Download Syllabus - University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

SPRING 2016
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Department of Physics
Course Syllabus for Astronomy 1402-06 (TR 10:50 – 12:05)
Instructor: Hyun-chul Lee, Ph.D.
E-mail: [email protected]
Office: Physical Science Building 1.144; Phone 956-665-5374
Office Hours: MW 11am – 12:30pm or TR 9am – 10:30am or by appointment
Textbook (optional)
The Essential Cosmic Perspective, 7th Edition by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit.
Blackboard (my.utrgv.edu) for announcements, lecture slides, scores, and online homework
(Modified Mastering Astronomy: $60.50)
Drop Date
February3
April13
Lastdaytodropaclassbeforeitappearsonthetranscriptandcounts
towardthe“6-drop”limit.Lastdaytoreceivea100%refundfordropped
classes(otherpoliciesapplywhenastudentiswithdrawingfromall
classes).
Drop/WithdrawalDeadline;lastdayforstudentstodropthecourseand
receiveaDRgrade. Afterthisdate,studentswillbeassignedaletter
gradeforthecoursethatwillcountontheGPA.
Catalogue Course Description:
ASTR 1402: A study of the stellar and galactic universe. Telescopes and other instruments,
including the planetarium, are used as an integral part of the course.
Prerequisite:
ASTR 1401
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
If you have a documented disability (physical, psychological, learning, or other disability which
affects your academic performance) and would like to receive academic accommodations, please
inform your instructor and contact Student Accessibility Services to schedule an appointment to
initiate services. It is recommended that you schedule an appointment with Student Accessibility
Services before classes start. However, accommodations can be provided at any time. Edinburg
Campus: Student Accessibility Services is located in 108 University Center and can be
contacted by phone at (956) 665-7005 (Voice), (956) 665-3840 (Fax), or via email at
[email protected].
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MANDATORY COURSE EVALUATION PERIOD:
Students are required to complete an ONLINE evaluation of this course, accessed through your
UTRGV account (http://my.utrgv.edu); you will be contacted through email with further
instructions. Online evaluations will be available Apr. 13 – May 4, 2015. Students who complete
their evaluations will have priority access to their grades.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT, DISCRIMINATION, and VIOLENCE:
In accordance with UT System regulations, your instructor is a “responsible employee” for
reporting purposes under Title IX regulations and so must report any instance, occurring during a
student’s time in college, of sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, domestic violence, or
sexual harassment about which she/he becomes aware during this course through writing,
discussion, or personal disclosure. More information can be found at www.utrgv.edu/equity,
including confidential resources available on campus. The faculty and staff of UTRGV actively
strive to provide a learning, working, and living environment that promotes personal integrity,
civility, and mutual respect in an environment free from sexual misconduct and discrimination.
Student Learning Outcomes for the Course:
Astronomy is the study of the universe in which we live. The celestial bodies, including Earth,
will be studied to improve our understanding of the origins, evolution, composition as well as the
motion of these celestial bodies including: stars, planets, asteroids, comets, and meteors.
Astronomers look at the universe and see a vast system of objects waiting to be discovered and
understood. At the end of this course students should be able to:
1. Understand and apply method and appropriate technology to study astronomy.
2. Recognize scientific and quantitative methods and approaches used by astronomers to
communicate findings and interpretation.
3. Identify and recognize scientific theories dealing with the creation of our universe (and
stars and galaxies in particular).
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the major issues and problems facing astronomy today; e.g.,
what are “dark matter” and “dark energy” in the Universe?
5. Demonstrate knowledge of the interdependence of science and technology and the effects
on our modern culture. Today’s astronomical instruments and techniques are expanding
our views of the earth and its place in the universe.
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I.
Our Star (Chapter 11 of the Textbook)
Star. Planets. Nuclear Fusion. Nuclear Fission. Strong Nuclear Force. Solar Wind.
