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