ASTR - Astronomy and Astrophysics

ASTR 1 Introduction to the Cosmos

Overview of the main ideas in our current view of the universe and how these ideas originated. Galaxies, quasars, stars, black holes, and planets. Students cannot receive credit for this course after receiving credit for ASTR 2.

Credits

5

Instructor

Alexie Leathaud

General Education Code

SI

Quarter offered

Winter, Spring

ASTR 2 Overview of the Universe

An overview of the main ideas in our current view of the universe, and how they originated. Galaxies, quasars, stars, pulsars, and planets. Intended primarily for nonscience majors interested in a one-quarter survey of classical and modern astronomy. Students cannot receive credit for for ASTR 1 after receiving credit for ASTR 2.

Credits

5

Instructor

Kevin Bundy

General Education Code

MF

Quarter offered

Fall

ASTR 3 Introductory Astronomy: Planetary Systems

Properties of the solar system and other planetary systems. Topics include the Sun, solar system exploration, the physical nature of the Earth and the other planets, comets and asteroids, the origin of the solar system, the possibility of life on other worlds, planet formation, and the discovery and characterization of planets beyond the solar system. Intended for nonscience majors. ASTR 3, ASTR 4, and ASTR 5 are independent and may be taken separately or sequentially.

Credits

5

Instructor

Rebecca Jensen-Clem, Ruth Murray-Clay

General Education Code

MF

Quarter offered

Fall, Spring

ASTR 4 Introductory Astronomy: The Stars

Stellar evolution: observed properties of stars, internal structure of stars, stages of a star's life including stellar births, white dwarfs, supernovae, pulsars, neutron stars, and black holes. Planet and constellation identification. Intended for nonscience majors. ASTR 3, ASTR 4, and ASTR 5 are independent and may be taken separately or sequentially.

Credits

5

Instructor

Constance Rockosi

General Education Code

MF

ASTR 5 Introductory Astronomy: The Formation and Evolution of the Universe

The universe explained. Fundamental concepts of modern cosmology (Big Bang, dark matter, curved space, black holes, star and galaxy formation), the basic physics underlying them, and their scientific development. Intended for non-science majors. ASTR 3ASTR 4, and ASTR 5 are independent and may be taken separately.

Credits

5

Instructor

Michael Bolte, Jean Brodie, Brant Robertson

General Education Code

MF

ASTR 6 The Space-Age Solar System

Scientific study of the Moon, Earth, Mercury, Venus, and Mars by the space program; history of rocket development; the Apollo program and exploration of the Moon; unmanned spacecraft studies of the terrestrial planets; scientific theories of planetary surfaces and atmospheres. Intended for nonscience majors.

Credits

5

Instructor

Graeme Smith

General Education Code

SI

Quarter offered

Winter

ASTR 7 Black Holes

Examines the nature of black holes, including their creation and evolution; evidence for their existence from astronomical observations; and the role of black holes in the evolution of the universe. Also examines current ideas about the nature of space, time, and gravity.

Credits

5

General Education Code

MF

ASTR 8 Exploring the Universe with Astronomical Data

Introduces how we use observational data to learn about stars, galaxies, planets, and cosmology. Covers astronomical data and experimental design and basic physics and statistical techniques, such as model fitting, regression, significance tests, and error estimation.

Credits

5

Instructor

Constance Rockosi, Jonathan Fortney

General Education Code

SR

Quarter offered

Spring

ASTR 9A Introduction to Research in Physics and Astrophysics

Introduction to research for first-year students interested in physics and astrophysics. Students complete projects in small groups with scientists. Introduces techniques for collaboration; science writing; physics careers. Continuing course spanning two quarters. Enrollment is restricted to first-year proposed astrophysics and physics majors and by permission of the instructor.

Credits

2

Cross Listed Courses

PHYS 9A

Instructor

Ruth Murray-Clay, Jonathan Fortney

ASTR 9B Introduction to Research in Physics and Astrophysics

Introduction to research for first-year students interested in physics and astrophysics. Students complete projects in small groups with scientists. Introduces techniques for collaboration; science writing; physics careers. Continuing course spanning two quarters. Prerequisite(s): ASTR 9A. Enrollment is restricted to first-year proposed applied physics, physics, and physics (astrophysics) majors and by permission of the instructor.

