Physics 267 : Extragalactic Astronomy
Winter 2017

[Hubble Space Telescope Public Pictures]


Instructor: Professor Lori Lubin
Email: lmlubin@ucdavis.edu
Website: See the course website at smartsite.ucdavis.edu
Office: Phys Rm 507
Phone: (530) 754-4418
Lectures: MW 2:10 - 3:30 PM, Phys Rm 525
Office Hours: By appointment (or just drop in!)

Course Description

For the Physics Graduate Students. Come learn about the observational aspects of extragalactic astronomy - stars, star formation, interstellar medium, galaxies, groups, clusters and more...
Textbook:
Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology: An Introduction
Schneider, 2nd Edition (PS)
Springer-Verlag New York, LLC, 2015

Galactic Astronomy
Binney and Merrifield (BM)
Princeton University Press, 1998

Also Highly Recommended (and on reserve in Shields Library) :
Galaxy Formation and Evolution, Mo, van den Bosch, and White (MVW)
Galaxies in the Universe, Sparke and Gallagher (SG)
Galaxy Formation, Longair (Longair)
Galaxies and Cosmology, Combes et al. (Combes)
Introduction to Modern Galactic Astrophysics and Cosmology, Carroll and Ostlie (CO)
The Physical Universe : An Introduction to Astronomy, Shu (Shu)

The Beautiful Atlases of Local Galaxies (also on reserve in Shields Library) :
The Carnegie Atlas of Galaxies, Sandage
The Hubble Atlas of Galaxies, Sandage (online at http://shelf2.library.cmu.edu/Tech/00537465.pdf)
The Second Reference Catalog, de Vaucouleurs, de Vaucoleurs, and Corwin

Grading:

Grading will be based on class participation (10%), class presentation (20%), homework (40%), and final project (30%).

Preliminary Syllabus (Subject to Change) :

WeekTopicsReading
1 Introduction to Astrophysics; Wavelength, Flux, Magnitudes, Color; Introduction to Stars Chp. 1, Appx. A, B PS; Chps. 1-2 BM; Chp. 1 SG; Chps. 6-7 CO; Chps. 2.1-2.2 MVW
2 Introduction to the Milky Way and the Local Group Chp. 2, 6.1 PS; Chps. 3, 5-7, 9-10 BM; Chp. 2-4 SG; Chp. 10 CO
3 Galaxy Classification Chp. 3 PS; Chp. 4 BM; Chp. 11 CO; Chp. 1 Combes; Chp. 2.3 MVW
4 Properties of Spiral Galaxies Chp. 3 PS; Chps. 8, 11 BM; Chp. 5 SG; Chp. 11 CO; Chp. 3 Longair
5 Properties of Elliptical Galaxies Chp. 3 PS; Chps. 8, 11 BM; Chp. 6 SG; Chp. 11 CO; Chp. 3 Longair
6 The Interstellar Medium Chps. 8-9 BM, Chp. 2 Combes
7 Star Formation; Star Forming Galaxies Chp. 5 BM
8 Student Presentations Got research?
9 Groups, Clusters, and Superclusters Chp. 6, 8.2 PS; Chps. 7-8 SG; Chp. 13 CO; Chp. 11 Combes; Chp. 4 Longair; Chp. 2.5 MVW
10 Evolution of Galaxy Properties; Properties of Highest Redshift Galaxies Chp. 3.9, 9 PS; Chp. 9 SG; Chp. 12 CO; Chps. 17-18 Longair; Chps. 2.4 & 2.6 MVW