Course Syllabus
29:120 Introduction to Astrophysics II
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Winter Semester 2007

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

Introduction to Astrophysics I and II consist of a discussion of the main themes and results of theoretical astrophysics. Introduction to Astrophysics II is a continuation of the first semester, and makes the same assumptions about the level of physical and mathematical discussion. Topics to the discussed during the semester include stellar interiors, astronomy and physics of the Sun, the interstellar medium and star formation, the nature and outcome of post-main-sequence stellar evolution, galactic astronomy and cosmology.

General Course Information

1. Lectures are from 12:15 - 1:30 PM, 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, First Edition, Pearson/Addison Wesley. This is the same book that was used last semester, and once again 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 at these times is not possible.
6. A mid-term exam will be held in the class period on Tuesday, March 20.
7. The final exam will be held on Wednesday, May 9, at 2:15 PM in room 618, Van Allen Hall. Each of the two exams will count for 33 % of the course grade.
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. Normally, there will be a homework set assigned every week. The total score of all homework assignments will count for 34 % of the course grade. 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 29:120. 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. Stellar Interiors (Conclusion).
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).

2. Our Friend 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).

3. 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).

4. Post-Main-Sequence Stellar Evolution.
How we understand red giants, red supergiants, and Cepheid variables (Chapter 13).

5. Degenerate Stellar Remnants.
The physics of white dwarfs and neutron stars. Observational evidence for these objects; radio pulsars, SS 433, etc (Chapter 15).

6. Black Holes.
The basis of black holes in General Relativity. The nature of things in the vicinity of black holes. The strong observational evidence for the existence of black holes (Chapter 16).

7. Close Binary Stars.
The physics of mass transfer and accretion disks. Stellar explosions and their origins in close binary systems (Chapter 17).

8. Galactic Structure.
The basic physics of the Milky Way Galaxy, particularly the kinematics and dynamics of orbits within the Galaxy. Properties of the Galactic Center (Chapter 22).

9. Other Galaxies.
How we understand spiral structure in the Milky Way and other spiral galaxies. The outcome of galactic collisions (Parts of Chapters 23 and 24).

10. Cosmology.
Understanding the evolution of the universe in terms of highly simplified solutions of the equations of General Relativity. The Friedmann Universe and its solutions. How Dark Matter and Dark Energy fit into cosmological models, and why it is necessary to include them (Chapter 27).