Astrophysics I

Overview

Introduction to Astronomy: Units of measurement, telescopes and detecting photons.

From planets to galaxies: Size and scale of the visible Universe, Stellar and galactic motion.

The Solar system: The Sun as a star, Newtonian gravity; basic concepts in orbital dynamics, our solar system.

Stars – observational properties/characterization: Stellar luminosities, colours, the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, stellar classification, fundamental stellar properties, Stefan Boltzmann equation, mass-luminosity relations.

Stars – stellar structure: Equation of hydrostatic support (including use of mass coordinate), gravitational binding and thermal energy of stars, Virial theorem, energy generation, energy transport by photon diffusion, convection.

Stars – formation, stellar evolution, binary-star evolution, stellar death: single star evolution, post-H burning, binary-star evolution concepts and accretion, stellar end-states and compact objects.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

Calculate photon fluxes and magnitudes for a sample of astrophysical sources.

Understand the relative sizes of astrophysical objects and the standard units used to report them.

Describe how the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is constructed and physically interpreted.

Use knowledge of physical concepts to derive simple equations that govern the internal structure of stars, and understand energy generation and transport in main-sequence stars, and how Kepler’s Laws originate from the gravitational forces.

Comprehend how the observed properties of stars together with physical laws allow us to understand the evolution of stars of various masses.

Skills

Problem solving. Searching for and evaluating information from a range of sources. Written communication of scientific concepts in a clear and concise manner. Working independently and meeting deadlines.

Assessment

None.