| Date | Topics | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 2 | Introduction; Basic Measurements |
1, 3.1-3.3 |
| Sept 4 | Review of Celestial Mechanics | 2 |
| Sept 9 | Black Bodies | 3.4-3.6 |
| Sept 11 | Optical depth and Radiative Transfer Atomic Physics: The Bohr Atom |
5 |
| Sept 14 | Atomic Physics; Spectral Lines and Spectral Types | 5, 8 |
| Sept 16 | Basic Stellar Data Spectral types |
7, 8 |
| Sept 18 | Spectral Line Formation The Boltznam and Saha equations |
8; Rutten's Stellar Spectra. A. Basic Line Formation |
| Sept 23 | Stellar Atmospheres | 9; Rutten's Stellar Spectra. B. LTE Line Formation |
Sept 25 | Stellar Atmospheres | 9 |
| Sept 30 | No classes | --- |
| Oct 2 | Stellar Atmospheres | 9 |
| Oct 7 | Stellar Atmospheres Lab meet at Math SINC site |
Rutten's Stellar Spectra. A. Basic Line Formation and Stellar Spectra. B. LTE Line Formation |
| Oct 9 | No classes | --- |
| Oct 14 | Midterm | Chapters 1-3, 5, 7-9 |
| Oct 16 | Class postponed | |
| Oct 21 | Line Profiles | 9 |
| Oct 23 | Curve of Growth Stellar Interiors |
10 |
| Oct 28 | The Solar Atmosphere; the Chromosphere and Corona |
11 | Oct 30 | Solar Interior; the Magnetic Dynamo |
11 |
| Nov 3 Makeup class 8:15 AM, SINC site |
Stellar Interiors Lab meet at Math SINC site |
Appendix L |
| Nov 4 | Star Formation | 12 |
| Nov 6 | The Main Sequence | 13 |
| Nov 11 | Evolution of Low Mass Stars | 13 |
| Nov 13 | White Dwarfs Degeneracy |
16.1-16.3 |
| Nov 18 | Stellar Pulsations, Winds, and Mass Loss |
14 |
| Nov 20 | Evolution of Massive Stars | 15 |
| Nov 25 | Type 2 Supernovae | 15 |
| Nov 27 | Happy Thanksgiving | --- |
| Dec 2 | Neutron Stars | 16 |
| Dec 4 | Black Holes | 17 |
| Dec 9 | Exotica: White Dwarf binaries Cataclymic Variables and Novae |
18.1 - 18.4 |
| Dec 11 | Exotica: Neutron Star binaries X-ray Binaries; Bursters, Type Ia SNe |
18.5 - 18.6 |
| Dec 15 (Monday) | Wrapup | --- |
| Dec 18 | Final Exam | Chapters 1-3, 5, 7-18 |
*** note: this plan is subject to change ***
The numbers refer to chapters in Carroll and Ostlie.
S refers to pages in Shu's text.
(Readings in Shu are not required, but are recommended.)
All students should read, or at least be well-acquainted with, the basic astronomical concepts covered in AST 203.