Detailed Outline of Graduate Program Core Curriculum
ASTR 30100. Stars
1. Stars Syllabus Autumn 2017
  • Physical properties of the Sun as a star
  • Observations: HR diagram
  • Basic equations of stellar evolution
  • EOS: Ideal gas, Fully electron degenerate, Relativistic electron degenerate, Radiation
  • Simple polytropic models: Lane Emden equation
  • The Chandrasekhar mass
  • Principal Nuclear reactions
  • Instabilities: Thermal, Dynamical, Convective, Thin layer
  • Simple model of stellar evolution in the (core) log(T) -log (rho) plane
  • Introduction to radiative transport. The specific intensity. Geometric and optical depth. Thermal radiation. Black body radiation
  • Radiative diffusion approx. and the Rossland opacity
  • Physical processes that contribute to the opacity: Electron scattering, free-free, free-bound, bound-bound, Kramer's formulae
  • Eddington Luminosity
  • Homologous stars and simple models of the main sequence
  • Mass loss - Parker's wind equation
  • Convection and the Hayashi zone
  • Brief intro to star formation and pre-main-sequence evolution
  • Post main sequence evolution: Red giant branch, Horizontal branch, Asymptotic giant branch, Planetary nebula phase and white dwarfs, Massive stars and supernovae progenitors
  • Supernovae: Type1 Ia, Core collapse SN

ASTR 30300. Interstellar Matter
1. Interstellar Matter Syllabus Winter Quarter 2018
  • Photo-ionization equilibrium
  • Thermal equilibrium
  • Interstellar radiation fields
  • Emission line diagnostics
  • Absorption-line analysis /HI gas, 21cm
  • Molecular gas, H2/CO /dust, extinction laws
  • Dust, extinction laws /stellar feedback (hydrodynamics, and shocks)

ASTR 30400. Galaxies
1. Galaxies Syllabus Spring Quarter 2017
  • Overview of basic properties of galaxies using the SDSS survey and other data sets.
  • Introduction to modern concepts of how galaxies form and what shapes their observed properties with a galaxy formation model.
  • The class is based on material presented in class, reading, and hands-on exercises working with galaxy catalogs and galaxy formation model.

ASTR 30600. Radiation Measurements in Astrophysics
1. Radiation Theory
  • EM Waves and photons
  • Blackbody radiation
  • Atomic Interactions
2. Light and Image Formation
  • How images are formed
  • Fresnel diffraction theory
  • Near field, far field regions
  • Fraunhoffer diffraction
3. Signal Processing Theory
  • Random fields
  • Correlation functions
  • Orthonomal functions
  • Fourier functions
  • Probability theory/Bayesian statistics/Jaynes
  • Convolution and deconvolution
4. Collecting Photons
  • Basic optics
  • Aberration theory
  • Telescope design
  • Atmospheric turbulence and adaptive optics
5. Analyzing Light
  • Design of spectrographs
  • Photon detectors
  • How CCDs work
6. Photometry
  • Stellar magnitudes
  • Atmospheric absorption
  • Background radiation
7. Radio Astronomy
  • Van Cittert equation
  • Radio Interferometry

ASTR 31000. Cosmology I
1. Cosmology I Syllabus Autumn Quarter 2017
  • The FLRW metric, observables
  • FLRW solutions for useful special cases
  • Cosmological parameters
  • Realistic universes
  • Jeans instability, growth of structure
  • Correlation functions, matter power spectrum
  • Harrison-Zeldovich results
  • Non-linear regime, halo models
  • BBN basics, equilibrium equations, freeze-out conditions
  • Inventory of particles, equilibrium conditions
  • Recombination
  • Pre-recombination dynamics, acoustic modes
  • Last scattering surface, damping
  • CMB overview, CMB power spectra, inflation

ASTR 49900. Graduate Research Seminar