(Above) The Sun, as shown by various telescopes and spacecraft.

PHYS 150 Astrophysics
TuTh 5:00-6:15 p.m. in McLane 174.

2023 Spring Course Syllabus:
Please read carefully. 		Instructor: Professor Ringwald
Email: ringwald[at]csufresno.edu and replace [at] with @
Phone: (559) 278-8426
Office: Room 11 in the `J' wing of McLane Hall
Office hours (from January 23 to May 10):
MoWe 8:00-9:20 p.m. and Tu 6:30-9:20 p.m. (Please note: that's p.m., not a.m.)


Course description: (3 units) Prerequisite: PHYS 4C with a grade of C or better. Introduction to celestial mechanics, spectral classification, stellar atmospheres and interiors, star formation and evolution, variable stars, neutron stars, pulsars, black holes, the nature of galaxies, and the expansion of the Universe. (3 lecture hours)

Required text:

Recommended texts:

Course objectives:
(1) To introduce physicists to interesting problems
(2) To provide teachers with "whys" for their introductory astronomy classes
(3) To prepare astronomers (professional and amateur) for the research problems of the future


TENTATIVE list of chapters to be covered (updated 2023 March 8):
Week
Date
Chapter
Date
Chapter
1 1/17
-
No class 1/19
1, 2
Introduction and Units
2 1/24
1, 2
Units, Powers of Ten, Light-Years, and Look-Back Time 1/26
2, 3
Parallax, Parsecs, and the Cosmic Distance Ladder
3 1/31
13
Possible Sources of Information about the Universe, including the Electromagnetic Spectrum 2/02
13
Telescopes
4 2/07
13, 6
More on Resolution; Introduction to Radiative Processes and Spectra 2/09
4, 5
Radiative processes: Thermal/Blackbody/Planck radiation; Homework 1 due
5 2/14
3
Radiative processes: the Hydrogen Atom and Line Radiation 2/16
7
Gravity
6 2/21
7
Celestial Mechanics 2/23
7.4
 The virial theorem
7 2/28
8, 15
Hydrostatic Equilibrium, Normal Stars, and White Dwarfs 3/02
14
The Sun as a Star
8 3/07
18
Energy Generation in Stars 3/09
18
Nuclear Energy and Synthesis of the Elements: Review of Nuclear Physics; Homework 2 due
9 3/14
18
 Nuclear Energy and Synthesis of the Elements:
Fusion Reaction Chains and Nucleosynthesis 		3/16
18
Stars: magnitudes, colors, spectral types, luminosity classes, and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
10 3/21
3, 6
Stellar Evolution 3/23
19
Star Clusters and the H-R Diagram; Homework 3 due
11 3/28
12, 21, 22
The Interstellar Medium and Star Formation 3/30
1-7, 13
Mid-Term Exam 1, on Chapters 1-7 and 13
- 4/04
-
Spring Break 4/06
-
Spring Break
12 4/11
10, 23, 24, 25
 Binary Stars, extrasolar planets, and the Solar System 4/13
10, 23, 24, 25
 Binary Stars, extrasolar planets, and the Solar System
13 4/18
20
 The End States of Stars: Neutron Stars, Pulsars, and Black Holes 4/20
20
The End States of Stars: Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursts; Homework 4 due
14 4/25
27
 Pulsating stars and the extragalactic distance scale; Take-Home Mid-Term Exam 2 handed out 4/27
26, 27, 29
 "Ultimate Address"; Clusters of Galaxies and the Expansion of the Universe; Take-Home Mid-Term Exam 2 due.
15 5/02
32, 28
 The Big Bang 5/04
26, 27, 28
 The Milky Way Galaxy and Dark Matter;
Normal and Active Galaxies; Homework 5 due
16 5/09
30, 31
 Gravitation and Cosmology;
ΛCDM and inflation 		5/11
-
 No class


Course grades will be awarded for the following final percentages:
85.000-100% = A; 70.000-84.999% = B; 60.000-69.999% = C; 50.000-59.999% = D; 0-49.999% = F.

These percentages will be computed with the following weights:

40% Homework (including problem sets that will be handed out throughout the semester),
15% Mid-Term Exam 1 (in class, closed book and notes, on Thursday, March 16, and NOT March 2 as previously announced),
15% Mid-Term Exam 2 (take-home, due in class on Thursday, April 20),
30% Final Exam (in class, closed book, open notes written or printed on paper, at 5:45-7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16, in McLane 174).

No electronics that do mathematics except calculators that can be used only as calculators, and no phones or desktop, laptop, tablet, or wearable computers will be allowed during Mid-Term Exam 1 or the Final Exam.

Sorry, but no late assignments will be accepted. Also: Professor Ringwald doesn't give make-up exams. If any student must be absent for a valid reason (job interview, illness documented by a physician's note), that student's grade for that exam will be voided and the remainder of the grade counted as 100%.

