Course Syllabus
29:119 Introduction to Astrophysics I
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Fall Semester 2006

Steven R. Spangler
705 Van Allen Hall
319-335-1948
steven-spangler@uiowa.edu
http://phobos.physics.uiowa.edu/$\sim$srs/

Introduction to Astrophysics is a discussion of the main themes and results of theoretical astrophysics. The level of the presentation is intermediate, meaning that a level of mathematics and physics appropriate for a junior or senior student is assumed. Topics to be discussed include celestial mechanics, electromagnetic radiation and its interaction with atoms and molecules, the application of atomic physics to our understanding of starlight, and the physics of the Sun.

General Course Information

1. Lectures are from 9:30 to 10:45 AM, Tuesdays and Thursdays, in Room 618 of Van Allen Hall.
2. The required textbook for the course is An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics by Bradley W. Carroll and Dale A. Ostlie, Second Edition, Pearson/Addison Wesley. The first semester of this course will deal with approximately the first half of this book. The same textbook will be used in the continuation of the course next semester. In both semester, the lectures will closely adhere to the material and discussion in the textbook.
3. The level of physics and mathematics employed in this class assumes that students have completed mathematics through 22M:47 and 22M:48 (linear algebra, vector calculus, differential equations), and physics through 29:27,28,29, and 30, or their equivalent at another university.
4. Since the homework problems will be primarily mathematical in nature, and sometimes involve operations which are difficult or impossible to carry out analytically, I strongly recommend students become proficient in Mathematica, Mathcad, or preferably both. These packages are available on student machines throughout the department. If you wish to have one of them installed on your own machine, you will have to purchase it (with student discount) from Iowa Book and Supply.
5. Office hours for Professor Spangler are Monday, 2:30 - 3:30, Tuesday, 2:30 - 3:30, and Wednesday, 1:30 - 2:30, or by appointment if attendance during these times is not possible. (Note: office hours changed on Spetember 18.)
6. One hour exams will be held in the regular class period on September 28 (: Note change in date of first exam) and October 31.
7. The final exam will be held on Wednesday, December 13 at 12PM in room 618, Van Allen Hall.
8. Homework will be assigned, collected and graded. The purpose of these exercises is to practice mathematical deductive thinking in an astrophysical context, and to explore material that is not discussed in the lecture. I hope to assign a homework set every week. The total score of all homework assignments will count the same as one exam. Students are encouraged to work in groups of 2 to 3 (not ``goal line stands'' of half the class). I also expect and want students to come and talk to me about these.
9. There is a World Wide Web homepage associated with the course, (URL given above). Go to the link for 29:119. The website contains supplemental lecture material and homework assignments. It also serves as a gateway to other astronomical links.
10. I would like to hear from anyone who has a disability which may require some modification of seating, testing, or other class requirements so that appropriate arrangements may be made. Please see me after class or during office hours.
11. Grades will be assigned on the basis of a point total from the homework and the exam scores. The conversion from point score to letter grade will be determined in part on an absolute scale (to be determined) and in part by a student's standing vis-a-vis his or her peers. Students will be fully informed of the grading scale as the semester progresses.

Below is listed the tentative set of topics to be discussed in the semester, together with textbook references.

List of topics to be covered

1. Celestial Mechanics
Gravitational force of astronomical objects, derivation of Kepler's Laws from classical physics, perturbations (Chapter 2).

2. Continuous Spectrum of Light.
Blackbody radiation, Wien's Law, Stefan-Boltzmann Law, comparison between blackbody spectra and stellar spectra (Chapter 3).

3. The Interaction of Light with Matter
Absorption and emission of light by atoms and molecules. Review of the physics of quantized energy levels in atoms and molecules (Chapter 5).

4. Telescopes.
Whirlwind description of telescopes in the optical, radio, and x-ray (Chapter 6).

5. Binary Stars.
Methods of classifying binary stars on the basis of observables: visual, eclipsing, and spectroscopic binaries. Determination of orbits and masses from observations of binary stars. How other stellar parameters can be obtained from observations of binaries (Chapter 7).

6. Stellar Spectra: observations and classification.
``Otis Baxter Allegedly Found Giant Kangaroo Monkies Running Near Solon...''. The Boltzmann equation for populations of energy levels, Saha equation for ionization states (Chapter 8).

7. Stellar Spectra: astrophysical principles.
The physical principles involved in the emergence of light from stellar atmospheres. Introduction to the concepts and equation of radiative transfer (Chapter 9).

8. Stellar Interiors.
The equations of stellar structure and their description of the physical processes going on in the interiors of star. Nuclear reactions in stellar interiors. The Vogt-Russell Theorem. Stellar astrophysics as the basis for understanding stellar evolution (Chapter 10).

9. The Sun.
Taking advantage of our proximity to get an amazingly close view of a star. The solar interior. The structure of the solar atmosphere, solar flares and coronal mass ejection, the origin of the solar wind. The nature of the 11 year solar cycle (Chapter 11).

10. The Interstellar Medium and Star Formation.
The variety of forms of matter in the interstellar medium. Our understanding of how stars form. The Jeans mass as a criterion for contraction of interstellar gas clouds. The discovery and nature of molecular clouds. The role of magnetic fields in regulating star formation. The possibly important role played by turbulence in star formation. HII regions (Chapter 12).