Thermostat. Temperature. Density (in Astronomy). Pressure. Gravitational Equilibrium.
Plasma. Electron. Proton. Neutron. P-P Chain. Neutrino. Solar Neutrino Problem. Solar
Activity (Solar Weather). Solar Vibrations. Sunspots. Magnetosphere. Spectral Line.
Solar Prominences (Solar Loops). Solar Flares. Sunspot Cycle. Solar Minimum. Solar
Maximum
You should also be able to:
Name the Sun’s seven layers, in order from innermost to outermost, and state
approximate temperatures of each layer (taking the Solar Wind to be the outermost layer
of the Sun). Name the three layers that constitute the Sun’s interior. Name the four layers
that constitute the Sun’s atmosphere. Describe how energy is produced in the Sun’s core.
Describe the net effects of the Proton-Proton Chain. Describe how energy is transported
through the Sun’s radiation zone. Describe how energy is transported through the Sun’s
convection zone. Describe the evidence we have to support our current models of the
interior of the Sun. State the two chemical elements, which the Sun is mainly composed
of.
II.
Surveying the Stars (Chapter 12 of the Textbook)
Nebula. Luminosity. Apparent Brightness. Apparent Magnitude. Absolute Magnitude.
Stellar Temperature. Parallax. Stellar Parallax. Parsec. Electromagnetic Wave.
Wavelength. Frequency. Photon. Doppler Effect. Doppler Shift. Blue-shifted. Redshifted. Binary System. Visual Binary. Eclipsing Binary. Spectroscopic Binary. H-R
Diagram. Main Sequence. Giants. White Dwarfs. Spectral Classes. Luminosity Classes.
Degenerate Matter. Star Cluster. Open Cluster. Globular Cluster. Halo. Main Sequence
Turn-Off. Big Bang
You should also be able to:
Be able to properly interpret the H-R Diagram. State what is found in the horizontal axis
of the H-R Diagram. State what is found in the vertical axis of the H-R Diagram.
Estimate the radius, temperature, and luminosity of a star from its position in the H-R
Diagram. Estimate the mass and lifetime of a main sequence star from its position in the
H-R Diagram. Identify the region in the H-R Diagram where main sequence stars are
found. Identify the region in the H-R Diagram where giant stars are found. Identify the
region in the H-R Diagram where white dwarf stars are found.
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III.
Star Stuff (Chapter 13 of the Textbook)
Galactic Recycling. Star Clusters. Stellar Life Cycle. Gravitational Equilibrium. Nebula.
Protostar. Jet (of a Protostar). Brown Dwarf. Electron Degeneracy Pressure. Nuclear
Fusion. Nuclear Fission. Stellar Temperature. Main-Sequence Star. Low-Mass Star. Red
Giant. Helium Flash. Double-Shell Burning. Planetary Nebula. White Dwarf. High-Mass
Star. Supergiant. Multiple-Shell Burning. Main-Sequence Supernova (Type II). Neutron
Star. Neutron Degeneracy Pressure. Black Hole. Supernova Remnant. P-P Chain. CNO
Cycle. Binary System. Close Binary System. Accretion Disk
You should also be able to:
State the forces that keep a main-sequence star in gravitational equilibrium. State the
forces that keep a brown dwarf in gravitational equilibrium. Identify the different stages
of the life cycle of a low-mass star. Identify the different stages of the life cycle of a highmass star. Using the H-R diagram, identify which stars have the higher/lower
temperatures, which have the higher/lower luminosities, and which have the larger/lower
radii. Using the H-R diagram, identify which main sequence stars have the higher/lower
masses. State the atomic element produced during hydrogen fusion. State the atomic
element produced during helium fusion. State the element contained in the last inert core
of a high-mass star before it goes supernova. State the forces that keep a white dwarf in
gravitational equilibrium. State the forces that keep a neutron star in gravitational
equilibrium.
IV.
