ASTR 401/501: ``Stellar Astrophysics''

Call No. 00874/00875; Fall Quarter 2008-09

General Information Grading Course Schedule

Class hours: Mo., 2:10 - 4:00 p.m.; We., 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. Clippinger 354

Instructor: Assoc. Prof. M. Böttcher
Office: Clippinger 339
Phone: 593 1714
E-mail: mboett@helios.phy.ohiou.edu

Office hours: Any time you find my office door open (and me in my office).

Text: B. W. Carroll & D. A. Ostlie: ``An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics'' or ``An Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics'', Addison-Wesley, 1996. If you plan to take more astrophysics classes, I recommend to buy the entire ``Modern Astrophysics". If Stellar Astrophysics is the only higher-level astronomy class you intend to take, ``Modern Stellar Astrophysics'' should do. The text will occasionally be supplemented by handouts, as well as additional reading recommendations, in particular in G. B. Rybicki & A. P. Lightman: ``Radiative Processes in Astrophysics'', John Wiley & Sons, 1979.

Grading: Class participation: 10 %
Homework problem sets: 40 %
Midterm exam (Mo., Oct. 16, and We., Oct. 18, 3:10 p.m.): 25 %
Final exam (Tue., Nov. 21, 12:20 p.m.): 25 %
There will be a midterm exam on We., Oct. 15, 2008, at 2:10 p.m.. The final exam will be held on Thu., Nov. 20, 2008, at 12:20 p.m.. The exams will take place in the regular class room (Clip. 354), and will be closed-book, closed-notes. Please bring a pocket calculator to the exams. Values of natural constants that you need for the problems will be given on the exam. The final exam will be cumulative over the content of the entire quarter.
Homework assignments will generally be given on Wednesdays. They are due on the following Monday by noon. There will be 1 extra problem per homework set for graduate students.

Percentages in exams and homework assignments will be translated to grades according to the following

Grading Scheme

Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend all lectures, unless excused with appropriate documentation under circumstances described in the Student Handbook. 10 % of the total grade is based on class participation and preparedness.

Final Exams from Previous Years

2002
2004
2006

Preliminary Course Schedule

Date Lecture Content Chapter Homework Sets
Mo., Sept. 8 Distances; magnitudes; blackbody; color indices; color-color diagram 3; handout homework set 1
We., Sept. 10 Atomic structure; basics of quantum mechanics; atomic transitions 5; RL9
Mo., Sept. 15 Classification of stellar spectra; formation of spectral lines 8; handout homework set 2
We., Sept. 17 Binary systems; stellar mass determinations 7
Mo., We. Sept. 22, 24 Radiation transport; radiation mechanisms 9; RL1; handout homework set 3
Mo., Sept. 29 Structure of spectral lines: Voigt profile, curve of growth 9; RL10; handout homework set 4
We., Oct. 1 Stellar interiors: hydrostatic equilibrium; nuclear energy sources 10; handouts: (1) (2)
Mo., Oct. 13 Stellar structure: energy transport; stellar modeling; the main sequence 10; handout homework set 5
We., Oct. 15 2:10 p.m. MIDTERM EXAM 1 - 12
Mo., Oct. 20 The Sun 11
We., Oct. 22 Star formation 12
Mo., Oct. 27 Pre-main-sequence evolution 12 homework set 6
We., Oct. 29 Post-main-sequence evolution 13
Mo., Nov. 3 Stellar pulsations 14 homework set 7
We., Nov. 5 Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursts 15
Mo., Nov. 10 Degenerate matter; white dwarfs 15 homework set 8
We., Nov. 12 Neutron Stars, pulsars 15
Thu., Nov. 20 12:20 p.m.: FINAL EXAM

Markus Böttcher's home page
OU Astronomy and Astrophysics
Department Physics and Astronomy
Ohio University