Fall 2009
This course will focus on the constituents, properties, and physical processes inside galaxies. While the Milky Way will often be used to expemplify the principles, I will aim for the course to apply to galaxies more generally.
Class Hours: 15:25 - 16:40 Morey 402
Professor: Eric Blackman, B&L 417, 5-0537, blackman@pas.rochester.edu
Office Hours: Wed 14:15 - 15:45pm
TA: Dhara Trivedi, B&L 304 , 5-8543, dhara8585@gmail.com
Textbooks:
The required course textbook is:
"Galaxies in the Universe" by Linda Sparke and John Gallagher (Second Edition)
Note the following link to
typos in the textbook!
Other books of interest include:
"The Physical Universe" (Shu; In my opinon, the best semi-qualitative overview of modern
astronomy for physics and astronomy majors--there are few equations but
the physical reasoning is very effective and at times sophisticated.)
"Modern Astrophysics" (Carroll and Ostlie; good quantitative overview
of astrophysics accessible to undergraduates. A recommended purchase
if you would like a comprehensive book on your shelf.)
More advanced (A232 will prepare you
for these books):
"Galactic Dynamics" (Binney and Tremaine; classic graduate level textbook for
theory of gravitational dynamics within galaxies.)
"Galactic Astronomy" (Merrifield and Binney; graduate level textbook for
observational properties of galaxies and a companion to Binney and Tremaine)
Syllabus
The approximate syllabus and order of topics to be covered is below,
and is organized to follow the textbook (Sparke and Gallagher).
1. Introduction: Stars, the Milky Way, Galaxies in the Unverse
2. Observing and Mapping the Milky Way
3. Stellar Orbits in Galaxies
4. Nearby Galaxies and the Local Group
5. Spiral and S0 Galaxies
6. Elliptical Galaxies
UNLIKELY TO COVER:
7. Large Scale Structure and Distribution of Galaxies in the Universe
8. Active Galaxies
Coursework:
(1) Homework problems ( ~25%, each homework set counts equally)
(2) Two in-class exams (based on book problems) (~25% each for A232)
Oct 20, Dec 8
(3) Term paper, topics to be decided as term goes on.
Paper is to be no more than 3500 words of text (not inlcuding references, abstract, title, or figures) (~25%)
Topics due
Nov 10; Paper due Finals week (Dec 20)
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EXAMPLE PAPER TOPICS FOR ITEM (3) ABOVE (more to be added in class):
*NGC-4258 Masers, Dynamics, and Warped Disks
*Measuring the black hole mass at the Galactic Center
* The "M-sigma" relation (an observed correlation between
black hole mass and velocity dispersion of stars
in galaxy centers): what does it mean, how does it arise?
* The upper mass limit on stars
* Cold Dark Matter in Galaxies or Modified Newtonian
Gravity?: Advantages and disadvantages of these two approaches
to understanding galactic rotation curves. Recent developments 2006
* Galactic structure and stellar populations
* Type Ia Supernovae in Galaxies and the Expansion
of the Universe
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Links:
Viewgraphs of interestd: Intro to Milky Way
,
Howell et al. 2006; Type IA SN not standard Candles?
Most distant Galaxy observed yet: redshift z=6.96
,
Other Links
Astronomy picture of the day archive
Stellar Classification and Stellar Subtypes
Astronomy and Physics Online Journal Publication Database (ADS)