The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard (Chapter 14 of the Textbook)
Stellar Life Cycle. Low-Mass Star. High-Mass Star. White Dwarf. Neutron Star. Black
Hole. Main-Sequence Supernova (Supernova Type II). White Dwarf Supernova
(Supernova Type I). Binary System. Accretion Disk. Nova. Isolated Star. Pulsars. X-ray
Binary. X-ray Burster. Escape Velocity. Event Horizon. Quasars. Gamma-ray Bursts.
You should also be able to:
State the forces that keep a white dwarf at a constant size. Identify the approximate size
of a white dwarf. Identify the approximate mass of a white dwarf. State the forces that
keep a neutron star at a constant size. Identify the approximate size of a neutron star.
Identify the regions of the sky where gamma-ray bursts are observed.
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V.
Our Galaxy (Chapter 15 of the Textbook)
Galaxy. Milky Way. Interstellar Medium. Ionization Nebula. Spiral Galaxy. Elliptical
Galaxy. Irregular Galaxy. Galactic Disk. Spiral Arms. Halo. Galactic Bulge. Globular
Clusters. Open Clusters. Density Wave. Heavy Element (in Astronomy). Disk Stars
(Population I). Spheroidal Stars (Population II). Protogalactic Cloud. Star-gas-star cycle.
Hot bubbles. Sgr A*. Supermassive Black Hole. Accretion Disk.
You should also be able to:
State how heavy-elements are created in our universe. State how we identify the Milky
Way in the sky. State where in our galaxy we are likely to find globular clusters. State
where in our galaxy we are likely to find open clusters. State how the position of the
center of the Milky Way was determined. State approximate position of our Sun within
the Milky Way. State the observational evidence that supports the Protogalactic Cloud
Model for the formation of the Milky Way. Describe the orbits around the galactic center
of disk stars, halo stars, and bulge stars. State where in a spiral galaxy we are likely to
find stars “rich” in heavy elements. State where in a spiral galaxy we are likely to find
stars “poor” in heavy elements. State where in a spiral galaxy does most of the star
formation occur. Describe the star-gas-star cycle.
VI.
A Universe of Galaxies (Chapter 16 of the Textbook)
Barred Spiral Galaxy. Lenticular Galaxy. Dwarf Galaxy. Giant Galaxy. Radar. Parallax.
Standard Candle. Main Sequence Fitting. Local Group. Cepheids (Cepheid Variables).
Period-Luminosity Relation (Cepheid Variables). Andromeda Galaxy. Light. Frequency
(of light). Expansion of the Universe. Big Bang. Hubble’s Law. Observable Universe.
Protogalactic Cloud. Galactic Evolution. Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Quasar (QSO).
You should also be able to:
State the three main types of galaxies. State the two main components of spiral galaxies
(disk, spheroidal). State the two main parts of the spheroidal component of spiral galaxies
(bulge, halo). State which type(s) of galaxies present a spheroidal component. State the
different methods used to determine the distance to astronomical objects (radar, parallax,
…). State the types of electromagnetic spectra (radio, visible light, …) in order from
lower energy to higher energy. If one photon is of a higher energy than another, state
which one has a longer wavelength. If one photon is of a higher energy than another, state
which one has a higher frequency. Describe how Doppler shifts can help us determine the
velocities of objects. State how Edwin Hubble measured the distance to the Andromeda
Galaxy. State how Edwin Hubble discovered that our Universe is expanding. State
whether the observed image of a galaxy will appear younger or older depending on its
distance to us, and why.
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VII.
The Birth of the Universe (Chapter 17 of the Textbook)
Big Bang Theory. Particle Creation and Annihilation. Matter and Antimatter.
Antiparticle. Fundamental Forces. Gravity. Electromagnetic Force. Weak Nuclear Force.
