ASTR 555 Galaxies

Instructor Information

• Jon Holtzman
• Email: holtz@nmsu.edu
• Phone: (575) 646-8181 (office); (575) 621-7380 (cell)
• Office: Astronomy building Room 103
• Office Hours : generally available if door is not closed; or, schedule by request
• I will respond to communications within 24 hours.

Course Information

• ASTR 555 : Galaxies
• Fall 2022
• 3 credits

Course Meeting Times & Location

• Face-to-face (Zoom available for remotely-located students or special circumstances)
• Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00-10:15am
• Astronomy conference room 119

Prerequisites

• Knowledge & Skills: Students are expected to have some basic knowledge of astronomy and have some experience in computer programming.
• Students are expected to be self-motivated and willing to ask questions to enhance their learning.

Course Description This course is intended for all graduate students and provides an introduction to galaxies and extragalactic astronomy. The emphasis is on making the connection between what we can observe about galaxies and the more fundamental physical properties that we would like to know about the galaxies themselves. We will cover the main techniques used for observing galaxies (imaging, spectroscopy, distance methods, extragalactic surveys), the observed properties (morphology, colors, luminosity functions, surface brightness profiles, kinematics, scaling relations, and spectral energy distributions), and the basic components that make up individual galaxies (stars, gas, dust, central black holes, dark matter) like our own Milky Way. The companion class, ASTR 616 - Galaxies II, builds on this foundation to explore the underlying principles of galaxy formation, galaxy evolution, and cosmology.

Textbooks and Materials There is no ideal textbook for the Galaxies I class, and no book that covers the material in the order in which it is presented. But multiple textbooks covering some of the topics are available and copies of a few of these are available in the Astronomy Library. You should peruse these, and strongly consider purchasing one that you like the style and level of, and try to identify sections related to class material to read. Useful reference textbooks in the field of extragalatic astronomy:

• Mo, van den Bosch, & White -- Galaxy Formation and Evolution (2010), a theoretically oriented graduate level textbook.
• Binney & Merrifield -- Galactic Astronomy (1998), an observationally oriented graduate level textbook.
• Schneider --Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology (2015), 2nd Edition, a recent advanced undergraduate level textbook.
• Binney & Tremaine -Galactic Dynamics (1987), a graduate level textbook.
• Sparke & Gallagher -Galaxies in the Universe: An Introduction (2000), an advanced undergraduate level textbook.
• Ryden & Peterson --Foundations of Astrophysics, Ch. 19-22 (2010), an advanced undergraduate level textbook.
• Elmegreen -- Galaxies and Galactic Structure (1997), an undergraduate level textbook.
• Carroll & Ostlie --An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, Second Edition, Ch. 24-28 (2006): an advanced undergraduate level textbook.
• Draine --Physics of the Interstellar and Intergalactic Medium (2011), a graduate level textbook

• Jon Holtzman (NMSU) -- ASTR 555 Galaxies I (previous version) Lecture NotesLinks to an external site.
• Mark Whittle (U. of Virginia) -- Extragalactic Astronomy Links to an external site.
• Steve Majewski (U. of Virginia) --Galactic Structure and Stellar Populations Lecture Notes (no longer available?)
• William Keel (U. of Alabama) -- Galaxies and the Universe Lecture NotesLinks to an external site.
• Eric Bell and Hans-Walter Rix (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy) --Galaxies Graduate Lecture Course Links to an external site.:
• Barry Madore (CalTech, Carnegie) -- NED Level 5: A Knowledgebase for Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology Links to an external site.: Some basic information and also lots of review articles by various people at various levels on various topics
• Jonathan Williams (U. of Hawai'i, IfA) -- Ast 633 and Ast 622 Course NotesLinks to an external site.
• Nicole Vogt (formerly NMSU) --Astronomy and Astrophysics ILinks to an external site.
• Michael Richmond (Rochester Institute of Technology, RIT) -- Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology Links to an external site.

Course Organization This course is organized into four main modules: observing galaxies, the population of galaxies, the building blocks of galaxies, and the Milky Way Galaxy.

