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8.284 | Spring 2006 | Undergraduate

Modern Astrophysics

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Syllabus
Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 3 sessions / week, 1 hour / session

Course Description
This course explores the applications of physics (Newtonian, statistical, and quantum mechanics) to fundamental processes that occur in celestial
objects. The list of topics includes Main-sequence Stars, Collapsed Stars (White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, and Black Holes), Pulsars, Supernovae, the
Interstellar Medium, Galaxies, and as time permits, Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Cosmology. Observational data is also discussed.

Prerequisites
Students must have previously completed Quantum Physics I (8.04) and Quantum Physics II (8.05) with a grade of C or higher. No prior knowledge of
astronomy is required.

Textbooks
There is no single text for this course. All of the assigned readings come from the following texts:

Bohm-Vitense, Erika. Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics. 3 vols. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1989. ISBN: 9780521344029.

Binney, James, and Scott Tremaine. Galactic Dynamics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1987. ISBN: 9780691084442.

Clayton, Donald D. Stellar Evolution and Nucleosynthesis. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1983. ISBN: 9780226109534.

Hansen, Carl J., and Steven D. Kawaler. Stellar Interiors: Physical Principles, Structure, and Evolution. New York, NY: Springer, 2004. ISBN:
9780387200897.

Mihalas, Dimitri, and James Binney. Galactic Astronomy. San Francisco, CA: W.H. Freeman, 1981, chapter 2. ISBN: 9780716712800.

Press, William H. Introduction to Astrophysics

Shu, Frank H. The Physical Universe. Mill Valley, CA: University Science Books, 1982. ISBN: 9780935702057.

Schechter, Paul. 8.902 Notes on Cosmology (PDF)

Although these are not part of the required readings, students may also find the following books useful:

Binney, James, and Michael Merrifield. Galactic Astronomy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1998. ISBN: 9780691004020.

Gray, David F. The Observation and Analysis of Stellar Photospheres. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN: 9780521851862.

Harwit, Martin. Astrophysical Concepts. New York, NY: Springer, 1998. ISBN: 9780387949437.

Longair, Malcolm S. Galaxy Formation. New York, NY: Springer, 1998. ISBN: 9783540637851.

Osterbrock, Donald E. The Astrophysics of Gaseous Nebulae and Active Galactic Nuclei. Sausalito, CA: University Science Books, 2006. ISBN:
9781891389344.

Ostlie, Dale A., and Bradley W. Carroll. An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1996. ISBN: 9780201547306.

Peebles, P. J. E. Physical Cosmology. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1971. ISBN: 9780691081083.

———. Principles of Physical Cosmology. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1993. ISBN: 9780691074283.

Schwarzschild, Martin. Structure and Evolution of the Stars. New York, NY: Dover Publications, 1977. ISBN: 9780486614793.

———. The Physics of Astrophysics. 2 vols. Mill Valley, CA: University Science Books, 1991. ISBN: 9780935702644.

Silk, Joseph. The Big Bang. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman, 2001. ISBN: 9780716742463.

Spitzer, Lyman. Physical Processes in the Interstellar Medium. New York, NY: Wiley, 1978. ISBN: 9780471022329.

Unsold, Albrecht. The New Cosmos. New York, NY: Springer, 2001. ISBN: 9783540678779.

Weinberg, Steven. The First Three Minutes. New York, NY: Basic Books, 1993. ISBN: 9780465024377.

———. Gravitation and Cosmology. New York, NY: Wiley, 1972. ISBN: 9780471925675.
Problem Sets
There are 11 problem sets. Approximately one set is due per week. Solutions will be provided four days after the due date.

Exams
There will be one in-class midterm exam. There will also be a comprehensive final exam, scheduled by the Registrar and held during the final exam
period.

Grading Policy

ACTIVITIES PERCENTAGES

Midterm exam 20%

Problem sets 40%

Final exam 40%

Calendar

SES # TOPICS KEY DATES

Introduction
1
Equatorial coordinates and sidereal time

Galactic coordinates
2
Distances to stars

3 Magnitudes (apparent and absolute) and color indices Problem set 1 due

Spectral classification
4
The Kepler problem

5 Parametric solution to Kepler

Masses of stars
6
Mass radius relation

7 Mass measurements for exoplanets and our black hole Problem set 2 due

8 Telescopes

9 Polytropic stars

Classical and quantum statistics

10
The Saha equation

Equations of state
11 Problem set 3 due
Application of Lane-Emden solution: White dwarfs

12 Simple results for the sun and other stars

13 Radiative transport

Opacities

Scaling laws
14 Problem set 4 due
Convection

Energy generation
15
Coulomb penetration factor

16 Nuclear “burning” in the sun and other stars

17 Evolution of stars of low, intermediate and high mass Problem set 5 due

18 Stellar atmospheres

19 Lines in stellar atmospheres

 SES # TOPICS KEY DATES

20 In-class exam Problem set 6 due

21 Introduction to the interstellar medium

22 Photoionized nebulae (H II regions and planetaries)

23 Supernovae and shocks

24 Adiabatic supernova shocks Problem set 7 due

25 Galaxy morphology

Quantifiable properties of galaxies

26
Collisional relaxation times

27 Collisionless Boltzmann equation (cartesian) and its moments Problem set 8 due

28 Boltzmann and the 4 jeans equations (spherical)

29 Galaxy disks: Rotation and epicyclic motion

30 Galaxy models: Potentials, orbits, and distribution functions Problem set 9 due

31 Clusters of galaxies

Evidence for the expansion and homegeneity of the universe

32
Newtonian derivation of Friedmann universe

33 Galaxy formation Problem set 10 due

34 Friedman-Robertson-Walker metric

35 Friedman equation with radiation and other stuff

36 Supernovae and cosmic acceleration Problem set 11 due

37 Recombination and helium production

38 Fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background

Final exam

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