Credits

3

Cross Listed Courses

PHYS 9B

General Education Code

PR-E

ASTR 10 From the Big Bang to Planet Earth

Broad scientific overview of the universe, from the Big Bang to planet Earth. Origin and content: Big Bang, dark matter, dark energy, galaxies, black holes, star systems, exoplanets. Solar system and properties of Earth in relation to other planets. Physics of planetary atmospheres and impact of human activity on Earth's climate. Possibility of terraforming and of life beyond the solar system. Fate of Earth, the solar system, and the universe. Active learning class with continuous assessment. Intended for non-science majors. No previous college-level math, physics, or astronomy required.

Credits

5

Instructor

Alexie Leauthaud

Repeatable for credit

Yes

General Education Code

SI

Quarter offered

Winter, Spring

ASTR 12 Stars and Stellar Evolution

An introduction to the observational facts and physical theory pertaining to stars. Topics include the observed properties of stars and the physics underlying those properties; stellar atmospheres; stellar structure and evolution. Intended for science majors and qualified non-science majors. Knowledge of high school physics and an understanding of mathematics at the MATH 2 level required.

Credits

5

Instructor

Ryan Foley

General Education Code

MF

ASTR 13 Galaxies, Cosmology, and High Energy Astrophysics

Introduction to modern cosmology and extragalactic astronomy. Topics include the origin of the universe, Big Bang cosmology, expansion of the universe, dark matter and dark energy, properties of galaxies and active galactic nuclei, and very energetic phenomena in our own and other galaxies. Intended for science majors and qualified non-science majors. Knowledge of high school physics and an understanding of mathematics at the MATH 2 level required.

Credits

5

General Education Code

MF

ASTR 15 Dead Stars and Black Holes

Course is primarily concerned with the structure, formation, and astrophysical manifestations of compact objects, such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes, and the astronomical evidence for their existence. Intended for science majors and qualified non-science majors. Knowledge of high school physics and an understanding of mathematics at the MATH 2 level required.

Credits

5

Instructor

Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz

General Education Code

MF

ASTR 16 Astrobiology: Life in the Universe

Topics include the detection of extrasolar planets, planet formation, stellar evolution and properties of Mars, the exploration of our solar system and the search for life within it, and the evolution of life on Earth. Intended for science majors and qualified non-science majors. Knowledge of high school physics and an understanding of mathematics at the MATH 2 level required.

Credits

5

Instructor

Natalie Batalha

General Education Code

MF

ASTR 18 Planets and Planetary Systems

Our solar system and newly discovered planetary systems. Formation and structure of planets, moons, rings, asteroids, comets. Intended for science majors and qualified non-science majors. Knowledge of high school physics and an understanding of mathematics at the MATH 2 level required.

Credits

5

General Education Code

MF

ASTR 19 Practical Programming for the Sciences

Introduces how we use computer programming to solve scientific problems. Covers basic Python programming, code repositories, and scientific plotting and graphing. Introduces more advanced techniques through small projects featuring real data from throughout the sciences, with a focus on using programming to evaluate the statistical significance of scientific claims.

Credits

5

Instructor

Brant Robertson

General Education Code

SR

Quarter offered

Spring

ASTR 111 Order-of-Magnitude Astrophysics

Examines the most basic and direct connection between physics and astrophysics in order to derive a better understanding of astrophysical phenomena from first principles to the extent possible.

Credits

5

Instructor

Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): MATH 22 or MATH 23A; PHYS 5B or PHYS 6B; and previous or concurrent enrollment in PHYS 102.

ASTR 112 Physics of Stars

The leading observational facts about stars as interpreted by current theories of stellar structure and evolution. Spectroscopy, abundances of the elements, nucleosynthesis, stellar atmospheres, stellar populations. Final stages of evolution, including white dwarfs, neutron stars, supernovae.

Credits

5

Instructor

Ryan Foley

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): MATH 22 or MATH 23A, PHYS 5B or PHYS 6B, and PHYS 102.

Quarter offered

Spring

ASTR 113 Introduction to Cosmology

Physical examination of our evolving universe: the Big Bang model; simple aspects of general relativity; particle physics in the early universe; production of various background radiations; production of elements; tests of geometry of the universe; dark energy and dark matter; and formation and evolution of galaxies and large-scale structure.

