PHY637: Astrophysics I: Astrophysical processes and stars

        [Cr:4, Lc:3, Tt:1, Lb:0]

Course Outline

Knowledge of the content of PHY301, PHY303, PHY304 and PHY403 is essential to follow this course.

• Brief history of observational astronomy. Celestial coordinate systems. Rising and setting of objects. The ecliptic. Time keeping. Precession and Nutation. Retrograde motion.

• Newton's laws of motion and gravitation. Kepler's laws as a corollory for a two body gravitationally interacting system. Orbits. Tides. Virial theorem and its applications.

• Quantisation of light. Quantifying fluxes, magnitudes, fluxes, luminosity, colour indices.

• Types of telescopes and fundamental principles: Refraction, reflection, resolution. Types of aberrations. Types of mounts and detectors. Nyquist theorem.

• Equation of radiative transfer, optical depth. Limiting forms for optically thin and optically thick transmission. Thermal radiation. Einstein coefficients. Random walks and scattering. Radiative diffusion.

• Observing parameters for photometry. Classification of stellar spectra: Boltzmann and Saha equations.

• Classification and measurement of physical quantities for stars. Types of star clusters and their properties. Binary systems: classification, properties, observations.

• Stars on the main sequence. Nuclear reactions and generation of energy. Relation between mass, radius and luminosity of main sequence stars. Life time on main sequence, variation with mass of stars. Evolution of stars beyond the main sequence.

• Interior of stars: the Lane-Emden approximation, pressure, opacity and energy transport. Derivation of physical properties of stars with theoretical models. Profiles of spectral lines. Types and source of opacities. Extinction curves.

• Magnetic fields, Zeeman effect. Star spots.

• Endpoints of stellar evolution: Planetary nebulae, Supernovae.

• Stellar remnants: white dwarfs, Chandrasekhar limit, Neutron stars, Black holes.

• Solar system, exo-planets, planetary systems. Habitable zones around stars of different types, life in the Universe. Formation of planets and planetary systems.

Recommended Reading

• Bradley W. Carroll & Dale A. Ostlie, Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, 2nd Edition, Addison Wesley (2006)

• Frederick R. Chromey, To measure the Sky: An introduction to Observational Astronomy, Ist Edition, Cambridge University Press (2010)

• D. Scott Birney,Guillermo Gonzalez and David Oesper, Observational Astronomy, 2nd Edition, Cambridge University Press (2006)

• George B. Rybicki & Alan P. Lightman, Radiative Processes in Astrophysics, Wiley (2004)

• E, Bohm-Vitense, Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics: Volume 1, Basic Stellar Observations and Data, Cambridge University Press (August 25, 1989)

• E, Bohm-Vitense, In Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics: Volume 2, Cambridge University Press (26 October 1989)

• A.E Roy & D Clarke, Astronomy Principles and Practice, Fourth Edition, Institute of Physics Publishing Bristol and Philadelphia (CRC Press; 1 June 2003)

• Stuart L Shapiro, Saul A. Teukolsky, Black holes, White dwarfs and neutron stars - The Physics of Compact objects, 1 edition, Wiley-VCH (May 6, 1983)

• E Oran Brigham,The Fast Fourier Transform and Its Applications, Pearson (March 29, 1988)