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PHYS1118 — Astronomy II

Course Description: This course is designed for non-science students. A study of astronomy as related to humans and society. Topics include elements of Newtonian physics, Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, electromagnetic theory, observational and historical astronomy, and extra-solar astronomy. Laboratory work illustrates and supplements the lecture material. Prerequisites: PHYS1117

Required Text: ASTRONOMY TODAY (6th Edition), Chaisson and McMillan, 2008

Instructional Objectives (Learning Outcomes): This course is designed to give students an understanding of the universe beyond the solar system. An appreciation of the scientific method and the role of experiment in understanding phenomena is developed. Students will gain an understanding of stars, the interstellar medium galaxies, life in the universe and the universe.

Course-specific learning outcomes:

Upon completion of this course a student will be able to:

1. Describe how solar systems form and evolve. 2. Understand Nebular and Tidal Hypothesis and role of angular momentum. 3. Understand stellar astrophysics including star distances, motions, and luminosity and the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) Diagram. 4. Understand the interstellar medium including emission & absorption nebulae, interstellar gas, dust, plasma, molecules and radio emissions. 5. Appreciate star formation and clustering. 6. Describe post-main-sequence stellar evolution. 7. Examine stellar explosions and nucleosynthesis. 8. Recognize final evolutionary states of stars. 9. Cite evidence for black holes, gamma ray bursts, curved space-time, space travel near black holes

General education learning outcomes

Upon completion of this course a student will be able to:

1. Discuss the scope of physics as a natural science, and practical applications of fundamental research to real world problems. 2. Describe the elements of the scientific method and its significance to scientific discoveries, the development of models, and the formulation of scientific theories. 3. Employ pictorial, graphical and mathematical methods to simplify and solve problems relevant to real-world applications. 4. Acquire and practice basic laboratory skills including gathering, analyzing and interpreting data. 5. Practice communication and writing skills in class discussions, preparation of written laboratory reports, and independent project work. 6. Practice collaborative work during laboratory activities.

Pathways learning outcomes

Upon completion of this course a student will be able to:

1. Discuss the scope of physics as a natural science, and practical applications of fundamental research to real world problems. 2. Describe the elements of the scientific method and its significance to scientific discoveries, the development of models, and the formulation of scientific theories. 3. Employ pictorial, graphical and mathematical methods to simplify and solve problems relevant to real-world applications. 4. Acquire and practice basic laboratory skills including gathering, analyzing and interpreting data. 5. Practice communication and writing skills in class discussions, preparation of written laboratory reports, and independent project work. 6. Practice collaborative work during laboratory activities. Assessment: Students will be evaluated though laboratory reports and exams. The fnal grade will be based on a weighted average of the grades from the reports and exams as follows: Two Exams 30% Final Exam 25% Lab Grade 25% Report 10% Homework 10%

Course Outline

Lectures: 3 hours/week Week 1: Planetary system formation. Modeling planet types, extra solar planets. Chap. 15. Spectroscopic extrasolar planet detection. Chap. 4. Week 2: The Sun: properties, layers, magnetism, activity. Chap. 16. Week 3: The Stars: luminosity, color, sizes, distances, masses, Hertzsprung- Russell Diagram. Chap. 17. Week 4: Interstellar Medium: matter, nebulae, radiation, molecules. Chap. 18. Week 5: Star Formation. Star-forming regions, protostars, clusters. Chap. 19. Week 6: Star Evolution. Post-main-sequence evolution of sunlike, massive, low-mass stars. Chap. 21. Week 7: Stellar Explosions: novae, supernova, nucleosynthesis, evolutioncycles, white dwarfs. Chap. 21. Week 8: Neutron stars and black holes. Pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, generalrelativity, black-hole space travel and time machines. Chap. 22.

Week 9: The Milky Way Galaxy. Structure, formation, mass, star counts,regions. Chap. 23. Week 10: :Galaxies. Hubble’s Law. Galaxy distribution. Normal & active galaxies. Chap. 24. Week 11: : Galaxies and dark matter. Galaxy collisions and evolution, black holes in galaxies, galaxy clusters. Chap. 25. Week 12: Cosmology. Expanding universe, fate of cosmos, expansion rate,cosmic microwave background. Chap. 26 Week 13: The Early Universe. the big bang and competing theories. Inflation. Chap. 27 Week 14: : Life in the universe. Habitable zones, intelligent life, SETI,interstellar travel. Chap. 28 Week 15: Review (Final Exam)

Laboratory work: 2 hours/week

Week 1: Orientation and Introduction. Week 2: Diameter of molecule Week 3: Solar storms Week 4: Sunspots & solar activity–portable planetarium Week 5: Constellation identification Week 6: photoelectric effect Week 7: parallax and stellar distance Week 8: spectroscopy Week 9: star spectral classification Week 10: HR diagram Week 11: The telescope Week 12: The Hunt for Earthlike planets Week 13: Galactic morphology Week 14: Red Shift and expansion of universe Week 15: Lab Exam

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College Policy on Absence/Lateness A student may be absent without penalty for 10% of the number of scheduled class meetings during the semester as follows:

Class Meets Allowable Absences 1 time/week 2 classes 2 times/week 3 classes 3 times/week 4 classes

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