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Readings

Required Readings

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

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

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

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

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

Press, William H. Introduction to Astrophysics

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

Schechter, Paul. 8.902 Notes on Cosmology (This resource may not render correctly in a screen reader.PDF)

Readings by Session

SES # TOPICS READINGS
1

Introduction

Equatorial coordinates and sidereal time

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

Galactic coordinates

Distances to stars

 Mihalas, Dimitri, and James Binney. Galactic Astronomy. San Francisco, CA: W.H. Freeman, 1981, chapter 2. ISBN: 9780716712800.
3 Magnitudes (apparent and absolute) and color indices Press, William H. Introduction to Astrophysics. Chapters 2, 3.5, 4.1, and 4.2 through 4.2.5.
4

Spectral classification

The Kepler problem

 Press, William H. Introduction to Astrophysics. Chapters 2, 3.5, 4.1, and 4.2 through 4.2.5.
5 Parametric solution to Kepler Press, William H. Introduction to Astrophysics. Chapters 2, 3.5, 4.1, and 4.2 through 4.2.5.
6

Masses of stars

Mass radius relation

 Press, William H. Introduction to Astrophysics. Chapters 2, 3.5, 4.1, and 4.2 through 4.2.5.
7 Guest lecture: Mass measurements for exoplanets and our black hole Press, William H. Introduction to Astrophysics. Chapters 2, 3.5, 4.1, and 4.2 through 4.2.5.
8 Guest lecture: Telescopes Press, William H. Introduction to Astrophysics. Chapters 2, 3.5, 4.1 and 4.2 through 4.2.5.
9 Polytropic stars Clayton. Sections 2-4.
10

Classical and quantum statistics

The Saha equation

 Hansen, and Kawaler. Sections 7.1-7.2.2.
11

Equations of state

Application of Lane-Emden solution: White dwarfs

Hansen, and Kawaler. Sections 7.1-7.2.2.

Clayton. Sections 2-4.
12 Simple results for the sun and other stars

Hansen, and Kawaler. Sections 7.1-7.2.2.

Clayton. Sections 2-4.
13 Radiative transport Hansen, and Kawaler. Sections 3.1-3.5 and 7.1-7.2.
14

Opacities

Scaling laws

Convection

 Hansen, and Kawaler. Sections 3.1-3.5 and 7.1-7.2.
15

Energy generation

Coulomb penetration factor

 Hansen, and Kawaler. Sections 3.1-3.5 and 7.1-7.2.
16 Nuclear "burning" in the sun and other stars Hansen, and Kawaler. Sections 3.1-3.5 and 7.1-7.2.
17 Evolution of stars of low, intermediate and high mass

Clayton. Section 4.3 through equation (4-62).

Hansen, and Kawaler. Sections 6.3-6.5.
18 Stellar atmospheres

Clayton. Section 4.3 through equation (4-62).

Hansen, and Kawaler. Sections 6.3-6.5.
19 Lines in stellar atmospheres

Clayton. Section 4.3 through equation (4-62).

Hansen, and Kawaler. Sections 6.3-6.5.
20 In-class exam  
21 Introduction to the interstellar medium

Clayton. Section 4.3 through equation (4-62).

Hansen, and Kawaler. Sections 6.3-6.5.

Bohm-Vitense. Vol. 2. Chapters 5, 6, and 10.
22 Photoionized nebulae (H II regions and planetaries)

Clayton. Section 4.3 through equation (4-62).

Hansen, and Kawaler. Section 6.3-6.5.

Bohm-Vitense. Vol. 2. Chapters 5, 6, and 10.
23 Supernovae and shocks

Clayton. Section 4.3 through equation (4-62).

Hansen, and Kawaler. Sections 6.3-6.5.

Bohm-Vitense. Vol. 2. Chapters 5, 6, and 10.
24 Adiabatic supernova shocks Shu. The Physics of Astrophysics, Volume II: Gas Dynamics. Chapter 15 (pp. 214-217) and 17.
25 Galaxy morphology Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 1 and section 3.1.
26

Quantifiable properties of galaxies

Collisional relaxation times

 Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 1 and section 3.1.
27 Collisionless Boltzmann equation (cartesian) and its moments Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 4 through equation (4-45).
28 Boltzmann and the 4 jeans equations (spherical) Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 4 through equation (4-45).
29 Galaxy disks: Rotation and epicyclic motion Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 4 through equation (4-45).
30 Galaxy models: Potentials, orbits, and distribution functions Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 4 through equation (4-45).
31 Clusters of galaxies Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 4 through equation (4-45).
32

Evidence for the expansion and homegeneity of the universe

Newtonian derivation of Friedmann universe

Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 10.

8.902 Notes on Cosmology. Sections 3.1-3.3.
33 Galaxy formation

Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 10.

8.902 Notes on Cosmology. Sections 3.1-3.3.
34 Friedman-Robertson-Walker metric

Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 10.

8.902 Notes on Cosmology. Sections 3.1-3.3.
35 Friedman equation with radiation and other stuff

Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 10.

8.902 Notes on Cosmology. Sections 3.1-3.3.
36 Supernovae and cosmic acceleration

Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 10.

8.902 Notes on Cosmology. Sections 3.1-3.3.
37 Recombination and helium production

Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 10.

8.902 Notes on Cosmology. Sections 3.1-3.3.
38 Fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background

Binney, and Tremaine. Chapter 10.

8.902 Notes on Cosmology. Sections 3.1-3.3.
  Final exam