www.williams.edu/Astronomy/Course-Pages/410/

 

Astronomy 410, Spring 2009

COURSE OUTLINE AND SYLLABUS

W 2/4 Introduction and overview

M 2/9 General characteristics of stars

R 2/12 Hydrostatic equilibrium

M 2/16 Different sources of pressure

R 2/19 Polytropic stars

M 2/23 Stability of stars

R 2/26 Stellar energy sources

M 3/2 Late stages of thermonuclear burning

R 3/5 Energy transport in stars

M 3/9 Stellar models

R 3/12 Evolution of low mass stars

M 3/16 The degenerate electron gas

R 3/19 MIDTERM EXAM

SPRING BREAK

M 4/6 White dwarfs

R 4/9 Supernovae

M 4/13 Neutron stars

R 4/16 Radio pulsars

M 4/20 White dwarfs and neutron stars in close binary systems

R 4/23 X-ray sources, Gamma Ray Bursts

M 4/27 The general theory of relativity

R 4/30 Spherically symmetric spacetime

M 5/4 Non rotating black holes

R 5/7 Rotating black holes

M 5/11 Accretion disks around black holes

R 5/14 Summary and overview

Final Exam to be scheduled by the Registrar