When: Spring 2008, MWF 10:10-11pm
Where: 310 Buttrick Hall
Textbook: "Stellar Interiors" by Hansen, Kawaler, & Trimble (Springer - second edition)
| Other helpful books: | "Stellar Structure and Evolution" by Kippenhahn & Weigert (Springer). |
| "Principles of Stellar Evolution and Nucleosynthesis" by Clayton (Chicago Press) |
Syllabus and Course Info: syllabus
Preprint Archive: http://arXiv.org/list/astro-ph/recent
Week 1: January 14-18
| Topics: | The equations of stellar structure, spectral classification |
| Reading: | HKT, chapter 1 |
| Assignment: | Literature report due Monday, January 21 |
| Figures: |
Sound speed in the sun: model vs. observation
Random walk of photon in the sun Johnson, HST, etc. photometric filters SDSS photometric filters Solar spectrum Spectra of O through A stars Spectra of A through G stars Spectra of F through K stars Spectral classifications: spectra of O through M stars Spectral classifications: ionization vs. class |
Week 2: January 21-25
Week 3: January 28 - February 1
| Topics: | The virial theorem and applications. Intro to equations of state. |
| Reading: | HKT, chapter 1, beginning of chapter 3. |
| Assignment: | Literature report due Monday, February 4 |
| Figures: | Equations of state: temperature vs. density |
Week 4: February 4-8
| Topics: | Equations of state. |
| Reading: | HKT, chapter 3 |
| Assignment: |
Literature report due Monday, February 11
Problem set #2 due Friday, February 22: Problem Set 2 |
| Figures: | Equations of state: total pressure vs. density |
Week 5: February 11-15
| Topics: | Boltzmann and Saha equations |
| Reading: | HKT, chapter 3 |
| Assignment: | Literature report due Monday, February 18 |
| Figures: |
Saha & Boltzmann: ionization fraction
Saha & Boltzmann: Balmer fraction |
Week 6: February 18-22
| Topics: | Thermodynamics of gas |
| Reading: | HKT, chapter 3 |
| Assignment: | Literature report due Monday, February 25 |
| Figures: |
Week 7: February 25-29
| Topics: | Thermodynamics of gas, Polytropes |
| Reading: | HKT, chapter 3 and chapter 7 |
| Assignment: |
Literature report due Monday, March 10
Problem set #3 due Friday, March 14: Problem Set 3 |
| Figures: |
Week 8: March 10-14
| Topics: | Radiative transfer, Opacity sources |
| Reading: | HKT, chapter 4 |
| Assignment: | Literature report due Monday, March 17 |
| Figures: |
Week 9: March 17-21
| Topics: | Conduction, Opacity tables, Convection |
| Reading: | HKT, chapter 4 & 5 |
| Assignment: |
Literature report due Monday, March 24
Problem Set #4 due Friday, March 28: Problem Set 4 For this problem set, you will need the OPAL opacity tables here: http://physci.llnl.gov/Research/OPAL/existing.html |
| Figures: |
Week 10: March 24-28
| Topics: | Convection, Energy generation |
| Reading: | HKT, chapters 5 & 6 |
| Assignment: | Literature report due Monday, March 31 |
| Figures: |
Week 11: March 31 - April 4
| Topics: | Nuclear reactions |
| Reading: | HKT, chapter 6 |
| Assignment: |
Literature report due Monday, April 7
Problem Set #5 due Friday, April 11: Problem Set 5 |
| Figures: |
Week 12: April 7-11
| Topics: | Nuclear reactions |
| Reading: | HKT, chapter 6 |
| Assignment: |
Literature report due Monday, April 14
Final Project due Thursday, May 1: Final Project |
| Figures: |
Week 13: April 14-18
| Topics: | Stellar models |
| Reading: | HKT, chapter 7 |
| Assignment: | |
| Figures: |