Credits

5

Instructor

Piero Madau

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): MATH 22 or MATH 23A, PHYS 5B or PHYS 6B, and PHYS 102.

Quarter offered

Winter

ASTR 117 High Energy Astrophysics

Theory and practice of space and ground-based x-ray and gamma-ray astronomical detectors. High-energy emission processes, neutron stars, black holes. Observations of x-ray binaries, pulsars, magnetars, clusters, gamma-ray bursts, the x-ray background. High-energy cosmic rays. Neutrino and gravitational-wave astronomy.

Credits

5

Instructor

Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): MATH 22 or MATH 23A, PHYS 5B or PHYS 6B, and PHYS 102.

ASTR 118 Physics of Planetary Systems

Determination of the physical properties of the solar system, its individual planets, and extrasolar planetary systems through ground-based and space-based observations, laboratory measurements, and theory. Theories of the origin and evolution of planets and planetary systems.

Credits

5

Instructor

Natalie Batalha

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): MATH 22 or MATH 23A; and PHYS 5B or PHYS 6B.

Quarter offered

Fall

ASTR 119 Introduction to Scientific Computing

Introduction to solving scientific problems using computers. A series of simple problems from Earth sciences, physics, and astronomy are solved using a user-friendly scientific programming language (Python/SciPy).

Credits

5

Instructor

Brant Robertson

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): MATH 11A or MATH 19A or MATH 20A or AM 15A.

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ASTR 136 Advanced Astronomy Laboratory

Introduces the techniques of modern observational astrophysics at optical wavelengths through hands-on experiments and use of remote observatories. Students develop the skills and experience to pursue original research. Course is time-intensive and research-oriented.

Credits

5

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): ASTR 119 and PHYS 133. Enrollment is restricted to junior and senior astrophysics majors.

Quarter offered

Spring

ASTR 192 Dir Stu Teach

Dir Stu Teach

Credits

5

ASTR 199 Tutorial

Credits

5

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ASTR 202 Astrophysics I

Survey of radiative processes of astrophysical importance from radio waves to gamma rays. The interaction of radiation with matter: radiative transfer, emission, and absorption. Thermal and non-thermal processes, including bremsstrahlung, synchrotron radiation, and Compton scattering. Radiation in plasmas. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor.

Credits

5

Instructor

Brant Robertson

ASTR 204 Astrophysics II

Explores how physical conditions in astrophysical objects can be diagnosed from their spectra. Discussion topics include how energy flows determine the thermal state of radiating objects and how the physics of radiative transfer can explain the emergent spectral characteristics of stars, accretion disks, Lyman-alpha clouds, and microwave background. (Formerly Astrophysical Flows.)

Credits

5

Instructor

Ruth Murray-Clay

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

Quarter offered

Fall

ASTR 205 Introduction to Astronomical Research and Teaching

Lectures and seminar-style course intended to integrate new graduate students into the department; to introduce students to the research and interests of department faculty; and to expose graduate students to teaching skills and classroom techniques. (Formerly Introduction to Astronomical Research.)

Credits

5

Instructor

Graeme Smith

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

Quarter offered

Fall

ASTR 214 Special Topics in Galactic and Extragalactic Astronomy

Survey of some principal areas of research on the origin and growth of cosmic structures and galaxies: the dark ages; 21cm tomography; first galaxies; first stars and seed black holes; reionization and chemical enrichment of the intergalactic medium; the assembly of massive galaxies; quasi-stellar sources; interactions of massive black holes with their environment; extragalactic background radiation; numerical simulations and the nature of the dark matter; the dark halo of the Milky Way.

Credits

5

Instructor

Alexie Leauthaud

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

ASTR 215 Research Practicum for Astrophysics

Introduces graduate students to practical and efficient research methodology. Covers best practices in coding and code development, documentation of research, project management, preprint and journal article writing and submission, professional presentation preparation, and grant writing. Introduces more advanced techniques through experiential learning research projects developed in collaboration with the instructor. Prerequisite(s): ASTR 202, ASTR 204, ASTR 205, and ASTR 257. Students must take ASTR 215 from an instructor outside their Ph.D. specialty, and requires permission of the instructor to enroll.

Credits

5

Instructor

Brant Robertson

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ASTR 220A Stars and Planets I

Survey of stellar structure and evolution.Physical properties of stellar material. Convective and radiative energy transport. Stellar models and evolutionary tracks through all phases. Brown dwarfs and giant planets. Comparison with observations. (Formerly Stellar Structure and Evolution.)

