Astronomy 400B -- Galactic and Extragalactic Astrophysics


University of Arizona, Spring 2014

Tuesday/Thursday 2:00-3:15 pm

Steward Observatory 204

Course Summary

This course will study galactic and extragalactic astronomy, with topics ranging from our own Milky Way Galaxy, its interstellar medium, to normal and active galaxies, to modern cosmology and galaxy formation and evolution. Three major goals of the course: (1) to understand the BIG PICTURE of modern research on extragalactic astronomy and cosmology through a survey of the hottest and most important topics; (b) to learn how to apply the basic physics and astrophysics tools you have learned in previous courses (esp. in AST 300 AB and AST 400A) to real astrophysical problems; (c) to develop several more important astrophysics tools, in particular, theories of galactic dynamics and classical cosmology.

Instructor

Prof. Xiaohui Fan

Office: Steward 340

Phone: 626-7558

Email: fan@as.arizona.edu

Office Hours: Mon 2-4pm


Make-up Class (to be scheduled as needed): Wed 2:00 - 3:15pm, Steward Observatory Room 450


Web site:

http://sancerre.as.arizona.edu/~fan/Home/AST400B.html


Prerequisites

Students should have completed Astronomy 300A, 300B, and 400A.

Grading

  1. •Homework 40% (six times during the semester, about every two weeks)

  2. •Midterm 30%, Mar 11, close book in class, for Chapters 1-6

  3. •Final 30%, May 13, 1pm, close book, for Chapters 7-9


Make-up classes: TBD


Late Assignments

Homework will be due in class on the due date. Anything turned in after that time will be considered late. Late assignments turned in within 2 days of the due date will receive 75% credit. Assignments turned in after that will receive no credit. If for any reason you will need to hand it late, please discuss with the instructor first to avoid losing credit.

Required Texts

Galaxies in the Universe 2nd Edition, by Linda Sparke & John Gallagher.
Errata of the book

Other References

Galaxy Formation, by Malcolm Longair. An excellent cosmology textbook. We will use some material from it in the second half of the semester.

Introduction to Cosmology, by Barbara Ryden. A new undergraduate level textbook focusing on cosmology. We will use some material from it in the second half of the semester.

Order of Topics (subject to change)

  1. 1.Week of Jan 21: Introduction; SG Ch 1

  2. 2.Week of Jan 28: Milky Way, SG Ch 2

  3. 3.Week of Feb 4: Orbits, SG Ch 3;

  4. 4.Week of Feb 11: Galaxy Classification SG Ch 4;

  5. 5.Week of Feb 18: Spiral Galaxies, SG Ch 5

  6. 6.Week of Feb 24: Elliptical Galaxies, SG Ch 6

  7. 7.Week of Mar 3: quasars and black holes; local group

  8. 8.Week of Mar 10: Midterm (Mar 11); groups and cluster, SG Ch 7

  9. 9.Week of Mar 17: Spring break

  10. 10.Week of Mar 24: Intro to cosmology SG Ch 8.1, 8,2

  11. 11.Week of Mar 31: Cosmological tests

  12. 12.Week of Apr 7:  Dark energy and Dark Matter

  13. 13.Week of Apr 14: Hot big bang, CMB and the Early Universe

  14. 14.Week of Apr 21: Galaxy formation SG 8.3

  15. 15.Weed of Apr 28: Large Scale Structure SG 8.4

  16. 16.Final review: May 6

  17. 17.Final Exam: May 13



SG - Sparke and Gallagher