PHY 110: Astronomy and Cosmology

Stars, Galaxies and the Universe

 

Fall 2009

Prof. Gawiser's Website • Astronomy at Rutgers • Department of Physics & Astronomy • Rutgers University

Last updated August 22, 2009

1. At First Glance

Instructor

Prof. Eric Gawiser; Office hours: TBD via iClicker poll

Class Hours and Venue

Wednesday (11:30-12:50) and Friday (1:10-2:30)
Scott Hall 123, College Avenue Campus

Quizzes

At the beginning of each lecture using the iClicker personal response systems

Exams

Midterm Exam: Wednesday, Oct 14th, in class
Final Exam: Monday, Dec 21st, 8-11 AM, location TBA.
Make-up Exams:dates and location TBA

 

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2. Course Description

This course describes the properties of gravity, light, stars and galaxies, and the past, present and future of the Universe. There are no college-level prerequisites, but typical high school algebra and science preparation are assumed. The companion course, PHY109, covers the historical foundations of astronomy, the tools and techniques used by modern astronomers, the planets, moons, and minor bodies of our solar system, and the processes by which they formed. The two courses are independent; if you wish to take both, they can be taken in either order or concurrently.

Note that this course is intended for non-science majors. Students with college-level math and science credits should consider taking PHY341 and/or PHY342, instead. Those courses cover much of the same material as PHY110 and PHY109, but at a more advanced level.

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3. Instructor

This is the official website of Section 1 (the only Section) of PHY110 for Fall 2009. The instructor for this course and section (and the author of this website) is:

Prof. Eric Gawiser
Room 303, West Wing
Physics and Astronomy Building (Serin Labs), Busch Campus
Phone: (732)-445-5500x2733

In addition to my regularly scheduled office hours, I am available to offer help and answer questions for a few minutes just before, or just after, each lecture.

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4. Office Hours

My office hours are TBD via iClicker poll.

We have a PHY110 "virtual classroom" setup through Rutgers' Sakai system. This is the best place to submit questions about course material or logistics. Emails on these topics will not be responded to directly, rather I will post them anonymously on Sakai along with the answers. You are of course welcome to email me at

gawiser@physics.rutgers.edu
with emergencies or confidential issues - please make it clear in the subject line that this is referring to PHY110 and if it should remain private.

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5. Lecture Schedule

The lecture schedule is posted below, along with the relevant material from the textbook.

LECTURE

DATE

TOPIC

CHAPTERS

1

Sep 2
(Wed.)

INTRODUCTION. COURSE OVERVIEW AND GOALS.

 

2

Sep 4
(Fri.)

ASTRONOMY BASICS, iCLICKER PRACTICE

1

3

Sep 9
(Wed.)

DAYS AND YEARS

2

4

Sep 11
(Fri.)

MONTHS AND ECLIPSES

3

5

Sep 16
(Wed.)

ORBITS AND GRAVITY

4

6

Sep 18
(Fri.)

LIGHT

5

7

Sep 23
(Wed.)

TELESCOPES

6

8

Sep 25
(Fri.)

THE SUN

16

9

Sep 30
(Wed.)

NATURE OF STARS

17

10

Oct 2
(Fri.)

BINARY STARS

17

11

Oct 7
(Wed.)

BIRTH OF STARS

18

12

Oct 9
(Fri.)

REVIEW

1-6,16-18

13

Oct 14
(Wed.)

MIDTERM EXAM

1-6,16-18

14

Oct 16
(Fri.)

EVOLUTION OF STARS

19

15

Oct 21
(Wed.)

DEATH OF STARS

20

16

Oct 23
(Fri.)

NEUTRON STARS

21

17

Oct 28
(Wed.)

RELATIVITY

22

18

Oct 30
(Fri.)

BLACK HOLES

22

19

Nov 4
(Wed.)

THE MILKY WAY:
SHAPE AND SIZE

23

20

Nov 6
(Fri.)

THE MILKY WAY: ROTATION AND STRUCTURE

23

21

Nov 11
(Wed.)