Credits

5

Instructor

Ryan Foley

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

Quarter offered

Winter

ASTR 222 Stars and Planets II

Theory and observations of protoplanetary disks. Origin and evolution of the solar nebula. Formation and evolution of the terrestrial planets and the giant planets. (Formerly Planetary Formation and Evolution.)

Credits

5

Instructor

Jonathan Fortney

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

Quarter offered

Spring

ASTR 225 High-Energy Astrophysics

High-energy astrophysics and the final stages of stellar evolution: supernovae, binary stars, accretion disks, pulsars; extragalactic radio sources; active galactic nuclei; black holes. (Formerly Physics of Compact Objects)

Credits

5

ASTR 230 Diffuse Matter in Space

Fundamental physical theory of gaseous nebulae and the interstellar medium. Ionization, thermal balance, theory and observation of emission spectra. Interstellar absorption lines, extinction by interstellar dust. Ultraviolet, optical, infrared, and radio spectra of gaseous nebulae.

Credits

5

Instructor

Piero Madau

ASTR 233 Galaxies and Cosmology I

Advanced survey of topics in cosmology and galaxy formation. Appropriate for graduate students and undergraduates with a significant background in physics and astronomy. Topics include modern physical cosmology, curved space-times, observational tests of cosmology, the early universe, dark matter, the emergence of cosmic structure and the formation and evolution of galaxies. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor.

Credits

5

Instructor

Kevin Bundy

ASTR 234 Statistical Techniques in Astronomy

Introduces probability and statistics in data analysis with emphasis on astronomical applications. Topics include probability, Bayes' theorem, statistics, error analysis, correlation, hypothesis testing, parameter estimation, surveys, time-series analysis, surface distributions, and image processing. Students learn to identify the appropriate statistical technique to apply to an astronomical problem and develop a portfolio of analytic and computational techniques that they can apply to their own research.

Credits

5

Instructor

Andrew Skemer, Xavier Prochaska

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

Quarter offered

Fall

ASTR 240A Galaxies and Cosmology II

Structure and evolutionary histories of nearby galaxies. Stellar populations, galactic dynamics, dark matter, galactic structure and mass distributions. Peculiar galaxies and starbursting galaxies. Structure and content of the Milky Way. Evolution of density perturbations in the early universe. Hierarchical clustering model for galaxy formation and evolution. (Formerly Galactic and Extragalactic Stellar Systems.)

Credits

5

Instructor

Leathaud Alexie

Quarter offered

Fall

ASTR 257 Observational Astronomy

 

Introduction to observational astronomy with a multi-day field trip to Lick Observatory. Students learn the fundamentals of planning and executing observational projects, manipulating and interpreting raw astronomical data with standard tools and algorithms, presenting their observations in a standard written format that is appropriate for publication, and observatory operations and career paths.

Credits

5

Instructor

A. Skemer

Requirements

Designed for graduate students; available to qualified undergraduate astrophysics majors by instructor permission.

ASTR 260 Instrumentation for Astronomy

An introduction to astronomical instrumentation for infrared and visible wavelengths. Topics include instrument requirements imposed by dust, atmosphere, and telescope; optical, mechanical, and structural design principles and components; electronic and software instrument control. Imaging cameras and spectrographs are described. Offered in alternate academic years.

Credits

5

Instructor

Constance Rockosi

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

ASTR 289 Adaptive Optics and Its Application

Introduction to adaptive optics and its astronomical applications. Topics include effects of atmospheric turbulence on astronomical images, basic principles of feedback control, wavefront sensors and correctors, laser guide stars, how to analyze and optimize performance of adaptive optics systems, and techniques for utilizing current and future systems for astronomical observations.

Credits

5

Instructor

Claire Max

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

ASTR 292 Seminar

Seminar attended by faculty, graduate students, and upper-division undergraduate students.

Credits

0

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ASTR 293 Current Literature in Astrophysics

Training for following daily progress in astrophysical research to keep pace with the rapidly evolving scientific field. Students learn how to select and read interesting papers (that span a wide range of topics) efficiently and how to summarize their key results. Students have an opportunity to practice presentation skills in an informal group discussion setting.

