Professor: Dr. Mark W. Plano Clark Office: Geo/Phys 435 Telephone: (513) 556-0546 Email: Office Hours: Text: Course Description mark.planoclark@uc.edu PHYS1021 Stars and Galaxies Summer 2015 MTWR: 10:00-11:00 and by appointment Astronomy Today (w/mastering Astronomy etext Access Code) (V2 Stars & Galaxies) Edition: 8th Author: Chaisson ISBN: 9780321988836 Copyright Year: 2014 Publisher: Pearson The structure and evolution of the universe from the smallest to the largest physical scales. Topics to be cover include: The Sun and solar activity; the physical properties of stars; star formation, evolution, and death; Stellar remnants, including black holes; The nature of interstellar matter; The structure and evolution of the Milky Way galaxy and other galaxies; active galaxies and quasars; the large-scale structure of the universe; the evolution of the universe; dark matter, dark energy and high-energy physics. The primary objectives are to be able to: 1. describe the interior structure of the Sun and stars 2. apply the principles of science, the nature of evidence, and the use of critical thinking to understand how stars (including our Sun) form, evolve, and die. 3. classify the organization of stars into galaxies and their distribution and motions in the universe 4. compare and contrast the physical properties of the Milky Way galaxy with other galaxies in the universe 5. apply graphical information related to astronomical phenomena such as the spectra of stars, the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, and the Hubble diagram 6. describe the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to the present time and its connection to subatomic physics Course Requirements
This is an online class with no face-to-face meetings planned (although it will be possible for you to interact with the instructor through video chat). The material covered will be the same as the face-to-face course and many of the assignments are the same as you would expect in the face-to-face course. There won t be any exams but you will be expected to show your understanding of the material through quizzes, homework, and graded activities. This course is a work in progress so there may be a few bumps along the way. If something isn t working, you need to let the instructor know in a timely fashion. As a summer course, it is also very compressed into less than half the normal time frame but has the same number of hours of work required as a normal semester course. Therefore, you will see that the schedule is very crowded and intense. Readings, problems, and exercises will be regularly assigned, and graded. Your active participation is essential. It is through data collection, discussions, and writing that we develop a basic understanding of the processes for discovering and learning. Astronomers are good at making their discoveries and their knowledge base available to the public on the web. You will use some of those resources to develop the necessary understanding of astronomy to succeed in this course. Often you will have specific questions about the readings. In order to help answer those questions you will be required to participate in a discussion forum each week. Half the class will pose their questions to the group and the other half must respond with possible answers. The following week the roles will be reversed and we will continue to alternate during the semester. Both the instructor and the TA will actively participate in the discussion forums and part of your grade will depend on the quality of your participation. You will be required to complete online homework using MasteringAstronomy (click on the MasteringAstronomy and etext link on the left side of the BlackBoard course page to set up and access this system) for each chapter so make sure you register immediately and complete each assignment and reading quiz by the assigned dates to receive credit. You will use the online database for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to access real data on stars and galaxies to help develop an understanding of what astronomers currently know and how they go about determining what they know. Exams As stated above, there are no exams but there are reading quizzes that are timed and graded. You need to complete the readings and the quizzes on a timely basis as the deadlines come very frequently in this summer course. To succeed in this course, you need to keep up with all readings, assignments and projects! Grading: Course work will be weighted according to the following points.
Reading Quizzes (via MasteringAstronomy) 17 Discussion contributions (via BlackBoard) 12 Homework Problems (via MasteringAstronomy) 25 Weekly projects (via BlackBoard) 46 Total 100 Thefollowing scale of percentages is used in assigning grades: A 92+ A- 90-91+ B+ 86-89+ B 82-85+ B- 80-81+ C+ 76-79+ C 72-75+ C- 70-71+ D+ 66-69+ D 62-65+ D- 60-61+ Conduct: The University Rules, including the Student Code of Conduct, and other documented policies of the department, college, and university related to academic integrity will be enforced. Any violation of these regulations, including acts of plagiarism or cheating, will be dealt with on an individual basis according to the severity of the misconduct. Special Needs Policy: If you have any special needs related to your participation in this course, including identified visual, hearing, or physical impairments, communication disorders, and/or specific learning disabilities that may influence your performance in this course, please schedule a meeting with the instructor to arrange for reasonable provisions to ensure an equitable opportunity to meet all the requirements of this course. At the discretion of the instructor, some accommodations may require prior approval by Disability Services. Withdrawal deadline and other important dates: See: http://www.uc.edu/registrar/calendars.html Helpful Advice: 1) Find at least one "partner" in the class with whom you can meet regularly each week to discuss materials from the lectures and the homework. 2) Take the reading quizzes and homework assignments seriously. Do not try to do the whole assignment the night before it is due. You can see the due dates on the calendar in MasteringAstronomy.
Summer 2015 2 nd Half Semester Schedule due dates are published in BlackBoard and the MasteringAstronomy calendar. Week 1 Chapters Topics Homework June 24 June 25 Chapter 1 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, & 1.6 Introduction, Ch. 1 Project: Wiki Week 2 June 29 June 30 July 1 July 2 July 3 is a holiday! Week 3 July 6 July 7 July 8 July 9 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 16 Newton s Laws 2.7 & 2.8 Radiation Happy 4 th of July! Spectroscopy Telescopes Our Sun Ch. 2 and 3 Projects: Gravitation and Blackbody Radiation Ch. 4, 5, and 16 Project: Color of Stars Week 4 July 13 July 14 July 15 July 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Stars/Main Sequence Interstellar Medium Ch. 17, and 18 Project: Spectral types Week 5 July 20 July 21 July 22 July 23 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Star Formation Stellar Evolution Ch. 19 and 20 Project: The H-R Diagram Week 6 July 27 July 28 July 29 July 30 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Neutron Stars/Black holes The Milky Way Galaxy Ch. 22, and 23 Project: Galaxies Week 7 August 3 August 4 August 5 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Cosmology/ The Big Bang The Early Universe Ch. 26 and 27 Project: The
August 6 Hubble Diagram Syllabus updated July 21, 2015. This syllabus is subject to change.