GALAXIES

24

22

Nov 13
(Fri.)

GALAXIES, QUASARS

24, (25)

23

Nov 18
(Wed.)

THE BIG BANG

26

24

Nov 20
(Fri.)

EXPANSION OF THE UNIVERSE

26

25

Dec 2
(Wed.)

COSMIC INFLATION

27

26

Dec 4
(Fri.)

LARGE-SCALE STRUCTURE

27

27

Dec 9
(Wed.)

LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE

28, (8.7)

28

Dec 11
(Fri.)

END OF SEMESTER REVIEW

19-24,26-28

 

Dec 21
(Mon.)

Final Exam (8-11AM)

19-24,26-28

 

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6. Homework and Quizzes

Homework will be assigned for each lecture, in the form of reading the chapter ahead of the lecture and answering several homework questions. Homework will not be graded, but reading and homework quizzes will be given at the beginning of each lecture. If you do the reading and homework problems, you should find these quizzes easy. The quiz problems will be similar - but not identical - to the assigned homework problems, so memorizing the answer will not help you, but understanding the problems will!

Completing the homework assignments is essential if you wish to get a good grade in the course, for three reasons:

  1. Personal response participation, which includes the reading and homework quizzes, counts for one third of the final grade for the course.
  2. It is easier to get a high score on the reading and homework quizzes than on the exams.
  3. Doing the homework will prepare you for the exams: most of the exam questions will test the material covered in the homework.

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7. Examinations

There will be a midterm exam, held on October 14th during the regular class period. The final exam covers the second half of the course and will be on Dec 21st at 8 AM. Note: this is scheduled by the University. There will be make-up exams for those who have an excused absence for either the midterm exam or the final exam.

Only those people who are unable to attend the regular exams because of a class conflict, a medical/family emergency (which must be documented with a dean's note), or other serious and unforeseen event (which must be documented with a dean's note) will be allowed to take the make-up exam.

All exams will be multiple choice, computer graded, and closed book. Calculators are not required, though you may bring one to the exam if you wish. Cell phones are not allowed, even if they have a calculator application.

IMPORTANT: During the midterm and final exams, you will be asked to present the appropriate identification: i.e., a valid Rutgers student ID card. Students lacking the appropriate identification may not be allowed to take the exam!

IF YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE THE MAKE-UP, YOU MUST  HAVE A VALID CONFLICT AND GET PERMISSION FROM ME PRIOR TO THE END OF CLASS ON DECEMBER 11TH!!!!

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8. Grades

The course grade will be determined by:

Midterm exam:

1/3

Final exam:

1/3

iClicker Personal Response Scores:

1/3

Note that the maximum score that can be obtained from exams alone is 67%. Therefore it is impossible to get a good overall grade without attending the lectures where the iClicker personal response systems will be used.

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9. Other Texts

There are many other good textbooks available for introductory courses on astronomy and cosmology. You may want to consult some of these other books from time to time. Try:

  1. The Universe Revealed, by Chris Impey and William K. Hartmann. Published by Brooks/Cole.
  2. The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millenium, by Jay M. Pasachoff and Alexei V. Filippenko. Published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
  3. Foundations of Astronomy: by Michael A. Seeds. Published by Brooks/Cole.
  4. Astronomy Today, by Chaisson and McMillan. Published by Prentice Hall.
  5. Astronomy: Journey to the Cosmic Frontier, by John Fix. Published by McGraw-Hill.

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10. How to Succeed in this Course

  • Read the appropriate text sections before each class so that you get the maximum benefit from the lectures. Focus on concepts rather than memorization.
  • After reading the material, try several of the mathematical questions at the end of each chapter of the text and check your answers against the solutions in the back of the book.
  • Do all of the assigned homework problems and make sure you understand the answers.
  • Attend all lectures with your iClicker. Come prepared with questions on the material.
  • If you have any questions/concerns about the material or content, please talk to me during office hours or immediately before or after the lectures.

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11. Students with Disabilities

Students with Disabilities: Rutgers provides a variety of services to support a successful learning experience. Please click here for further information.

 

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