01:750:110:01
Physics 110: Astronomy and Cosmology: Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe
Spring 2021 - Section 1

Instructor Professor Andrew Baker Email: ajbaker[at]physics.rutgers.edu Course meetings Monday, CAC period 2 (9:50-11:10) online Thursday, CAC period 2 (9:50-11:10) online Zoom lectures will be recorded and posted on Canvas. Office hours Online via regular Zoom session for lectures (click on Canvas link): Friday, 2:00-3:00: other students may be present Friday, 3:00-4:00: individual appointments (please reserve by email in advance) otherwise: upon request (please arrange by email as needed)

Course description

This course describes the foundations of astronomy and modern knowledge of stars (including our Sun), galaxies, and the universe as a whole. While astronomers know a tremendous amount about the universe, science is not just about a static set of facts, but also about the dynamic process of discovery. We will therefore consider science as a way of understanding the world we live in.

There are no college-level prerequisites for this course, but typical high school algebra and science preparation are assumed. The companion course, Physics 109, covers the planets, moons, and small bodies in our own Solar System, as well as planets around other stars. The two courses are complementary and independent; you can take one or both, and in either order. Note that Physics 109 and Physics 110 are primarily intended for non-science majors. Students with college-level math and science credits should consider taking Physics 341/342 instead, which cover much of the same material as Physics 109/110, but at a more advanced level.

Textbook

The primary textbook for this course is Astronomy from Openstax Access. It is free, available in multiple online formats, and connected to additional resources including websites and videos. From time to time, I will supplement material from the textbook with additional material in the slides for my lectures. You will be responsible for material that appears in our book, and any clearly designated additional material in my slides, which I will make available after class in Canvas.

Schedule

The sequence of lectures and homework due dates is provisional; I will update them as needed during the course of the semester. I will also include in the schedule the dates of any online public events that are relevant to the subject matter of this course (attendance at these events is strictly optional).

CLASS	DATE	TOPIC	READING	DUE
1	Jan 21	course introduction no graded Zoom polls
2	Jan 25	astronomy basics; algebra and units	Ch 1; Appendix A-E
3	Jan 28	observing the sky	Ch 2 (esp 2.1)	HW1
4	Feb 1	gravity and orbits	Ch 3 (esp 3.1-3.3)	HW2
5	Feb 4	seasons, lunar phases, and eclipses	Ch 4 (esp 4.2-4.3, 4.6)	HW3
6	Feb 8	light	Ch 5 (esp 5.1-5.3, 5.6)	HW4
7	Feb 11	telescopes	Ch 6 (esp 6.1-6.3)	HW5
8	Feb 15	the Sun, our star	Ch 15.1, 16 (esp 16.2-16.3)	HW6
9	Feb 18	starlight	Ch 17 (esp 17.1-17.3)	HW7
10	Feb 22	a census of stars	Ch 18 (esp 18.2, 18.4)	HW8
11	Feb 25	the cosmic distance ladder	Ch 19 (esp 19.2-19.4)	HW9
12	Mar 1	gas and dust in galaxies	Ch 20 (esp 20.1-20.3)	HW10
13	Mar 4	the birth of stars and planets	Ch 21 (esp 21.1, 21.4, 21.5)	HW11
14	Mar 8	REVIEW no graded Zoom polls		HW12
15	Mar 11	MIDTERM EXAM (in class) no graded Zoom polls
16	Mar 22	stellar evolution	Ch 22 (esp 22.1-22.3)
17	Mar 25	stellar explosions	Ch 23 (esp 23.1-23.2, 23.5)	HW13
18	Mar 29	general relativity and black holes	Ch 24 (esp 24.1-24.2, 24.5)	HW14
19	Apr 1	our Milky Way galaxy	Ch 25 (esp 25.1, 25.3-25.4)	HW15
20	Apr 5	galaxies; the expanding universe	Ch 26 (esp 26.1-26.2, 26.4-26.5)	HW16
21	Apr 8	supermassive black holes	Ch 27 (esp 27.1-27.2)	HW17
22	Apr 12	distant galaxies	Ch 28 (esp 28.1-28.3)	HW18
23	Apr 15	galaxy clusters	Ch 28 (esp 28.3-28.4)	HW19
24	Apr 19	dark matter and galaxy formation	Ch 28 (esp 28.4-28.5)	HW20
25	Apr 22	the Big Bang	Ch 29 (esp 29.1-29.3)	HW21
26	Apr 26	the cosmic microwave background	Ch 29 (esp 29.4-29.7)	HW22
27	Apr 29	life in the universe	Ch 30 (esp 30.1-30.2, 30.4)	HW23
28	May 3	REVIEW no graded Zoom polls		HW24
	May 3 8-11am	FINAL EXAM

Grading

Your course grade will be based on a weighted combination of four elements:

• online homework (30%)
• in-class Zoom polls (20%)
• mid-term exam (25%)
• final exam (25%)

Homework will be assigned in Canvas twice per week, with one assignment due before the start of each class. Homework assignments will be of two types:

• Due before Monday classes (starting February 1): 10 multiple-choice questions that assess your understanding of material covered by the previous week's lectures and assigned reading. Answers will be posted after class.
• Due before Thursday classes (starting January 28): one or more non-multiple-choice questions related to material covered in the previous 2-3 lectures. In these assignments, you may be asked to work through some simple computations, write a paragraph-length explanation of a concept we have covered in class at for someone who doesn't know very much about astronomy, etc.

