Astronomy 9602, Galactic Astronomy, Winter 2017

Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario

Course Information Sheet

  1. General Information

    Instructor
    Professor Shantanu Basu
    Rm 258 Physics and Astronomy Building
    Tel. 519-661-2111 ext. 86706
    Email: basu "at" uwo "dot" ca
    Lectures
    M W 10:30 am - 12:00 pm, Rm 026 Physics and Astronomy Building
    Prerequisites
    An undergraduate physics or astronomy degree.
    Required Materials
    No required materials. However, I expect you to come to class and be prepared for discussion. There is no official textbook, so attendance at lectures is particularly important, and constitute the best preparation for assignments and the exam.

    While it is not necessary to use them, the following textbooks may be helpful for supplementary reading during certain parts of the course.

    Galactic Dynamics, Binney, J., and Tremaine, S. 1988 (First Edition), 2008 (Second Edition), Princeton University Press
    Galactic Astronomy, Binney, J., and Merrifield, M. 1998, Princeton University Press
    The Physics of Astrophysics, Vol II. Gas Dynamics, Shu, F. H. 1992, University Science Books
    An Introduction to Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics, Thompson, M. J. 2006, Imperial College Press
    Principles of Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics, Clarke, C. J., and Carswell, R. F. 2007, Cambridge University Press
    An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, Carroll, B. W., and Ostlie, D. A. 1996, Addison-Wesley
    The Physical Universe, Shu, F. H. 1981, University Science Books

    The first five are graduate level textbooks, the next one is an undergraduate-level textbook that contains a significant number of problem sets, while the last one is an introductory undergraduate-level book with excellent discussion of ideas.

    Website
    http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~basu/teach/ast9602/

    The website contains this information sheet. In addition, it will contain the updated list of topics to be covered, practice problem sets, and announcements. The website will not be used for disseminating lecture notes. I will lecture the old-fashioned way, on the blackboard in class.

  2. Overview

    My goal is to provide a grounding in some of the basic physics of stellar and fluid dynamics. You will be expected to write and/or use some computer programs for the two computational projects.

  3. Course Outline

    I have made up a list of topics that I would like to cover this term. It is a living list, which may be edited as the term progresses. We may not reach the end of the list, and indeed new topics may be introduced as we go along, placing the end further from reach. That's OK with me, as the main point of this course is to understand well at least some aspects of this vast subject, and develop skills that will serve you well throughout your future career.

  4. Class participation

    This will be a seminar style class. I want you to learn the big picture issues and we can discuss some papers from the literature as well. Of course, as a theoretical astrophysicist, I may like to go through some detailed mathematical derivations as well. You should learn mainly through lectures, the projects, and doing the practice problem sets. The quizzes and final are expected to be similar to the practice problems plus contain some qualitative conceptual questions. I encourage you to ask questions and participate in class discussions. If you have a question, chances are that others do too and will benefit from hearing the answer to your question.

  5. Marking


    The Department of Physics and Astronomy may, in exceptional circumstances, adjust the final course marks in order to conform to Departmental policy.

  6. Contact Information

    If you would like to discuss anything, please set up a time to meet with me, by talking to me after class or by email. I keep a very busy schedule and I am unlikely to be helpful if you visit me at random times. Email is a good way to set up a meeting or to make short queries about the class. An email asking for a lengthy response is liable to be ignored. Questions requiring lengthy answers are best asked in person.

  7. Friendly Reminder from UWO