Required Readings
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)
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 |
