Physics 3655: Introduction to Astrophysics I --- Stars

Fall Semester 2009
Section 11M (CRN 94834): MWF 11:15-12:05, 122 Robeson Hall

http://www.phys.vt.edu/~jhs/phys3655

Instructor

John Simonetti, 319 Robeson, 231-8740, jsimonetti-AT-vt.edu
Office hours: MWF 10am-11am, or by appointment

Teaching Assistant

S. Cutchin, scutchin-AT-vt.edu
Office hours: by appointment

Optional Text

Astrophysics in a Nutshell, by Maoz (Princeton University Press)

Course Philosophy and Prerequisites

This is a junior level physics course, but you may not find it as rigorous as junior level electricity and magnetism, for example. On the other hand, this is not a course in "descriptive" astronomy for non-science majors. Your challenging task will be to gain some quantitative understanding of the universe based on simple physical principles.

The style of the course will be different from that of "fundamental" physics courses: this is "applied" physics. Artificial divisions between separate course subjects will fade. Problems will concern real situations. In many cases we will only be able to obtain rough answers. It's a vast subject, and some of our time will be spent just describing what's out there, so we know what we are trying to understand.

Two semesters of introductory physics (PHYS 2305, 2306) are required prerequisites. This implies a considerable amount of calculus as well. Anyone who has taken these courses will be well prepared for this course.

Exams

Three non-cumulative exams, each covering a major part of the course. The first and second exams are tentatively scheduled for Monday, September 28 (in class), and Monday, November 2 (in class). The third exam will take place during finals week and is scheduled for Monday, December 14, 3:25pm-5:25pm. You will be allowed to bring one 8.5-by-11-inch sheet of handwritten notes to each exam. If you anticipate missing any exam (for good reason only!), you must tell me before the scheduled exam time, or you will receive a zero for that exam.

Homework

Each week or so, a problem set will be assigned. Homework will be collected at the beginning of class on the due date; no late homework will be accepted. The homework problems are meant to challenge your understanding of the material covered in class and therefore lead you to a deeper understanding of the concepts.

Each problem set will be marked 10, 5, or 0 depending upon your effort and the results you produced. A full score of 10 means you put a good effort into the set, and obtained reasonable (but not necessarily entirely correct) results. A score of zero means you put an unacceptably minimal effort into the set, and obtained only a few reasonable results at most. A score of 5 lies somewhere in between. Your homework scores will make up 10% of your final grade. Doing the homework well and then reviewing the solutions will extend your understanding of the material and will help you on the exams!

After a problem set's due date, solutions will be posted on Blackboard. Graded homework will be handed back in class.

Independent Research Assignments

There will be two Independent Research Assignments due during the semester. Astrophysics is a quickly changing subject with discovery and new understanding occuring almost daily. For each Independent Research Assignment you will select a current astrophysics news item, research it in some detail, work out some basic calculation relevant to the item, and write a short summary of what you learned which includes your calculation. More details will be given in class.

Final Grades

A weighted average of your work will be computed using the following weights: Exam 1+2+3 -- 80%, Homework -- 10%, Independent Research Assignments -- 10%. Your letter grade will be determined by how you rank with respect to the class average. The class average may be set equal to about a C+ to B-, although this will depend somewhat on the class as a whole. The letter in your grade (A,B,C,D,F) gets better (or worse) by about one letter for each number of standard deviations your final score lies above (or below) the class average.

E-mail Communications

You are encouraged to send to me, via e-mail, any questions you may have about the course material (my e-mail address is jsimonetti-AT-vt.edu). To ensure your message is not lost among the many other messages I receive, please be sure to include "3655" somewhere in the subject heading of the message. I may send out a response to the entire class, for the benefit of all, after removing any information that could identify you. I may also e-mail important announcements to the class; up-to-date information can always be found on the webpage for the course.

Observatory

If you want to see for yourself some of the objects/phenomena we are discussing, go to the Virginia Tech observatory during one of its open houses. The open houses are on (clear) first and third Friday nights of each month during the semester, when classes are in session. For more information see the Physics Department's Prices Fork Open House webpage. There is no extra credit for going to the observatory --- it's just for your own enrichment.

Intellectual Integrity

The Virginia Tech Undergraduate Honor System pertains to this course. I encourage you to work with others when studying the material. I also encourage you to discuss homework problems with others. Such discussions will help you learn the material. Your exam solutions must, of course, be entirely your own work. Your Independent Research Projects must be your own work.

Student Accommodations

If you need adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please see me.

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