Date                            Topic                    Reading Assignment

Monday, Nov. 15     Stellar Structure: The Sun            Chapter 9
                      Pressure and Gravity                section 12.1
                      Energy Source (nuclear fusion)      section 9.5
                      Energy Loss (radiation & convection)section 9.2
                      Structure determined by two balance conditions:
                           pressure and gravity           section 12.1
                           energy generation and loss
                      Tests:
                           oscillations (helioseismology),section 9.2
                           neutrino experiments           section 9.5
                           mass-luminosity relation       Figure 10.21
                       Atmosphere                         section 9.3

Wednesday, Nov. 17 Observing Stars                        Chapter 10
                      Luminosity = rate of energy loss
                         Brightness                       section 10.4
                           farther = fainter
                         Distances by parallax            section 10.1
                         Number - luminosity relation
                      Surface temperature of stars        section 10.5-6
                         Spectra -> temperature, 
                                    composition (abundances), & density
                      Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram         section 10.7, Figs 10.12-13, 10.20
                      mass of stars                       section 10.9
                         binary stars, Doppler shift      MP 2.2
                         mass/luminosity relation         Figure 10.21

                    Homework #7, due Wednesday, November 24 (or earlier)

Monday, Nov. 22     Stellar Evolution                     Chapters 11-13, Fig 12.5
                      Birth                               Chapter 11, sec s 11.4-6
                      Maturity: core hydrogen fusion,
                        The Main Sequence                 section 11.5
                      Driven by:
                        Loss of energy to space
                        Reduction in number of nuclei by fusion
                      Old Age as a Red Giant              Chapter 12
                      Dependence on Mass                  Figure 12.15
                      Tests: star clusters                section 12.5
                      Death of stars                      Chapters 12-13
                        White Dwarfs                      p 245
                        Supernovae & nucleosynthesis      section 12.4, Int 12-1
                        Neutron Stars (pulsars)           sections 13.1-3
                        Black Holes                       sections 13.4-7

                    Homework #8, due Wednesday, December 1 

Wednesday, Nov 24     Movie: The Crab Nebula

                    Homework #7 Due NOW (or earlier).

Monday, Nov. 29     The Universe                          Chapter 17
                    Stars are organized into galaxies
                    Galaxies are organized into clusters
                    Universe is Expanding                 section 15.5
                      Clusters of galaxies are moving apart
                      Distances to other Galaxies         section 15.5
                      Hubble Law: V=HD                    section 15.5, 17.2
                      Age and Scale of the Universe       section 17.2

                    Models of the Universe
                      Big Bang & Steady State             section 17.2
                      Tests of the Theories               sections 17.5-6

                    Fate of the Universe                  sections 17.3-4
                    Problems with Big Bang - Inflation    section 17.7

                    Homework #9, due Monday, December 6 

Wednesday, Dec 1    Concept Test
                    [Test is an activity. Score wont count toward grade.]

                    Homework #8 Due NOW.

Monday, Dec. 6      Quiz #4: Stars and Cosmology, Chapters 9-13, 15.5, 17
                    Review for Midterm #3

                    Homework #9 Due NOW.

Wednesday, Dec. 8   Midterm #3
                    Stars and Cosmology, Chapters 9-13, 15.5, 17

Thursday, Dec. 9    Review for Final
                    Time and Room to be determined

Monday, Dec. 13     FINAL EXAM, 8-10 pm
                    PA 118

1. Describe how to measure a star's luminosity, brightness, distance, mass and surface temperature.
2. Describe how stellar spectra are used to determine the surface temperature and abundances of stars.
3. Explain the relations between pressure, temperature and density in terms of collisions between atoms, ions and electrons.
4. Describe how astronomers concluded that the source of stars' energy was thermonuclear reactions.
5. Describe the relation between a star's luminosity and its insulating ability. Describe how the insulating ability depends on the ease with which photons can trave from the center to the surface of the star.
6. Describe how the balances between gravity and pressure, and between energy loss and supply maintain a star's equilibrium structure.
7. Describe how models of stellar structure are tested.
8. Explain the evolution of a star in terms of loss of energy to space, consumption of nuclear fuel, upsets in the equilibrium balance conditions and gravitational contraction.
9. Describe the sequence of evolutionary stages of a star and how they depend on the mass of the star. Describe the properties of stars in different evolutionary stages: pre-main sequence, main sequence, red giant, white dwarf, supernova, neutron star and black hole.
10. Be able to plot a Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram, and locate the regions of giant, main sequence and white dwarf stars. Describe the relations between surface temperature, luminosity, mass and size for these three types of stars.
    Describe the evolutionary state of the 16 brightest northern-hemisphere stars.
11. Apply the paradigm of the scientific method to the theories of stellar structure and evolution. Describe the development of our current model of the structure of stars, and how this depended on other branches of physics and new technologies.
12. Describe the large-scale structure of the Universe, starting with the Local Group of galaxies and including galaxy clusters.
13. Explain how the distances to other galaxies are determined.
14. Explain the observations leading to the concepts of the expansion of the universe, the Hubble Constant, and the Big Bang Model.
15. Describe the sequence of events in the Big Bang Model of the evolution of the Universe, and the possible fates of the Universe.
16. Describe the microwave background and other tests of cosmological models.
17. Describe the problems of the Big Bang model.

Visions of the Universe