FY2450 Astrofysikk

Våren 2008

  • Lecturer: Michael Kachelrieß, office: E5-149

  • Description:
    This introductory course gives an overview about the Universe, its major players and processes. Starting with an introduction into the properties of electromagnetic radiation and astronomical techniques, we go on to discuss the evolution of stars from birth to death, the structure of the Milky Way and other, more exotic galaxies, and end finally with a short introduction into cosmology and the expanding universe.
    The course is aimed at physics students in the 3.nd year as well as interested students from other fields with some basic knowledge of mathematics and physics.
    Lectures: Tuesday 12.15-14.00 R3
    Lectures+Exercises: Friday 14.15-16.00 R3; starting from week 3: 15.15-17.00

  • Recommended books:
    1. Lecture notes for FY2450: click here.
    2. M.L. Kutner, Astronomy: A Physical Perspective (Cambridge University Press 2003)
    3. B.W. Carrol, D.A. Ostlie, An Introduction to Modern Astronomy (Pearson International Edition 2007) [somewhat higher level, very complete]

  • Reference group:
    Stine Skarshaug: stines@stud.ntnu.no
    Ingvild Olsen Lundanes: lundanes@stud.ntnu.no


  • Program: (numbers refer to the corresponding chapters in Kutner's book)
    Week 2: Introduction; Continous radiation from stars (2); Spectral lines (3)
    Week 3: Telescopes and other detectors (4); special relativity (7)
    Week 4: Binary stars (5); the Sun (6, 9.1)
    Week 5: Main sequence stars - stellar structure (9)
    Week 6: Main sequence stars - stellar evolution (9)
    Week 7: End points of stellar evolution I: white dwarfs, neutron stars and supernovae (10)
    Week 8: End points of stellar evolution II: Black holes - basic facts about general relativity (8)
    Week 9: Tuesday: Cluster of stars (13), Friday: begin self-study weeks
    Week 10: self-study weeks
    Week 11: Tuesday: end self-study, Friday: interstellar medium (14.1-2), star formation (15.1-5)
    Week 12: Easter holidays
    Week 13: Milkyway (16) and normal galaxies (17) (NB: Tuesday normal lecture)
    Week 14: Active Galaxies; non-thermal radiation (19)
    Week 15: Introduction to Cosmology (20)
    Week 16: Friedmann equations, cosmological models (20)
    Week 17: The early universe (Dark matter, Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, inflation, ...) (21)
    Week 18: Solar system, astrobiology (22,27): NB: no lecture 29.4., instead 6.5. in R30 (with discussion of last year's exam).



    Last up-date: 2. May 2008