Strong Nuclear Force. Superforce. GUT (Grand Unified Theory) Force. Planck Era. GUT
Era. Electroweak Era. Particle Era. Nucleosynthesis Era. Nuclei Era. Era of Atoms. Era
of Galaxies. Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). Large-scale structure. Inflation (in
the Big Bang Theory). Critical Density (of the Universe).
You should also be able to:
State the four fundamental forces. State the fundamental forces that unite to form the
superforce. State the fundamental forces that unite to form the GUT force. State the
fundamental forces that unite to form the electroweak force. Describe the properties of
the Universe in each of eras according to the Big Bang Theory. State the earliest era for
which we currently have experimental supporting evidence. State the two major
observational constraints (in addition to the expansion of the Universe) that provide
evidence that support the Big Bang Theory. State the significance of the small
temperature fluctuations found in the CMB.
State the era, within the Big Bang Theory, where the radiation of the CMB is originated.
State the era, within the Big Bang Theory, where the Hydrogen to Helium ratio of the
Universe is established. State the significance of inflation to the evolution of our
Universe.
VIII.
Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe (Chapter 18 of the Textbook)
Galaxy Group or Cluster. Supercluster. Dark Matter. Rotation Curve (in Spiral Galaxies).
“Flatness” of a plotted Curve. “Hot Gas” (found in between galaxies of a cluster).
Gravitational Lensing. Baryonic Matter. Non-baryonic matter. Protons. Neutrons.
Neutrinos. Photons. MACHOS (in Astronomy). WIMPS (in Astronomy). Large-scale
structure. Protogalaxy. Recollapsing Universe. Critical Universe. Coasting Universe.
Accelerating Universe. Dark Energy.
You should also be able to:
State what observational evidence exists for dark matter in our Milky Way. State what
observational evidence exists for dark matter in other spiral galaxies. State what
observational evidence exists for dark matter in elliptical galaxies. State what
observational evidence exists for dark matter in galaxy clusters. State how MACHOs
have been detected. Describe the three possible fates for our Universe if only gravity is
playing a role in the large-scale structure. Describe the fourth possible fate of the
Universe if dark energy exists.
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Life in the Universe (Chapter 19 of the Textbook).
Greenhouse Effect. Runaway Greenhouse Effect. Heavy Bombardment. Isotope. Theory
of Evolution. Natural Selection. DNA. Mutation. Prokarya. Eukarya. Bacteria. Archaea.
Black Smoker. Ozone. “habitable” world. “habitable zone” (of a star). Kepler Mission.
Planetary Transits. Rare Earth Hypothesis. SETI. Drake’s Equation.
You should also be able to:
State places in the Solar System where the conditions cannot sustain life as we know it.
State places in the Solar System where, under current knowledge, it is possible that life
may exist.
IX.
Grading Policy:
9 Hourly Lecture Tests ..……………………………. 50%
(Lowest Lecture Test score will be dropped)
Homework ………………………………………….. 25%
Laboratory ………………………………………….. 25%
Extra credit/work (optional) ………………………... + 12%
•
Astronomy or Astronomy-related Paper or Project (12 pts)
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Note #1:
Students must be registered in one of the Astronomy 1402 Laboratory sections. Department
policy requires that a student must make a Laboratory grade of 65 or better in order to pass the
course.
Note #2:
As indicated above, we will have 9 (nine) lecture exams. Each exam will correspond to one of
chapters of the textbook. The content list in pages 3-7 of this syllabus may be used as a study
guide for the exams.
Note #3:
The lowest lecture test grade will be dropped.
Note #4:
A paper-extra-work/credit will also be available for students for up to an additional 12% of the
overall course score. Students who decide to pursue the paper-extra-work/credit must turn in a
paper in an Astronomy or Astronomy-related topic. The due dates, format of, and evaluation of
the paper are described below.
Note #5:
The attached lecture schedule includes the tentative test dates, as the semester develops exact test
dates will be announced in class. For the lecture tests you will need to bring a #30423 (big) test
strip form (available at the University Bookstore) and a #2 pencil.
