ASTRONOMY 21: (Spring, 2003)

"GALAXIES AND THE UNIVERSE"

 

CLASSTIMES:

Tuesday and Thursday from 10:25 to 11:40 AM.

CLASSROOM:

Anderson Hall, Room 313
on the Medford Campus of Tufts University.

PROFESSOR:

Dr. William H. Waller, Robinson Hall, Room 355.
Office Telephone: 617-627-3655;
Home Telephone: 978-546-2096
Internet Address: waller@cosmos.phy.tufts.edu

OFFICE HOURS:

Thursday (2 PM ==> 4 PM), Friday (by appointment).

PREREQUISITES:

An understanding of general Physics and Calculus
--- See course catalog for more details.

EXAMS:

Worth a total of 40 percent. Three in-class exams.
The highest two scores will be averaged.
There are no makeups.

HOMEWORK:

Worth a total of 30 percent. Late homework is discounted 10% per day. Will include attendance of a planetarium show at Boston's Museum of Science (submit your ticket receipt) and documented astronomical observations.

PRESENTATION:

Worth a total of 20 percent. Will occur the last two class days. Well-documented investigation or proposal to carry out astronomical research.

ATTENDANCE:

Worth a total of 10 percent.
Mandatory during presentation week.

COLLABORATIONS:

Teaming with your peers is strongly encouraged!

PRIMARY LITERATURE:

Galaxies and the Cosmic Frontier,
 by: William H. Waller and Paul W. Hodge.

Galaxies and Galactic Structure,
 by: Debra M. Elmegreen (Prentice Hall).
  • This handy book is currently out of print, so I'm getting copies made for sale at Tufts University Bookstore. It will take a few weeks, alas.
The Once and Future Cosmos
 (Scientific American Special Edition)
  • Compilation of topical articles. Available(?) at Tufts University Bookstore.

SUPPLEMENTAL LITERATURE:

On reserve at the EPDC in Anderson Hall, including:

Galactic Astronomy,
 by James Binney & Michael Merrifield (Princeton U. Press).

Horizons ... an introductory textbook.
 by Michael Seeds (Brooks-Cole)

Burnham's Celestial Handbook,
 by Robert Burnham, Jr (Dover Press).

Sky & Telescope magazine
  (Sky Publishing Corporation)



TENTATIVE SYLLABUS FOR
ASTRONOMY 21:

GALAXIES AND THE UNIVERSE

(Spring 2003, Tu & Th at 10:25-11:40 in Anderson 313)
(Prof. W. H. Waller, Robinson 355, <waller@cosmos.phy.tufts.edu>)

WEEK 1 (Jan. 16)

  • Introductions, Spatial Scales in the Universe, Astrospeak
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Prologue, Endnotes 1, 2) (Elmegreen: Ch. 1)
  • Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 2.1, 2.3)

WEEK 2 (Jan. 21, 23 -- no class)

  • Galaxies and the Universe -- Types of Galaxies
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 1, Endnotes 3, 4, 5) (Elmegreen: Ch. 2)
  • Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 4.1) (Once & Future Cosmos: Ch. 3)

WEEK 3 (Jan. 28, 30)

  • Form and Function -- Galactic Structure
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 2, Endnotes 6--8) (Elmegreen: Ch. 5)
    • > Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 4.2--4.4)

WEEK 4 (Feb. 4, 6)

  • Galactic Anatomy -- Stars, Gas, Dust, etc.
    Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 3, Endnotes 9--15) (Elmegreen: Ch. 3, 4, 6)
    Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 3, 8)

WEEK 5 (Feb. 11, 13)

  • Missing Mass -- The Case for Dark Matter
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 4, Endnote 16)
    (Elmegreen: Ch. 7)
  • Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 8.2.4)
  • Creation and Evolution
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 5, Endnote 17)
    (Elmegreen: Ch. 12.8)
  • Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 10.7) (Once & Future Cosmos: Ch. 3)


WEEK 6 (Feb. 18, 20)

  • Exam #1 occurs on Tuesday, February 18!
  • The Milky Way -- Our Home Galaxy
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 6, Endnotes 18--21)
    Elmegreen: Ch. 3, 6, 8)
  • Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 1, 9, 10!!)
WEEK 7 (Feb. 25, 27)
  • Galaxies of the Local Group
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 7, 8, Endnote 22)
    (Elmegreen: Ch. 12.5)
  • Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 4.1.4)
WEEK 8 (March 4, 6)
  • The Nearest Giants
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 9, Endnote 23)
    (Elmegreen: Ch. 9)
  • Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 4.3, 4.4, 8.2)
  • Interacting and Starbursting Galaxies
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 10, Endnotes 24, 25) (Elmegreen: Ch. 10, 11)
  • Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 4.6)
WEEK 9 (March 11, 13)
  • The Most Powerful Galaxies
    -- ULIRGs, Seyferts, Quasars, and Blazars
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 11, Endnotes 26, 27)
    (Elmegreen: Ch. 11)
  • Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 4.6)
WEEK 10 SPRING RECESS: NO CLASSES!

WEEK 11 (March 25, 27)
  • Gauging the Galaxies -- The Cosmic Distance Scale
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 12) (Elmegreen: Ch. 12)
  • Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 7)
  • Clusters and Superclusters, Filaments and Voids
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 13, Endnote 28)
    (Elmegreen: Ch. 12)

WEEK 12 (April 1, 3)
  • Exam #2 occurs on Tuesday, April 1!
  • The Expanding Cosmos
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 14, Endnote 29)
  • Supplemental: (B & M: Ch. 7.4)
    (Once & Future Cosmos: Ch. 4, 5, 6)
WEEK 13 (April 8, 10)
  • Scenarios of Universal Origin
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 15)
  • Supplemental:
    (Once & Future Cosmos: Ch. 1, 11, 12) The CosmicFrontier
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 16)
  • Supplemental: (Once & Future Cosmos: Ch. 2, 10, 11, 13)

WEEK 14 (April 15, 17)

  • The Conscious Universe
  • Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Epilogue, Endnote 30)
  • Supplemental: (Once & Future Cosmos: Ch. 7, 9, 12)
  • Presentations: ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED!!

WEEK 15 (April 22 -- Last Class!)

  • Course Evaluations and Presentations:
    ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED!!

WEEK 16

  • READING PERIOD -- NO CLASSES!!
  • FIELD TRIP TO OBSERVATORY (TBA)
    -- Counts as Extra-Credit Homework
WEEK 17
  • Exam #3 on Friday, May 2, at 12--2 PM!