundances in Photoionized Nebulae
Week 8 questions
  • 16  AGN, Osterbrock & Ferland, Ch. 5, pp. 142-148
  • 19 Planetary Nebulae and How to Observe Them, Griffiths, Ch. 1, pp. 7-21
F 4/27 9: Non-optical Nebular Studies
Week 9 questions

 RADIO

INFRARED & MOLECULES

  • IR from CWRU website
  • NASA’s JWST website
  • Learn about ALMA
  • 18 Astrophysics of Gaseous Nebulae & Active Galactic Nuclei, Osterbrock & Ferland Ch. 8, pp. 211-221, 433-436
  • Astronomical Spectroscopy, Tennyson, Ch. 10, pp. 135-143 (e-book available on FRANCIS)

HIGH-ENERGY
F 5/4 NO CLASS
  •  work on final project for presentations in lab on 5/7
F 5/11 FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

DATE

LAB TOPIC

READING FOR LAB
M 2/5 Introduction to (or reacquaintance with) unix, IRAF, ds9 Handouts
M 2/12  Work independently on homework & projects
M 2/19  Work independently on homework & projects
M 2/26  Work independently on homework & projects
M 3/5  Work independently on homework & projects
M 3/12 FIRST PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
M 4/2 learning to use splot and ELSA  Handouts
M 4/9 No Lab
M 4/16 No Lab
M 4/23 Work independently on homework & projects
M 4/30 Work independently on homework & projects
M 5/7 No Lab

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