PS 340 course web page (Fall 2009; Prof. Rachford)

Main information

• Syllabus

Homework

• Chapter 3a: Questions | Solutions
• Chapter 3b: Questions | Solutions
• Chapter 6: Questions | Solutions
• Chapter 8: Questions | Solutions
• Chapter 7: Questions | Solutions
• Chapter 10: Questions | Solutions
• Chapter 11: Questions | Solutions
• Chapter 12: Questions | Solutions
• Chapter 13: Questions | Solutions
• Chapter 16: Questions | Solutions
• Chapter 25: Questions | Solutions
• Chapter 27: Questions | Solutions (not yet!)
• Chapter 28: Questions | Solutions (not yet!)

Lecture notes

• "Chapter 0"
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 16
• Chapter 25
• Chapter 27
• Chapter 28

Class links

• Astronomy Picture of the Day
• Astrophysics Data System

Chapter 3

• Hipparcos mission
• Brightest stars
• Brightest stars (sorted)
• A simple star chart
• Several photometric systems

Chapter 6

• Timeline of observing technology
• World's largest telescopes
• Our national optical observatory
• Space observatory (Wikipedia)
• Orbiting astronomical observatories
• Adaptive optics tutorial
• Infrared atmospheric transmission

Chapter 7

• Variable star types
• Variable star naming schemes
• A bunch of eclipsing binary light curves
• The interesting case of VW Cephei
• Extrasolar Planet Encyclopedia
• California Planet Search
• Limb-darkening and exoplanet transit observations

Chapter 8

• Digital spectral atlas
• Solar spectrum
• Example of a spectrum of a star with a chromosphere
• Example of a planetary nebula spectrum
• Example of an interstellar absorption spectrum
• Boltzmann equation example (N4/N1, N3/N1, and N2/N1 for hydrogen)
• Boltzmann-Saha equation example

Chapter 11

• Convection criterion for thunderstorms
• Convection in the Sun
• Coronal spectra
• Space Weather Prediction Center
• My aurora page
• Aurora movie
• Another aurora movie
• Another aurora movie

Chapter 12

• Extinction map of the sky
• Nebulae
• More planetary nebulae
• The Coalsack
• Bok Globules
• Technical paper on OB associations
• T Tauri
• A Herbig-Haro object
• A pair of Herbig-Haro objects

Chapter 13

• Schaller et al. stellar evolution paper
• WEBDA open cluster database
• M55 color-magnitude diagram
• NGC 5986 color-magnitude diagram
• Leo IV dwarf spheroidal galaxy color-magnitude diagram
• Stellar pulsation animations
• Cepheid period-luminosity relation for LMC
• Cepheid period-luminosity relation for the Milky Way
• Cepheid period-luminosity relation for another galaxy
• Variable stars discovered while looking for exoplanets

Chapter 16

• Pauli exclusion principle
• Bosons vs. Fermions
• Gamma-ray burst "discovery" paper
• BATSE satellite
• Iron peak
• Expanding Crab Nebula
• Expanding Crab Nebula
• Black hole FAQs
• Virtual trips to black holes and neutron stars
• Artist's conception of a black hole tearing apart a star

Chapter 25

• Galaxy images
• Cartwheel Galaxy
• 21 cm line example
• The local universe
• Compact galaxy groups
• A starburst galaxy
• Galactic cannibalism
• We're next?
• Star formation histories
• Link for information on the globular cluster M22 for the homework problem

Chapter 28

• Schematic diagram of an AGN
• Stars near the Galactic center
• X-ray view of the Galactic center
• A swarm of black holes?
• Virtual trips to black holes and neutron stars