Phys 540 Astrophysics Offered as a Physics Breadth Course in Fall 2015

TO: Graduate Students

Astrophysics 540 is a general/survey course, divided approximately equally between diffuse matter and stellar/condensed matter astrophysics. No prior knowledge of astronomy/astrophysics is required, although such background does help. The course aims at providing the fundamentals of most branches of astrophysics, instead of describing the latest results, although such results are described. Since most students who take the course do not go on in astrophysics, the course is designed to be useful for all. It emphasizes how one translates mathematical formulations and solutions into physical, intuitive understanding, and vice versa. This is indispensible in doing well in any branch of physics or astrophysics. Moreover, it is what will be retained by most students for years to come, instead of be forgotten, as most factual descriptions are, a few weeks or a few months after a course is over.

The course has approximately 20% overlap with the sequence of astronomy courses, Ast 502 (Diffuse Matter) and Ast 504 (Stellar) and, in two lectures, covers from a basic physics point of view applied to astrophysical environments the fundamentals of the subject matter of Ast 501 (Radiation Processes). Approximately 70% of the subject matter of the course is not covered by any other course offered either in the Physics or in the Astronomy Departments, but it is essential for a successful career in astrophysics and extremely useful for any other branch of physics.

A detailed Outline of the course, and the approach, will be described during the first meeting on Tuesday, August 25, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, Room 136 LLP.

If anybody has any questions, please, do not hesitate to contact me.

T. Ch. Mouschovias, Professor Physics and Astronomy