(Above) Latest solar images, from various telescopes and spacecraft.
Click on them for more detail.
PHYS 150 Astrophysics
MW 6:00-7:15 p.m. in McLane 167.
2012 Spring Class Syllabus:
Please read carefully.
|
Instructor: Dr.
Ringwald
E-mail:
ringwald@csufresno.edu
Phone: (559) 278-8426
Office: McLane Hall 11, in the new `J' wing
Office hours (between January 18 and May 11):
MWF 1-2, MW 4-5.
|
Course description: (3 credits) Prerequisite: PHYS 4C. 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.
Required texts, which should be available in Kennel Bookstore:
(1) Foundations of Astrophysics, by Barbara Ryden and Bradley
M. Peterson.
Recommended texts:
Class 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
2012 January 17):
| Week
| Date
| Chapter
|
| Date
| Chapter
|
|
| 1
| 1/16
| -
| Holiday (Martin Luther King Day)
| 1/18
| 1, 4.4-4.6, 13.1
| Introduction and Early Astronomy
|
| 2
| 1/23
| 2
| Classical astronomy
| 1/25
| 3, 4.1-4.3
| Celestial Mechanics
|
| 3
| 1/30
| 3.4
| The Virial theorem
| 2/01
| 6
| Light and Astronomical Telescopes
|
| 4
| 2/06
| 6
| Light and Astronomical Telescopes
| 2/08
| 5
| Radiative processes: the H atom and line radiation
|
| 5
| 2/13
| 5
| Thermal (blackbody) radiation
| 2/15
| 8, 12.1-12.2
| The Solar System
|
| 6
| 2/20
| -
| Holiday (Presidents Day)
| 2/22
| 7
| The Sun as a Star
|
| 7
| 2/27
| 15
| Nuclear Energy and Synthesis of the Elements:
Review of Nuclear Physics
| 2/29
| 15
| Nuclear Energy and Synthesis of the Elements:
Energy Generation in Stars
|
| 8
| 3/05
| 15
| Nuclear Energy and Synthesis of the Elements:
Fusion Reaction Chains and Nucleosynthesis
| 3/07
| 1-6
| Mid-Term Exam 1, on Chapters 1-6
|
| 9
| 3/12
| 13-14
| Hydrostatic Equilibrium, Normal Stars, and White Dwarfs
| 3/14
| 18
| The End States of Stars: Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursts
|
| 10
| 3/19
| 18
| The End States of Stars: Neutron Stars, Pulsars, and Black Holes
| 3/21
| 13
| Stars: magnitudes and colors
|
| 11
| 3/26
| 14
| Stars: Spectral Types, Luminosity Classes, and the Hertzsprung-Russell
Diagram
| 3/28
| 17
| Stellar Evolution
|
| -
| 4/02
| -
| Spring Break
| 4/04
| -
| Spring Break
|
| 12
| 4/09
| 17
| Star Clusters and the H-R Diagram
| 4/11
| 17.3
| Pulsating stars and the extragalactic distance scale
|
| 13
| 4/16
| 12.3-12.4
| Binary Stars: extrasolar planets
| 4/18
| 18
| Binary Stars: close binaries
|
| 14
| 4/23
| 16, 17
| The Interstellar Medium and Star Formation
| 4/25
| 20, 22
| "Ultimate Address";
Clusters of Galaxies and the Expansion of the
Universe; The Big Bang; Take-Home Mid-Term Exam 2 due.
|
| 15
| 4/30
| 19
| The Milky Way Galaxy and Dark Matter
| 5/02
| 21
| Normal and Active Galaxies
|
| 16
| 5/07
| 23
| Gravitation and Cosmology
| 5/09
| 24
| ΛCDM and inflation
|
Course grades will be awarded for the following final
percentages:
85.0-100% = A; 70.0-84.9% = B; 55.0-69.9% = C; 40.0-54.9% = D; 0-39.9%
= F.
These percentages will be computed with the following weights:
|
35%
|
Homework. Sorry, but no late assignments will be accepted.
|
|
15%
|
Mid-Term Exam 1 (in class, closed book and closed notes, on
Wednesday, March 7).
|
|
15%
|
Mid-Term Exam 2 (take-home, due Wednesday, April 25).
|
|
35%
|
Final Exam (in class, open book and notes: Wednesday, May 16,
8:00-10:00 p.m. in McLane 167).
|
Sorry, but Dr. 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%.
Class 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.
Too many students treat doing their homework and their assigned readings
as dreadful chores. Please remember that astronomy is an elective course
and a competitive profession. If working the homework problems and doing
the readings isn't fun for you, something is wrong.
- The Central Valley Astronomers
are Fresno's amateur astronomy club. They will have meetings at 7-9 p.m.
in East Engineering 191, on February 11, March 10, April 7, and May 5. The
CVA will also have public solar observing from noon to 3 p.m. on April 21
at the Downing
Planetarium.
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.csufresno.edu/ITS/) 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.csufresno.edu/library/libraryinformation/campus/copyright/copyrtpolicyfull.pdf.
For copyright Questions & Answers: http://www.csufresno.edu/library/libraryinformation/campus/copyright/faqcopyright.pdf
Other astronomy courses at Fresno State include:
This syllabus and schedule are subject to change in the event of
extenuating circumstances, such as poor weather. If you are absent from
class, it is your responsibility to check on announcements made while you
were absent.
Go to Dr.
Ringwald's home page
Last updated 2012 January 17. Web page by Dr. Ringwald ( ringwald@csufresno.edu )
Department of Physics, California State University, Fresno.
Please read this disclaimer.