Zoom polls will be scattered through most lectures, and are intended to assess your understanding of the material we are discussing in that class. If a clear majority of the class does not get the right answer to a particular question the first time around, I'll give the class a chance to re-vote. Your scores for an individual poll will be determined as follows:

• 3 points = correct answer the first time around
• 2 points = correct answer, but not the first time around
• 1 point = incorrect answer

The midterm exam will take place via Zoom during our regular class period on March 11, and will cover the material covered in classes 2-13. You will be randomly assigned to a Zoom breakout session with several of your classmates, and you will tackle your assigned exam questions as a team. Different groups may have different sets of exam questions, but your scores will be corrected for the difficulty of individual questions before being finalized. A review for the midterm exam, including a simulation of the format, will be take place during the preceding regular class period (March 8). A makeup exam will be scheduled for students who have excused absences (see below) on the day of the midterm exam.

The final exam will take place via Zoom from 8-11am on May 10, and will focus on material covered in classes 16-27 (i.e., after the midterm exam). Some questions may rely on material from the first half of the course (e.g., it is probably best not to have forgotten the basic concept of the cosmic distance ladder by the time you take the final exam!), but these will be limited in number. A review for the final exam will take place during the final regular class period (May 3). A makeup exam will be scheduled for students who have excused absences (see below) on the day of the final exam.

Extra credit

As of now, there will be only one way to earn extra credit in this course. In a given week, if you ask a question related to the course material in the course chat room on Canvas, or make a good faith effort to answer a question asked there by one of your classmates, I will add a participation bonus of 25% to one of your daily Zoom poll scores for that week. Excluding the three weeks in which there will be no graded Zoom questions, you will have 12 chances to gain such extra credit over the course of the semester, and therefore the opportunity to add as much as 2.7 points to your final semester grade. (I reserve the right not to award extra credit if questions are asked or answered in the chat room in a rude or disrespectful way.)

Academic integrity

I take academic integrity concerns very seriously, and in the case of a possible violation I will initiate a disciplinary process without hesitation. Please familiarize yourself with the different types of violations and levels of sanctions, and note that more than one "non-separable" violation can lead to suspension or expulsion. A few relevant points of information for this course:

• You may discuss homework questions with your classmates, but you should think about them initially by yourself, and the final answers and responses you submit should be your own.
• You may discuss Zoom polls with your classmates only if and when invited to do so. You should not log in to Zoom using another student's credentials to respond to polls, or allow your credentials to be used by another student to log in and respond to polls.
• The midterm exam will be open-book and open-note, but you will only be allowed to communicate with your classmates who are (randomly) assigned to your Zoom breakout group during the exam. The format of the final exam and associated academic honesty requirements are not yet determined, but will be stated well before the end of the semester.
• Only those people who are unable to attend the midterm or final exam because of a class conflict, a medical/family emergency, or another serious and unforeseen event will be allowed to take the relevant makeup exam. Documentation will be required.

• Absences
  If you miss a class, unless I have given prior permission or it is a medical/family emergency, you will receive a zero for that day's clicker questions. All absences should be reported at this website.
• Auditors
  Students not enrolled for credit are welcome to attend the lectures. If you are auditing the course, please be considerate of your peers who are officially enrolled and will be graded in part on their responses to Zoom polls during lecture.
• Students with disabilities
  If you have a disability, please let me know early in the semester so that we can make the necessary arrangements for you to have a successful learning experience. Please consult this web page for more details.
• Student wellness services
  The School of Arts and Sciences and the Rutgers University Student Assembly have requested that all course syllabi include the following information on resources to support student wellness:
  • The Just In Case Web App provides access to helpful mental health information and resources for yourself or a friend in a mental health crisis on your smartphone or tablet, and easily contacts CAPS or RUPD.
  • Rutgers Counseling, ADAP & Psychiatric Services (CAPS) (848-932-7884; 17 Senior Street in New Brunswick) is a University mental health support service that includes counseling, alcohol and other drug assistance, and psychiatric services staffed by a team of professionals within Rutgers Health Services to support students' efforts to succeed at Rutgers University. CAPS offers a variety of services that include individual therapy, group therapy and workshops, crisis intervention, referral to specialists in the community and consultation, and collaboration with campus partners.
  • The Office for Violence Prevention & Victim Assistance (VPVA) (848-932-1181; 3 Bartlett Street in New Brunswick) provides confidential crisis intervention, counseling, and advocacy for victims of sexual and relationship violence and stalking to students, staff, and faculty. Staff can be reached by phone during office hours when the university; advocates can be reached by phone after hours.
  • The Office of Disability Services (848-445-6800; Lucy Stone Hall, Suite A145, Livingston Campus, 54 Joyce Kilmer Avenue in Piscataway) works with students with documented disabilities to determine eligibility for reasonable accommodations, facilitates and coordinates those accommodations when applicable, and lastly engages with the Rutgers community at large to provide and connect students to appropriate resources.
  • Scarlet Listeners (732-247-5555) is a free and confidential peer counseling and referral hotline, providing a comforting and supportive safe space.