Download ASTRONOMY 1001 FALL SEMESTER 2004

ASTRONOMY 1001
FALL SEMESTER 2004
L.V.KUHI
MATERIAL TO BE COVERED FOR MIDTERM II, NOVEMBER 16
Chapters in Text: The Cosmic Perspective by Bennett et al. 6, 9.1-9.4, 12, 13, 15, 16,
17.1-17.4, 18.1-18.3
Lecture Notes (these should give you a good idea of the topics that I expect you to know
and understand.) plus labs F, H, and I.
Topics: 1) Light and Radiation:
Blackbody radiation, radiation laws (Stefan-Boltzmann and Wien), temperature
Emission and absorption of radiation, Kirchoff’s radiation laws
Atoms and spectra, excitation, energy levels, ionization, uniqueness of spectra
Doppler effect, measurement of velocity
2) Formation of Sun and Solar System:
Giant Planets: structure, atmospheres, temperatures, rings, satellites,
Tides, Io and tidal heating, Roche limit, disruption of satellites, rings
Asteroids, origin, collisions and extinction; meteorites, types, origin, ages
Comets, ion and dust tails, structure, nucleus, origin, behavior in orbit
Origin of solar system, patterns of motion, centrifugal force, conservation of angular
momentum, interstellar clouds, gravitational contraction, accretion, planetesimals,
protoplanets, collisions, solar wind
3) Sun:
Structure, photosphere, chromosphere, corona, sunspots, prominences, flares,
granulation, solar wind, aurorae
Energy transport, convection, radiation, conduction
Gravitational contraction, gravitational potential energy, hydrostatic equilibrium
Energy sources, fission, fusion, nuclear reactions, conversion of H to He,
Solar neutrino problem, explanation
4) Stars:
Distances, parallax, brightness, luminosity, temperatures, radii, spectral classification
HR diagram, main sequence, giants, supergiants, white dwarfs
Masses, binary stars, mass-luminosity relation
Interstellar clouds, compostion, gas and dust, molecular clouds
Star formation, gravitational contraction, protostar, pre-Main Sequence stars, hydrostatic
equilibrium,
Energy sources, fusion, proton-proton chain, CNO cycle, role of mass, role of gravity
Evolution of solar type stars, main sequence turnoff, evolutionary tracks, shell burning,
red giant phase, planetary nebulae, white dwarfs, degeneracy,
Evolution of more massive stars, multiple shells, explosion, supernova