HST image of Supernova 1994D and its host galaxy

Physics 341
Principles of Astrophysics
Fall 2009

Tuesdays and Thursdays
3:20-4:40 pm
ARC 105, Busch campus
Instructor: Saurabh W Jha

Description

Astrophysics is the application of physical principles to astronomical systems. In Physics 341 and 342 you will learn how to use gravity, electromagnetism, and atomic, nuclear, and gas physics to understand planets, stars, galaxies, dark matter, and the Universe as a whole. Gravity is the dominant force in many astronomical systems, and it will be our focus in Physics 341.

Some astrophysical systems are described by equations that are fairly easy to solve, and we will certainly study them. However, many interesting systems cannot be solved exactly. Nevertheless, we can often use physical insight and approximate calculations to understand the salient features of a system without sweating the details. One goal of the course is to develop that skill. As you will see, it will take us very far (through the whole Universe, in fact!) Another goal is to learn about recent advances in astrophysics, a very dynamic field of research.

Prerequisites for this class are two semesters of physics and two semesters of calculus. I will briefly review physical principles as we need them, but assume that you have seen them before. I will also assume familiarity with vector calculus. Some of the assignments may involve a bit of computation that can be done with programs like Excel, Google Spreadsheets, Maple, Matlab, or Mathematica.

The main textbook we will use for both Physics 341 and 342 is An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics (2nd edition) by Bradley W. Carroll and Dale A. Ostlie (affectionately known as the Big Orange Book). It provides a broad survey of astrophysics and covers the basics well. I will also draw from other sources as well, letting you know when I do.

Contact Information

Prof. Saurabh W Jha
Room 315, Serin Physics Building (across Allison Road from the classroom), Busch campus
Email: saurabh@physics.rutgers.edu
Phone: 732-445-5500 ext. 6979

Office hours: Wednesdays 2-3:30pm, or by appointment

Grading Policy

Grading will be based on problem sets (70%), the take-home final exam (25%), and an in-class quiz on October 15 (5%). A final grade of 90% or higher will guarantee you an A.

Weekly problem sets will be handed out on Thursdays, and will be due the following Thursday in class. Problem sets can also be turned in to my mailbox on the second floor of Serin by Thursday at 4:30pm (the door is locked after that), or by emailing me your solutions before 4:30pm. It is your responsibility to meet the deadline! No late assignments will be accepted. No exceptions. I will drop your two lowest problem set scores in calculating your final grade. While that means you could skip two problem sets and still get a perfect score, experience has shown it is much better for your grade to turn in all of them and have the lowest scores dropped.

You are encouraged to work in groups on the problem sets, but your write-up of the solutions must be your own. You must write down the names of your collaborators on your write-up. You must also cite any external sources you use (other than the class notes I post or the texbook). You may not refer to notes, assignments, or solutions, from previous years of Physics 341 or 342.

The take-home final will be due at 4pm on December 11.

Schedule: Topics and Assignments

This syllabus may be modified as the semester progresses. PDF versions of the lecture notes are available by clicking on the links in the Date column. Links are also available for the assignments and solutions. Some of these require the username and password given out in class (e-mail me if you need them).

Date
General concept
Topics
Text
Assignment
Sep 1, 3
introduction
gravity; estimation; dimensional analysis
Sep 8
NO CLASS (Monday classes on Sep 8)
Sep 10
1-body problem
Newton's laws of motion and gravitation;
conservation laws
1.1-1.2,
2.1-2.3
PS #1 due Sep 10
solutions
Sep 15
deriving Kepler's Laws
2.1-2.3
Sep 17
 
Galactic center
6.1, 24.4
PS #2 due Sep 17
solutions
Sep 22
 
Doppler effect; supermassive black holes
4.3, 25.2, 28.2
Sep 24
2-body problem
theory; equivalent 1-body problem
2.3
PS #3 due Sep 24
orbit spreadsheet
solutions orbit
Sep 29
 
binary stars
7.1-7.3
Oct 1
 
binary stars; extrasolar planets
7.4, 23.1
PS #4 due Oct 1
solutions
Oct 6
transiting planets
7.4, 23.1
Oct 8
 
tidal forces
19.2,
21.2-21.3
PS #5 due Oct 8
solutions
Oct 13
3-body problem
Lagrange points; asteroids; close binaries
18, 22.3
Oct 15
N-body problem
and galaxies
in-class quiz;
basic properties of galaxies
24.2-24.3,
25.1-25.4
PS #6 due Oct 15
solutions
in-class quiz
Oct 20, 22
 
spiral galaxy rotation curves; dark matter
24.3, 25.2
PS #7 due Oct 22
solutions
Oct 27, 29
 
galactic structure beyond rotation
24.2, 25.3
PS #8 due Oct 29
solutions
Nov 3, 5
 
virial theorem; elliptical galaxies;
galaxy interactions
2.4, 25.4, 26.1
PS #9 due Nov 5
solutions
Nov 10, 12
gravitational lensing
basic principles; microlensing;
galaxy and cluster lensing
28.4, 24.2
PS #10 due Nov 12
Nov 17
relativity
special relativity
4 (all)
Nov 19
 
introduction to general relativity
17 (all)
PS #11 due Nov 19
Nov 24
 
applications of general relativity
Nov 26
NO CLASS; Happy Thanksgiving!
Dec 1
 
black holes
Dec 3, 8
cosmology
expanding Universe
27.1-2,
29 (all)
PS #12 due Dec 3
Dec 10
 
dark energy; future of the Universe
Dec 11
 
final exam due 4pm, Serin 315

Resources

Here are some web resources you may find illuminating or indispensable:

Other Items

Students with disabilities should consult the department policy.

Students will be held to the Rutgers policy on academic integrity.

Astrophysics at RutgersDepartment of Physics and AstronomyRutgers University

Last updated: November 5, 2009 swj