Course Learning Outcomes After taking this course, students will be able to:

• describe the main types of observations we can make about galaxies, and how they are used to make quantitative measurements and classify galaxies
• identify basic types of galaxies and sketch typical galaxy spectra, describing observable features (surface brightness, color, luminosity, kinematics, scalings) and underlying properties (age, metallicity, SF, etc.)
• explain the importance of the distance ladder, and describe key methods for measuring distances %used in extragalactic astronomy
• describe a range of methods used to find large galaxy samples
• describe the main observed statistical properties of galaxies, how they are measured, and how they change with galaxy type
• identify a range of galaxy scaling relations, and describe how these are used
• describe how galaxies are distributed in the universe
• list the main building blocks of galaxies, describe how we observe them, and explain how we use those observations to quantify fundamental properties of galaxies
• describe our current observational understanding of the Milky Way Galaxy and the implications regarding its structure, kinematics, history, and environment

Schedule See the course modules.

Communication Expectations Email Communications

• Your NMSU email account is the official means of communicating with the university. Information critical to your success at NMSU is delivered to you via this account, and you are expected to follow rules and policies provided to you via this communication method. Any email from you to the instructor should be sent either through the CANVAS course management system or through your official NMSU email account. Please be advised that due to privacy and security concerns, we are unable to respond to emails from or about students that do not originate from an official NMSU email address.

Netiquette Online course expectations for netiquette are:

• Don't flame (personally attack) someone. It is possible to disagree with an idea without flaming the person espousing the idea.
• Use emoticons and acronyms to convey your emotional intent in order to avoid misunderstandings.
• Remember that the concept of "politeness" is defined for us by the families and cultures of which we are a part. What is considered polite communication in one family or culture may be impolite in another. Sometimes you may inadvertently seem impolite or feel that someone else was being impolite. Talk it out instead of assuming the person meant to be rude.
• Listen actively.
• Think critically. Critical thinking, grounded in intellectual integrity, is expected. In other words, seek clarity of meaning and understanding.
• Question ideas, not people.
• Attempt to see things from other perspectives.
• Use supporting relevant information.

Grading and Course Policies Grading and Feedback Effort will be made to provide timely feedback on homework assignments, within a week for weekly assignments, and within two weeks for homework assignments.

Attendance Regular attendance is expected. The assumption is that this will be in-person attendance unless arrangements have been made with the instructor. That being said, occasional on-line attendance via Zoom may be possible in the case of illness, etc.

Assignments Assignments will include :

• reading assignments for either class preparation or review of material covered in class
• weekly summaries/questions: to be completed in student groups, where each group will submit a summary of the main points they took away from the week, and submit 1-3 questions on the most unclear points (at least one is required!)
• individual homework assignments: several assignments involving reading a scientific paper related to topics covered in class and summarizing key points
• group homework assignments: assignments to be completed in groups involving solving some problems and/or writing some code, related to material covered in class
• midterm exam
• final exam

Final Exam A final exam is scheduled on Thursday, December 8, 8:00-10:00 am (may be modified with unanimous agreement of class and approval of Department Head).

Grade Distribution Assignments Weight (optional) Weekly summaries (group) 10% Homework (individual paper summaries) 15% Homework (group problems) 25% Midterm (individual) 20% Final (individual) 30% Total 100%

Grade Scale

• This course is graded using fractional grading. (see ARP 4.55 — Grade Reports Links to an external site. for NMSU policy regarding grades. For this course, 90% guarantees an A, 80% guarantees a B, but the thresholds for these letter grades may be adjusted downward (only!) by the Professor!

Late Assignments & Make-up Work or Exams

• Unless prior agreement has been reached with the Professor, grades will be reduced by 20% each week, i.e. if turned in within the first week after the due date, the grade will be reduced by 20%, if turned in within the second week after the due date, it will be reduced by 40%, etc.

Incomplete Grades

• The grade of "I" may only be assigned if the student is unable to complete the course due to circumstances beyond the student's control that develop after the last day to withdraw from the course.

Important Dates

• Important dates for students can be found at https://records.nmsu.edu/important-dates-students/ Links to an external site.. Students should pay close attention to the dates to ensure they are aware of add and drop dates in order to avoid extra costs associated with the class.

