Offering

Sem. 1 Class, 2 lab. 2, cr. 3

Current Session:

Not in session

Prerequisites:

Not available to students with credit in ASTR 363.

Description:

A descriptive, nonmathematical course in astronomy intended for non-physics majors. Topics include: description of the sky; historical development of astronomy; motion of the sun and the moon; solar and lunar eclipses; the seasons and the calendar; the sun and the planetary system; comets, meteoroids, and asteroids. Includes required observing sessions. Not available to students with credit in ASTR 363.

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Spring, Class 2, lab. 2, cr. 3 Not available to students with credit in ASTR 364.

Current Session:

Not in session

Prerequisites:

N\A

Description:

A descriptive, nonmathematical course in astronomy intened for non-physics majors. Topics include properties of stars; stellar birth and death; the Hertzsprung-Russel diagram; main sequence stars; binary systems; stellar clusters; red giants and white dwarfs, nova and supernova; neutron stars and black holes; galaxies and the cosmological red shift. Includes required observing sessions.

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Offering

Fall, Class 3, Cr. 3

Current Session:

Not in session

Prerequisites:

MA 162, PHYS 220, or consent of instructor.

Description:

Introduction to the solar system. Topics to be covered include the processes responsible for the origin and evolution of the solar system, a physical and chemical description of solar system objects (sun, planets, asteroids, comets, and meteorites), interactions between these objects, and the evolution of planetary surfaces and atmospheres.

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Offering

Spring, Class 3, Cr. 3

Current Session:

Not in session

Prerequisites:

MA 162, PHYS 220, or consent of instructor.

Description:

ASTR364 is an intermediate level astronomy course intended for science and engineering majors. Basic physics and math knowledge will be assumed. A global vision of the Universe and its contents will be provided. Astrophysics and Cosmology are two very active research fields and as you will discover there are many questions still awaiting answers. It is through the light from the origin of the Universe, and the light emitted by the different astrophysical sources, that we have come to understand some of the physics governing the Universe and the structures within it. We will discuss this and review the Big-Bang model. This is the model that better explains the origin and evolution of the Universe under the constraints imposed by current observations.

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Offering

Fall, credits 3.

Current Session:

Not in session

Prerequisites:

MA 162 and PHYS 220.

Description:

Intended for science and engineering majors. Basic physics and math knowledge will be assumed. The picture of how the Universe came to be and how it has evolved has recently come into sharp focus. This progress is the result of improved observational techniques that have resulted in high resolution images of very distant galaxies, a more accurate mapping of the Large Scale Structure of the Universe or the high resolution picture of the young universe provided by Cosmic Microwave Background observations. We will present a historical perspective of how ideas and data have shaped Cosmology through the centuries. In addition, we will review the theoretical models that are in agreement with the current observations. Our goal will be to provide the students with a broad overview of the current research in Cosmology with an eye toward stimulating the students curiosity about the many questions still awaiting answers in this field.

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Offering

Spring, 3 credits

Current Session:

Not in session

Prerequisites:

Graduate status or PHYS 342 or PHYS 344

Description:

(PHYS 560) Observational basis of astrophysics; formation of galaxies and stars; evolution of stars; white dwarfs, supernovae and neutron stars, pulsars, quasars, black holes; cosmic rays, their origin and acceleration; radio astronomy, radio galaxies; the H-21 cm line and the 3mK blackbody radiation; gravitational radiation; X-ray and g-ray astronomy; cosmology; space physics, magnetosphere, and solar wind.

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Offering

Fall, Spring CR 3.0

Current Session:

Not in session

Prerequisites:

Graduate status or PHYS 342 or PHYS 344

Description:

(PHYS 561) Covers basic observed properties and models of galactic structure, dynamics of stars, physics of interstellar medium, formation of galaxies, properties of clusters of galaxies, and dark matter.

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Offering

Spring, Cr. 3

Current Session:

Not in session

Prerequisites:

Graduate status or PHYS 342 or PHYS 344

Description:

(PHYS 562) This course provides an overview of important physical processes in a variety of astronomical settings and of the experimental techniques employed in the field of high energy astrophysics. Covered in more detail are individual systems include black holes, neutron stars, white dwarfs, supernova remnants, active a galactic nuclei, clusters of galaxies, gamma-ray bursts, and cosmic rays, with a special emphasis on serveral research frontiers. The course is intended for upper-level undergraduate students and beginning graduate students in the colleges of science and engineering.

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Offering

Fall, Spring CR: 3.0

Current Session:

Not in session

Prerequisites:

Graduate status or PHYS 342 or PHYS 344

Description:

(PHYS 563) An overview of an emerging research frontier in modern physics that lies at the interface of particle physics and astrophysics. Emphasis is on topics that are particularly relevant to both fields, including cosmology, cosmic ray physics, very-high-energy gamma ray astrophysics, neutrino astrophysics, and gravitational wave physics.

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