Welcome
Visitor number since April 10,
2009
Take this course if you have always been curious about how stars are formed, how they generate their energy, how they evolve and ultimately end their existence - sometimes in a catastrophic way, and how future generation of stars use the material produced by previous generations.
The course is suitable for physics, science and engineering majors with an interest in the physics behind the phenomena we observe in space.
Meeting period: Monday - Wednesday - Friday 10:35-11:30 AM, B126 (basement) Physics Building
This course uses Blackboard which is available through "myslice". The Syllabus and Schedule are temporarely listed here, but then they will be available only on the Blackboard site.Topics: Properties of matter and radiation, Equilibrium stellar configurations, Equations of stellar evolution, Thermonuclear fusion in stars, , Stability of stars, The evolution of stars , The interstellar medium, Pre-main and main sequence phases, Off main sequence, Special topics (supernovae; neutron stars, pulsars; black holes)
Calculus (MAT 286 or equivalent)
Knowledge of physics at an entry-level college physics course or at a level of a good advanced high-school physics course
Prior knowledge of elements of space science or astronomy is helpful but not required
Further announcements about this course will be posted on this Web site. Please feel free to contact the instructor, Prof. Gianfranco Vidali (3-9115, Rm221 Physics Bldg.). His research interests are in the chemical and physical processes occurring in the Interstellar Medium. Learn about his research by visiting the "Laboratory for surface physics and astrophysics" Web page.