Institutional Policies

Syllabus Student Resources & Policy

• Please visit https://provost.nmsu.edu/faculty-and-staff-resources/syllabus/policies Links to an external site. for university policies and student services, including Discrimination and Disability Accommodation, academic misconduct, student services, final exam schedule, grading policies and more.
• This link is available on the side menu of every canvas page under "Syllabus Student Resources & Policy".

Ethics Statement

• The NMSU Department of Astronomy values a welcoming professional work environment, free from any and all discrimination and harassment, to all who are interested in learning about the Universe. We value a set of diverse perspectives and backgrounds in promoting this environment in all our undergraduate classes, graduate classes, and all professional work settings. As a member organization of the American Astronomical Society, our department strictly adheres to their Code of Ethics and we hold all our faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students to these high standards.
• As members of the NMSU community, we are all bound by the ethical guidelines established by the college. This includes policies regarding sexual and ethnic harassment; discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, handicap, sexual orientation, and veteran status; academic honesty and plagiarism; and other guidelines for appropriate professional and student behavior. Many of these policies are outlined in the Student Handbook Links to an external site..
• If you have any questions or concerns regarding these policies, please consult with any faculty member, including the department head.

Plagiarism Statement

• Plagiarism Links to an external site.is using another person's work without acknowledgment, making it appear to be one's own. Any ideas, words, pictures, or other intellectual content, taken from another source must be acknowledged in a citation that gives credit to the source. This is true no matter where the material comes from, including the Internet, other students' work, unpublished materials, or oral sources. Intentional and unintentional instances of plagiarism are considered cases of academic misconduct. It is the responsibility of the student submitting the work in question to know, understand, and comply with this policy." It is the policy of the School of Teacher Preparation, Administration and Leadership that students found to have committed an act of plagiarism, one or more of the following consequences will occur; and, a written statement outlining the offense and consequences will be placed in the student’s permanent file by the Department Head/Hearing Officer.
  • Failure of the course assignment;
  • Failure of the course;
  • Academic suspension for one or two semesters;
  • Dismissal or expulsion from the program.
• There is no statute of limitations for an act of plagiarism. Once committed, a student can be held accountable at any time even after the semester has ended. All students and instructors are obliged to follow the procedures for documenting the offense as described in the Student Handbook Links to an external site.under Section II: Academic Misconduct.

Academic Misconduct

• Academic and non-academic misconduct: The Student Code of Conduct defines academic misconduct, non-academic misconduct and the consequences or penalties for each. The Student Code of Conduct is available in the NMSU Student Handbook online:
  • Student HandbookLinks to an external site.
  • Academic MisconductLinks to an external site.
  • ARP 5.10Links to an external site.

Discrimination and Disability Accommodation

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADA) covers issues relating to disability and accommodations. If a student has questions or needs an accommodation in the classroom (all medical information is treated confidentially), contact: Main Campus Disability Access Services Corbett Center Student Union Room 204 Aaron Salas, Director 575-646-6840 das@nmsu.edu
• New Mexico State University, in compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, retaliation, serious medical condition, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, spousal affiliation, or protected veteran status in its programs and activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs and activities. You may submit a report online at equity.nmsu.edu Links to an external site.. If you have an urgent concern, please contact the Office of Institutional Equity at 575-646-3635.
• Title IX prohibits sex harassment, sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, stalking and retaliation. For more information on discrimination or Title IX, or to file a complaint contact:
• Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) - O'Loughlin House, 1130 University Avenue Phone: (575) 646-3635 E-mail: equity@nmsu.edu Office of Institutional Equity Website Links to an external site.(https://equity.nmsu.edu Links to an external site.)

Other NMSU Resources: Resource Phone Web NMSU Police Department: (575) 646-3311 www.nmsupolice.com Links to an external site. NMSU Police Victim Services: (575) 646-3424 NMSU Aggie Health & Wellness Center (575) 646-1512 https://wellness.nmsu.edu/Links to an external site. NMSU Dean of Students: (575) 646-1722 For Any On-campus Emergencies: 911

Syllabus Modification The instructor may change or update the syllabus if necessary.