Course web page: http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~fringwal/phys150.html

There are no computing prerequisites or lab for this course, so the emphasis will be on pencil-and-paper theory. Spring semester is the bad-weather time of year for Fresno, so observing will not be an official part of this class, although observing opportunities may be announced during the semester if they arise.

Whenever doing homework problems, be sure to show all work and write the correct units, or else points will be deducted. Also make sure to write the correct number of significant digits, also called significant figures: this error looks bad, and writing more than two excessive digits will be grounds for one point being deducted, for each instance.

Too many students treat doing their homework and their assigned readings as dreadful chores. Please remember that astronomy is an elective course and a highy competitive profession. If working the homework problems and doing the readings isn't fun for you, something is wrong.

  • Students with Disabilities: Upon identifying themselves to the instructor and the university, students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation. For more information, contact Services to Students with Disabilities in the University Center Room 5 (559-278-2811).

  • Honor Code: Members of the California State University, Fresno academic community adhere to principles of academic integrity and mutual respect while engaged in university work and related activities. Students should:

    (a) understand or seek clarification about expectations for academic integrity in this course (including no cheating, plagiarism and inappropriate collaboration)

    (b) neither give nor receive unauthorized aid on examinations or other course work that is used by the instructor as the basis of grading.

    (c) take responsibility to monitor academic dishonesty in any form and to report it to the instructor or other appropriate official for action.

    Instructors may require students to sign a statement on exams and assignments that “I have done my own work and have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work."

  • Cheating and Plagiarism: Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving one's grade or obtaining course credit; such acts also include assisting another student to do so. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations. However, it is the intent of this definition that the term 'cheating' not be limited to examination situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating which consists of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works of others by misrepresenting the material (i.e., their intellectual property) so used as one's own work. For more information on the University's policy regarding cheating and plagiarism, refer to the Class Schedule (Legal Notices on Cheating and Plagiarism) or the University Catalog (Policies and Regulations).

  • Computers: At California State University, Fresno, computers and communications links to remote resources are recognized as being integral to the education and research experience. Every student is required to have his/her own computer or have other personal access to a workstation (including a modem and a printer) with all the recommended software. The minimum and recommended standards for the workstations and software, which may vary by academic major, are updated periodically and are available from Information Technology Services (http://www.fresnostate.edu/adminserv/technology/) or the University Bookstore. In the curriculum and class assignments, students are presumed to have 24-hour access to a computer workstation and the necessary communication links to the University's information resources.

  • Disruptive Classroom Behavior: The classroom is a special environment in which students and faculty come together to promote learning and growth. It is essential to this learning environment that respect for the rights of others seeking to learn, respect for the professionalism of the instructor, and the general goals of academic freedom are maintained. Differences of viewpoint or concerns should be expressed in terms which are supportive of the learning process, creating an environment in which students and faculty may learn to reason with clarity and compassion, to share of themselves without losing their identities, and to develop and understanding of the community in which they live. Student conduct which disrupts the learning process shall not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from class.

  • Copyright policy: Copyright laws and fair use policies protect the rights of those who have produced the material. The copy in this course has been provided for private study, scholarship, or research. Other uses may require permission from the copyright holder. The user of this work is responsible for adhering to copyright law of the U.S. (Title 17, U.S. Code). To help you familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, the University encourages you to visit its copyright web page: http://www.fresnostate.edu/home/about/copyright.html. For copyright Questions & Answers: http://libguides.csufresno.edu/copyright

  • This syllabus and schedule are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, such as pandemics. If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to check on announcements made while you were absent.



    Here is a list of Phys 150 PowerPoints, videos, and handouts the students should read within of week of when they are made available:


    Class 1, Thursday, January 26:

    Class 2, Tuesday, January 31:



    Class 3, Thursday, February 2:



    Class 4, Thursday, February 7:



    Class 5, Thursday, February 9:



    Classes 6, 7, 8, and 9, from Tuesday, February 14 to Thursday, February 23:



    Classes 10, 11, and 12, starting on Tuesday, February 28:



    Classes 13, 14, and 15, starting on Thursday, March 9:



    Classes 16 and 17, starting on Tuesday, April 11:



    Class 18, on Thursday, April 13:



    Class 19 on Tuesday, April 18 and Class 20 on Thursday, April 20:



    Classes 21-23 on Tuesday, April 25 to Tuesday, May 2:



    Class 24 on Thursday, May 4:



    Class 25 on Thursday, May 9:



    Go to Professor Ringwald's home page. Last updated 2023 May 8.
    Webpage by Professor Ringwald (ringwald[at]csufresno.edu and replace [at] with @)
    Department of Physics, California State University, Fresno. Please read this disclaimer.