ASTR 496

Fall 2009 All Classes

All Classes

Seminar in Astronomy

Credit: 1 TO 4 hours.

Lectures on topics of current interest in astronomy and astrophysics; for advanced undergraduates and graduates. See Class Schedule for current topics.

Approved for both letter and S/U grading. May be repeated. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

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ASTR 496 class schedule data for fall 2009
	CRN	Type	Section	Time	Day	Location	Instructor	Section Details
	54363	Lecture	APA	4:00PM -4:50PM	W	134 Astronomy Building	Gammie, C Fields, B	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/09-12/09/09 Credit: 1 hours Section Title: Art & Practice of Astronomy Section Info: The Art and Practice of Astronomy Advanced undergraduates are welcome but should seek permission of an instructor. This course will introduce students to some of the tools, opportunities, expectations, and challenges of a career in astronomy and astrophysics research. For about half of the class meetings, students will collaborate interactively to address open-ended research questions qualitatively and quantitatively, using order-of-magnitude and dimensional analyses. The rest of the course meetings will focus on professional preparation and skills, including: scientific writing, oral presentation skills, building a curriculum vitae, posdoctoral fellowships, faculty and research positions, grantsmanship, and ethics. This course is open to graduate students with interests in astronomy, astrophysics, and/or cosmology.
	53596	Lecture	NPA	2:00PM -2:50PM	MWF	134 Astronomy Building	Fields, B	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/09-12/09/09 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Nuclear/Particle Astrophysics Section Info: Astronomy 496 NPA: Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics The course is targeted to advanced undergraduate students, with no nuclear or particle physics prerequisites. Need instructors approval. We will develop and apply basic nuclear and particle physics to trace highlights in the history of cosmic matter from the big bang to the present. Planned topics include: Early universe thermodynamics, relic particles, and dark matter. Primordial nucleosynthesis predictions, observations, implications, and future tests. Stellar burning phases and nucleosynthesis. Supernovae and explosive nucleosynthesis. Solar, geophysical, atmospheric, supernova, and cosmological neutrinos. Neutron capture processes: theory, astrophysical sites, and observations. Gamma-ray bursts. Ultra-high energy cosmic rays. Cosmic-ray nucleosynthesis and $\gamma$-ray production. The first stars. Galactic and cosmic chemical evolution. The emphasis will be on physical arguments and quantitative estimates to understand observations.