Physics 109      Astronomy & Cosmology      Section 2

Fall Semester, 2011

 

 

Instructor:       Dr. Ted Williams

                        306 Physics & Astronomy Building, Busch Campus

                        (732) 445-5500 ext 2516  (voice)         (732) 445-4343  (fax)

                        williams@physics.rutgers.edu  (email)

                        Office Hour: Thursday 1:30 - 3:00 pm

                       

Overview: This course describes the historical foundations of astronomy, the tools and techniques used by modern astronomers, the Sun, planets, moons, and minor bodies of our solar system, and the processes by which they formed.  There are no college-level prerequisites, but typical high school algebra and science preparation are assumed.  The companion course, Ph 110, covers the structure and evolution of stars, the properties of galaxies and clusters of galaxies, and the past, present and future of the Universe.  The two courses are independent; if you wish to take both, they can be taken in either order or concurrently.

 

Texts: The Cosmic Perspective: Fundamentals, by Bennett, Donohue, Schneider & Voit (ISBN 0-321-56704-8), published by Addison-Wesley

-and-

Iclicker Classroom Response System

Texts are available at the Rutgers Bookstores, New Jersey Books, or on-line through rutgers.bncollege.com. You must have an Iclicker to participate in this course, but the same device is used in many Rutgers courses, so if you already have one, you do not need to purchase another.

 

Course Web Page: We will be using the Sakai system for this course.  Go to sakai.rutgers.edu and log in using your RUId and password.  Click on the “Astronomy 109 Sect 2” tab to enter the course site.  If you have trouble logging in, please send me an email.  Homework assignments, important information about the course and useful links to astronomy websites will be posted here, so check it regularly.  You can access Sakai using your own computer, or any of the student computing center machines (for locations and hours, see rucs.rutgers.edu/services/instruction/index.html).

 

Lectures:  Tuesday & Thursday, 6:40 – 8:00 pm, Physics Lecture Hall, Busch Campus

The reading assignment for each lecture will be posted on Sakai.  Please complete the reading before the lecture.  Each class will include interactive discussion sessions as part of the learning experience.  It is important to bring your Iclicker to each lecture.  Lecture notes for each class will be posted on Sakai.  Students are expected to attend all classes; if you expect to miss one or two classes, please use the University absence reporting website https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/ to indicate the date and reason for your absence.  An email is automatically sent to me.  

 

Homework: Homework questions will be assigned each week, through the Sakai system.  Each assignment will consist of several multiple-choice questions.  Homework will be due by 5:00 am Tuesday of each week, and no late submissions will be accepted.   Do not wait until the last minute to complete and submit your homework assignments!

 

Exams: There will be two exams: an in-class midterm exam on October 25 and the final on December 20.  Both exams will be closed-book format, and will consist of multiple-choice, computer-graded questions.  Material from the text, lectures, and homework assignments will be used in selecting exam questions.  The final exam will not be cumulative.  A make-up exam will be offered for each exam for those with excused absences.

 

Grades: Course grades will be based on the two exams (30% each), the homework assignments (20%) and class participation (20%). 

 

Observing: Viewing sessions using the telescope located on the roof of the Physics & Astronomy Building (Busch campus) are held on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month when the sky is clear, beginning at 8 pm or 1 hour after sunset, whichever is later.  Attendance at these observing sessions is optional.   For more information, see: www.physics.rutgers.edu/ast/ast-serin.html

 

Students with Disabilities: Rutgers provides a variety of services to support a successful learning experience.  Please visit www.physics.rutgers.edu/ugrad/disabilities.html for information.

 

Class Calendar:  The schedule for lectures, readings, and exams during the semester is presented below.   

 

 

Date
Lecture Topic
Text

9/1

Introductions: the Course and the Universe

1.1 1.2

9/6

Quantitative Methods

T1, App C

9/8

NO CLASS – Monday Classes

 

9/13

Scientific Method (s)

3.2, 3.3

9/15

The Night Sky & the Seasons

2.1

9/20

Motions and Cycles

2.2

9/22

Greek Astronomy

2.3

9/27

Ptolemaic Astronomy

3.1

9/29

Copernicus & Kepler

3.1

10/4

Galileo & Newton

3.1

10/6

Overview of the Solar System

4.1

10/11

Formation of the Solar System

4.2

10/13

Age of the Solar System

4.3

10/18

Our Sun

8.1

10/20

Review

 

10/25

Mid-Term Exam

 

10/27

The Terrestrial Worlds

5.1

11/1

Geology on the Terrestrial Planets

5.2

11/3

Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Worlds

5.1

11/8

The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming

5.3

11/10

The Jovian Worlds

6.1

11/15

Tides and Resonances

6.1

11/17

Moons and Rings

6.1

11/22

Planetary Magnetism

5.1

11/24

NO CLASS - Thanksgiving

 

11/29

Asteroids, Meteors and Comets (Oh, My!)

6.2, 6.3

12/1

Exoplanets: Discovery

7.1

12/6

Exoplanets: Testing our Understanding

7.2, 7.3

12/8

Extraterrestrial Life in the Solar System (?)

15.1

12/13

Review

 

12/20

Final Exam