Note #6:
It is very much recommended that the student reads the corresponding chapter once before and
after the class. This will stimulate class participation that is a very important part of the lecture
activity. Also questions that may arise during the students pre-reading of the chapter may be
addressed during the lecture and stimulate further class discussion that will in turn enhance the
lecture process. Additional questions that may arise to the student can of course also be
addressed during office hours.
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Note #7:
It is also very important that the student works at the my.utrgv.edu (Blackboard) for further
studies (click “Course Material”) and online homework (click “Pearson Mastering”)
assignments. Any questions that arise to the student at this point may be addressed during office
hours.
Note #8:
No Final Exam.
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Optional Astronomy Paper or Project
The paper or project will be worth up to an additional 12 (twelve) points on the overall course score. The
paper will be turned in at three different stages:
1) Topic (Title of the Paper or the Project): due date: Thursday, February 25.
(The Topic may be turned in anytime before the due date).
2) First Draft: due date: Thursday, March 31.
(which must include at least a Title, an Introduction, and a List of References; the First Draft may
be turned in anytime before the due date).
3) Paper in final form: due date: Thursday, April 28.
(The Paper in final form may be turned in anytime before the due date).
The paper, in its final form, must include the following:
•
•
•
•
•
First page:
o Title
o Author (Student Name)
o Abstract (Concise initial summary placed on the first page below the title).
Introduction (with corresponding subtitle)
Main Body (with corresponding subtitle[s] [at least 3 pages])
Conclusions (with corresponding subtitle)
List of References (with corresponding subtitle [at least 3 references])
The Paper will be graded in the following manner:
Turning in the Topic (Title) of the Paper by Thursday February 25.
Turning in the first draft of the Paper by Thursday March 31.
(which must include at least a Title, an Introduction, and a List of References).
Turning in the Paper in its final form by Thursday April 28.
(which must include the Title, the Abstract, the Introduction, the Main Body,
the Conclusions, and the List of References)
Abstract in 250 words or less
Introduction (at the beginning of the Paper)
Main Body
Conclusions (towards the end of the Paper)
List of References (at the end of the Paper)
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1 Point
1 Point
1 Point
1 Point
1 Points
4 Points
2 Points
1 Point
Tentative Schedule for ASTR 1402-06
(Subject to change):
Week
Date
Lecture
Week
Date
Lecture
8
Thu Mar 10
Test #5 (Chapter 15)
9
Tue Mar 15
Spring Break
9
Thu Mar 17
Spring Break
10
Tue Mar 22
Chapter 16
10
Thu Mar 24
Chapter 16
11
Tue Mar 29
Chapter 16
11
Thu Mar 31
Test #6 (Chapter 16)
12
Tue Apr 5
Chapter 17
12
Thu Apr 7
Chapter 17
13
Tue Apr 12
Test #7 (Chapter 17)
1
Tue Jan 19
Course Introduction
1
Thu Jan 21
Chapter 11
2
Tue Jan 26
Chapter 11
2
Thu Jan 28
Test #1 (Chapter 11)
3
Tue Feb 2
Chapter 12
3
Thu Feb 4
Chapter 12
4
Tue Feb 9
Test #2 (Chapter 12)
4
Thu Feb 11
Chapter 13
5
Tue Feb 16
Chapter 13
5
Thu Feb 18
Test #3 (Chapter 13)
6
Tue Feb 23
Chapter 14
13
Thu Apr 14
Chapter 18
6
Thu Feb 25
Chapter 14
14
Tue Apr 19
Chapter 18
7
Tue Mar 1
Test #4 (Chapter 14)
14
Thu Apr 21
Test #8 (Chapter 18)
7
Thu Mar 3
Chapter 15
15
Tue Apr 26
Chapter 19
8
Tue Mar 8
Chapter 15
15
Thu Apr 28
Chapter 19
16
Tue May 3
Test #9 (Chapter 19)
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