ASTROPHYSICS

ASTRONOMY 335.001

 

Dr. N. L. Markworth

Office Hours:

M-R 1:30 – 4:00 PM

936-468-3001


Spring 2011

S 322F

nmarkworth@sfasu.edu

 

Stellar Astrophysics covers the physics of stars and stellar systems.  The development is quantitative and requires an understanding of introductory physics and calculus.

 

Text: An Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics, 2nd Ed., by Dale A. Ostlie and Bradley W. Carroll

Class Meeting: 9:30 – 10:45 AM in S323

 

Learning Objectives:

  ♦      Provide students the opportunity to use the physics they have learned in understanding the nature of the universe

  ♦      Provide rigorous theory where possible and justifiable approximations when the mathematics becomes graduate level

  ♦      Show that the universe is comprehensible and can be understood

 

Course Outline and Exam Schedule

 

Section I: The Tools of Astronomy

Section III: The Nature of Stars II

Chapter 1 The Celestial Sphere

Chapter 9  Stellar Atmospheres

Chapter 2 Celestial Mechanics

Chapter 10 The Interiors of Stars

Chapter 3 The Continuous Spectrum of Light

 

 

 

Exam 1 February 10

Exam 3 April 7

Section II: The Nature of Stars I

Section IV: The Nature of Stars III

Chapter 5 The Interaction of Light and Matter

Chapter 11 The Sun

Chapter 7 Binary Stars and Star Parameters

Chapter 12 The Process of Star Formation

Chapter 8 The Classification of Stellar Spectra

 

 

 

Exam 2 March 8

Final Exam May 12 800 – 1000

Tentative Problem Assignments:

Chapter

Due Date

Problems

1

Jan. 27

2, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 9

2

Feb. 3

6, 8, and 14

3

Feb. 10

3, 7, 8, 9

5

Feb. 24

7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, and 17

7

Mar. 3

3, 4, 6, and 7

8

Mar. 10

4, 6, 10, 15, and 16

9

Mar. 31

6, 11, 25, and 27

10

Apr. 14

3, 4, 10, 13, 21, and 22

11

Apr. 28

1, 2, 5, 16

12

May 5

1, 2, 7, 15

 

Grading:

          Exams  3 @ 20%             60%

          Final Exam                      20%

          Problem Set Average      20%

          A  90 - 100      B   80 - 89     C   70 - 79     D  60 - 69     F   < 60

 

Academic Integrity (A-9.1)

Academic integrity is a responsibility of all university faculty and students. Faculty members promote academic integrity in multiple ways including instruction on the components of academic honesty, as well as abiding by university policy on penalties for cheating and plagiarism.

Definition of Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes but is not limited to (1) using or attempting to use unauthorized materials to aid in achieving a better grade on a component of a class; (2) the falsification or invention of any information, including citations, on an assigned exercise; and/or (3) helping or attempting to help another in an act of cheating or plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own. Examples of plagiarism are (1) submitting an assignment as if it were one's own work when, in fact, it is at least partly the work of another; (2) submitting a work that has been purchased or otherwise obtained from an Internet source or another source; and (3) incorporating the words or ideas of an author into one's paper without giving the author due credit.

Please read the complete policy at http://www.sfasu.edu/policies/academic_integrity.asp

Withheld Grades Semester Grades Policy (A-54)

Ordinarily, at the discretion of the instructor of record and with the approval of the academic chair/director, a grade of WH will be assigned only if the student cannot complete the course work because of unavoidable circumstances. Students must complete the work within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which they receive a WH, or the grade automatically becomes an F. If students register for the same course in future terms the WH will automatically become an F and will be counted as a repeated course for the purpose of computing the grade point average.

Students with Disabilities

To obtain disability related accommodations, alternate formats and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), Human Services Building, and Room 325, 468-3004 / 468-1004 (TDD) as early as possible in the semester.  Once verified, ODS will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be provided.  Failure to request services in a timely manner may delay your accommodations. This syllabus and other course materials can be made available in other formats.

F-1 Visa Holders

There are important federal regulations pertaining to distance education activity for F-1 Visa holders.  All students with an F-1 Visa should follow the instructions at the following link to make sure they are in compliance. http://www.oit.sfasu.edu/disted/facsup/f1visa.html