Credits

2

Instructor

The Staff

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ASTR 294 Pedagogy of Astrophysical Research

Teaches fundamental skills for scientific research in the context of coursework. Course has two branches: an instructor-intensive hands-on research training in an area beyond the thesis; and an instructor-led literature review. The research branch involves short, quarter-long projects with faculty that are designed to introduce skills and concepts broadly applicable to research but within a focused science domain. The literature branch involves short review projects for building expertise in evaluating literature, writing papers, refereeing articles, and reviewing grants and proposals.

Credits

5

Instructor

Brant Robertson

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to astronomy and astrophysics graduate students.

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ASTR 297A Independent Study

Independent study or research for graduate students who have not yet begun work on their theses. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. Enrollment restricted to graduate students.

Credits

5

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ASTR 297B Independent Study

Independent study or research for graduate students who have not yet begun work on their theses. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. Enrollment restricted to graduate students.

Credits

10

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ASTR 297C Independent Study

Independent study or research for graduate students who have not yet begun work on their theses. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. Enrollment restricted to graduate students.

Credits

15

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ASTR 299A Thesis Research

Credits

5

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ASTR 299B Thesis Research

Credits

10

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ASTR 299C Thesis Research

Credits

15

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

Cross-listed courses that are managed by another department are listed at the bottom.

Cross-listed Courses

PHYS 135 Astrophysics Advanced Laboratory

Introduction to the techniques of modern observational astrophysics at optical and radio wavelengths through hands-on experiments. Offered in some academic years as a multiple-term course: PHYS 135A in fall and PHYS 135B in winter, depending on astronomical conditions.

Credits

5

Cross Listed Courses

ASTR 135

Instructor

Steve Ritz, David Smith

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): PHYS 133 and at least one astronomy course. Enrollment is restricted to physics (astrophysics) majors. Intended primarily for juniors and seniors majoring or minoring in astrophysics.

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter

PHYS 135A Astrophysics Advanced Laboratory

Introduction to techniques of modern observational astrophysics at optical and radio wavelengths through hands-on experiments. Intended primarily for juniors and seniors majoring or minoring in astrophysics. Offered in some academic years as single-term course PHYS 135 in fall, depending on astronomical conditions.

Credits

3

Cross Listed Courses

ASTR 135A

Instructor

Tesla Jeltema

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): PHYS 133 and at least one astronomy course. Enrollment is restricted to physics (astrophysics) majors.

PHYS 135B Astrophysics Advanced Laboratory

Introduction to techniques of modern observational astrophysics at optical and radio wavelengths through hands-on experiments. Intended primarily for juniors and seniors majoring or minoring in astrophysics. Offered in some academic years as single-term PHYS 135 in fall, depending on astronomical conditions.

Credits

2

Cross Listed Courses

ASTR 135B

Instructor

George Brown

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): PHYS 135A. Enrollment is restricted to physics (astrophysics) majors.

PHYS 171 General Relativity, Black Holes, and Cosmology

Special relativity is reviewed. Curved space-time, including the metric and geodesics, are illustrated with simple examples. The Einstein equations are solved for cases of high symmetry. Black-hole physics and cosmology are discussed, including recent developments.

Credits

5

Cross Listed Courses

ASTR 171

Instructor

Edgar Shaghoulian

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): PHYS 105, PHYS 110A, and PHYS 110B; and PHYS 116A or MATH 21 and MATH 24.

Quarter offered

Spring

PHYS 224 Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology

Particle physics and cosmology of the very early universe: thermodynamics and thermal history; out-of-equilibrium phenomena (e.g., WIMPs freeze-out, neutrino cosmology, Big Bang nucleosynthesis, recombination); baryogenesis; inflation; topological defects. High-energy astrophysical processes: overview of cosmic ray and gamma ray astrophysics; radiative and inelastic processes; astroparticle acceleration mechanisms; magnetic fields and cosmic ray transport; radiation-energy density of the universe; ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays; dark-matter models; and detection techniques.

Credits

5

Cross Listed Courses

ASTR 224

Instructor

Anthony Aguirre

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students only, except by permission of instructor.

PHYS 226 General Relativity

Develops the formalism of Einstein's general relativity, including solar system tests, gravitational waves, cosmology, and black holes.

Credits

5

Cross Listed Courses

ASTR 226

Instructor

Anthony Aguirre

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students only, except by permission of instructor.