Welcome to Astro 105

The Milky Way:

Coming of Age in an Awfully Big Galaxy

Basic Information

  • Instructor: Professor Adam Frank
    • email : afrank@pas.rochester.edu
    • phone: 275-1717
    • Office Bausch & Lomb 417
    • Office Hours: Wed 2-3 pm or by appt.
      • (please try and let me know if you are coming to office hours)


Note: Email is a very bad way to try and get in touch with me.  I am up to 100 emails a day and it may take me a week to get them.  Office hours are best.  I can set up an appointment with you if you can not make an appointment.

 

 

Class Info
 

  • Time: T/Th 2:00 - 3:15
  • Place: Hubble
  • Textbook
      • Foundations of Astronomy by M. Seeds, 9th edition
      • The Sacred Depths of Nature by U. Goodenough
         
  • Notes: http://astro.pas.rochester.edu/~afrank/A105/
  • TA/TIs

Scott Warren                          swarren4@mail.rochester.edu

Office Hours:                       Monday  6:15 – 7:45  B&L 315    

Phone: 4-2244

 

Teresa Oeinck                        teresa.oeinck@rochester.edu

Office Hours:                      Thursday 11 – 12.30 B&L 208

Phone:  4-3137

 

Jeffrey Klein                          jklein@pas.rochester.edu

Office Hours:                         Wed 1 – 2.30 B&L 315

Phone: 4-2718

Can be found in Physics and Astronomy Library B&L 374

 

Sam Pitcheralle                      psamuel@mail.rochester.edu

Office Hours:                         Friday 1 – 3 POA

 

Carol Latta                    cosmos@rochester.rr.com

Office Hours                          by email or appt.

 

 

 

     


 
 

Summary

This focus of this course is the structure and content of our home town (cosmologically speaking) - the Milky Way Galaxy. If you have ever watched any science fiction you might have noticed that the stories always take place within the Milky Way. That seems to show a startling lack of imagination when you consider that there are billions and billions of them out in the Universe. The reason for this is simple. The Milky Way is a swirling collection of 100 billion stars of which our little Sol is but a one. Galaxies are really, really big. Big enough, in fact, for just about all the stories anyone might want to imagine. In this class we will take a 3 month tour of our corner of the Universe exploring what's in it, where it came from, and where its heading. In the process we will learn alot about stars and their lifecyle. We will spend a fair amount of time on stellar birth and death including Black Holes (too cool!). We will also spend some time exploring the issue of life in the Milky Way. The recent discovery of planets may mean that life is more common than previously supposed. Or maybe not, its a hot topic.

We will also spend a fair amount of time learning about the history and philosophy of science. While the astronomical pictures and mind-numbing theories are fascinating and great fun to sink your brain into, the nature and process of science that is interesting in itself. Is science true? Does it have claim to accessing an independent reality that will still be here after your gone? Should you be shelling out your tax dollars to support it? You can't get away from these questions when you think about science. In the process of learning about the Milky Way we will also explore issues like these in both a modern and historical context.

This class is open to all students. You do not need calculus but you will be expected to learn to use some basic algebra. Sorry, but you have to learn to speak at least some part of the language if you want to hear its poetry. Anyway its good for you. It really will help you snag that big job 10 years from now.
 
 

Grading Policy

Course will be graded on a curve!

Approx. 6 - 8 Homeworks: 25% of final grade

2 Midterms 40% of final grade

Final Exam 30% of final grade

"Were You Listening" Gameshow/Spot-quizes 5%

Homeworks are due on dates specified below.  Homeworks will be done via Webworks. All homeworks are due by 2 am of date specified.
 

NOTICE: NO LATE HOMEWORKS!!
None, Nada, Not at all, No exceptions, No Kidding

 

 

On Exams you are allowed to bring 1 sheet of 11x8.5 paper which you can copy anything you want on to. Exams are a mix of multiple choice and Essay questions. Calculators are allowed.

Cheating: Don't do it. If you get caught you will get punished.

What Constitutes Cheating : On the exams it's obvious - looking at somebody else's test or bringing in materials you are not supposed to have. On the homeworks there is no way to tell since we use webworks. I encourage people to work together but the work you complete via webworks should be your own. 

 


Important Dates
(Check Here Often as These May Change)

  • Exam # 1:         
  • Exam # 2:   April 5
  • Final Exam:     May 11 2007 4 pm Hutch 141

 

NEWS
(check here regularly)
 
 

 

Schedule

 

  • S = Seeds
  • G = Goodenough

Jan 18

Lecture I: Intro

 S: Chapter 1

 

Jan 23

Lecture II: Childhood: The Early Greeks 

 S: Chapter 2-1,-2,-3,-4 

G: Preface, Intro, Chapter 1

 

Jan 25

  cont.

 S: Chapter 3-1,-2,-3,-4; Chapter 4-1

 

Jan 30

Lecture III: Revolution 

 Copernicus and Kepler 

S: Rest of Chapter 4

  

Feb 1

Lecture IV Childhood's End 

Galileo & the Church 
Newton 

 S: Chapter 5-1

G: Chapter 2

Homework #1
Feb 2 11:59 pm

Feb 6 

Newton & the Clockwork Universe


 S: Chapter 5-2

 

Feb 8

Lecture V: Modern Astrophysics: Light

 S: Chapter 6-1, 6-2 6-5, 7-1

 

Feb 13

Lecture V Cont.

 S: Finish Chapter 7

 

Feb 14 (evening)

Lecture VI:  Quantum Mechanics: Review

Lecture Notes

G: Chapter 3

 

Feb 15

Lecture VI: Cont.

 

Homework #2
 Feb 15 11:59 pm

Feb 20

Exam I

(no class Feb 22)  

 

 

Feb 27

Lecture VII: The Sun                

S: Chapter 8

 

March 1

Lecture VII: The Sun cont.

G Chapter 4

 

March 6

Lecture VIII : Stars

S: Chapter 9

 

March 8

Lecture IXa: The Interstellar Medium

S: Chapter 10

Homework #4

Due March 9 11:59 pm

March 20

Lecture IXb. Star Birth 

 S: Chapter 11

G: Chapter 5

 

March 22

Lecture X: Stellar Evolution Part I

S: Chapter 12

 

March 27

Cont. Stellar Evolution

 

 

March 29

Lecture XI: Stellar Death Part I

S: Chapter 13, 14-1 

 

April 3 

Lecture XII: Stellar Death Part II

 

Homework #5
April 3 11:59 pm

April 5 

Exam II

 

 

April 9  (evening)

Lecture XIII Intro to Special Relativity

Lecture Notes

G: Chapter 6

 

April 10

Lecture XIV Black Holes

 

 

April 17

 Cont. Black Holes

S: Chapter 5-3, Chapter 14-2, 14-3

Homework #6
April 23

April  19

 Lecture XV: Galaxies

G: Chapter 7

 

April 25 evening

Lecture XVI: Cosmology 

S: Chapter 15, 16 

 

April 26

Life in the Universe XVII

S: Chapter 18

 

May  1

Life in the Universe Cont.

S: Chapter 26

G: Chapter 8,9

Homework #7
May 2