8.901 | Spring 2006 | Graduate

Astrophysics I

Calendar

SES # TOPICS KEY DATES
1 Introduction

2 Kepler Problem

Binaries

3 Stellar Distances

Coordinates

Magnitudes

4 Color-color Diagrams

Spectral/Luminosity Classes

Problem set 1 due
5 Saha Equation

6 Radiation

Opacity

Radiative Diffusion

7 Equations of Stellar Structure

Convection

Problem set 2 due
8 Convection (cont.)

Modeling

Polytropes

Energy Sources

9 Nuclear Reaction Rates

Hydrogen Burning: pp, CNO

Problem set 3 due
10 H/He Burning

Nucleosynthesis

Low-M Stars

11 Stellar Evolution: Lower Main Sequence

Cluster H-R

12 S-C Limit

Solar Neutrinos

Degenerate Matter

Problem set 4 due
13 Midterm Exam

14 Degenerate Matter

Chandra Mass

White Dwarfs

15 White Dwarf Cooling

Intrinsically Variable Stars

Problem set 5 due
16 Upper Main Sequence: Evolution of Massive Stars

17 Supernovae

Collapsars

GRBs

Problem set 6 due
18 Neutron Stars

Pulsars (Guest Lecturer: David Kaplan)

Problem set 7 due
19 Sun as a Star (Guest Lecturer: Justin Kasper)

20 Gravitational Radiation (Guest Lecturer: Ryan Lang) Problem set 8 due
21 Close Binaries

Accretion Disks

22 Cepheid Variables

X-ray Binaries

Problem set 9 due
23 Black Holes

Interstellar Medium

Dust Extinction

24 Star Formation

Jeans Criterion

IMF

Brown Dwarfs

Problem set 10 due
25 Gas in the Interstellar Medium

Heating and Cooling

21 cm and CO

26 Shocks

Supernova Remnants

Course Info

Departments
As Taught In
Spring 2006
Level
Learning Resource Types
Problem Sets