1

Aug. 30

Course overview and logistics.

2

Sep. 1

Units in Astrophysics: distance, frequency, wavelength, energy. Definition of flux and specific intensity. Relation between flux and specific intensity. Magnitudes and colors.

Sep. 6

 Labor Day Holiday

3

Sep. 8

Radiation processes: power loss from an accelerated charge - Cyclotron radiation - Synchrotron radiation

4

Sep. 13

Radiation processes: Bremsstrahlung radiation - Blackbody radiation: general - Planck spectrum - Wien displacement law - Rayleigh-Jeans law

5

Sep. 15

Blackbody Radiation (cont.): Effective temperature – Brightness temperature - Problem on blackbody radiation and exoplanets - Introduction to Radiative Transfer.

6

Sep. 20

Emission and Absorption coefficients - Optical Depth - The Radiative Transfer Equation - Optical depth effects on blackbody emission - Bound-bound and bound-free transitions.

7

Sep. 22

Boltzmann equation - Saha Equation – Absorption and Emission spectra.

8

Sep. 27

Broadening of spectral lines: Doppler, Natural and Collisional broadening – Electron-photon scattering: Thomson scattering, Compton scattering, Inverse Compton.

9

Sep. 29

Stars: introduction - Population I, II and III stars - Basic assumptions of stellar theory - Observational properties of stars.

10

Oct. 4

Observational properties of stars (cont.) - Review and problem solving.

11

Oct. 6

  Test I

12

Oct. 11

H-R diagram - spectral classification - mass measurements - mass-luminosity relation.
Stellar Structure --- Characteristic timescales of stellar evolution: dynamical, Kelvin-Helmholtz and nuclear timescales.

13

Oct. 13

Equations of stellar structure: mass conservation, energy conservation, hydrostatic equilibrium

14

Oct. 18

Virial Theorem - Equation of energy transport - Equation of state

15

Oct. 20

Opacity - Energy generation in Stars: Fusion

16

Oct. 25

Hydrogen burning: P-P cycle and CNO cycle - Helium burning: triple-alpha reaction - Silicon burning and nuclear statistical equilibrium - neutron capture and the production of elements heavier than Iron

17

Oct. 27

Stability of stars on the main sequence - Convection - Post main sequence phase – Red giants – Post red giant evolution.

18

Nov. 1

Degeneracy Pressure: general properties and Fermi-Dirac distribution - Problem Solving

19

Nov. 3

  Test II

20

Nov. 8

Computation of the degeneracy pressure in the non-relativistic and relativistic limit – Late states of evolution of low mass stars – Planetary nebulae

21

Nov. 10

White Dwarfs: structure and derivation of the mass-radius relation

22

Nov. 15

Type II Supernovae - Supernova remnants

23

Nov. 17

Neutron Stars - Introduction to Pulsars

24

Nov. 22

Pulsars (cont). Origin of the X-ray and Radio emission:Thermal and non thermal components. Neutron Stars in X-ray binaries.

Nov. 24

Thanksgiving Holiday

25

Nov. 29

Basics of the Theory of General Relativity - Black Holes: Schwarzschild's solution – Types of black holes in the Universe.

26

Dec. 1

Black Holes (cont.): Kerr solution – No hair theorem – Hawking radiation.
Star formation: the interstellar medium – Jeans mass - Stages of star formation.

27

Dec. 6

 Test III

28

Dec. 8

Course Review

Dec. 13

FINAL EXAM