| DATE |
TOPICS |
FILES, NOTES, and ASSIGNMENTS |
| Dec. 8 |
FINAL EXAM 10:30am |
| Dec. 3 |
No Class |
| Dec. 1 |
UNIT 5: The Post Main Sequence
- Instability strip, mechanisms for pulsation, asteroseismology
|
- [notes]
- ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Final Exam, Tue. Dec. 8 10:30am - 12:30am
- Bring a calculator and your notes
|
| Nov. 24, 26 |
Thanksgiving Break |
| Nov. 19 |
UNIT 5: The Post Main Sequence
- Type Ia, high-mass burning, Type II, neutron stars
|
|
| Nov. 17 |
UNIT 5: The Post Main Sequence
- Planetary nebulae, white dwarfs
|
|
| Nov. 12 |
UNIT 5: The Post Main Sequence
- Approach to the RGB, Schoenberg-Chandrasekhar limit
|
|
| Nov. 10 |
UNIT 5: The Post Main Sequence
- Helium burning, triple-alpha process, horizontal branch
|
|
| Nov. 5 |
UNIT 5: The Post Main Sequence
- Low-mass stars on the RGB, helium flash
|
|
| Nov. 3 |
UNIT 5: The Post Main Sequence
- Schoenberg-Chandrasekhar limit, high-mass stars, RGB
|
|
| Oct. 29 |
UNIT 4: The Main Sequence
- High-mass MS evolution, main-sequence rules-of-thumb
|
|
| Oct. 27 |
UNIT 4: The Main Sequence
- Contracting radiative and convective stars, low-mass MS evolution
|
|
| Oct. 22 |
UNIT 4: The Main Sequence
- Homology relations, dependence on mass and composition
|
|
| Oct. 20 |
PART II - STELLAR EVOLUTION
UNIT 4: The Main Sequence
- Convection zones, summary of stellar structure
|
- [notes]
- ASSIGNMENTS:
- Computer Problem 3.1 (MESA)
- DUE TUESDAY NOVEMBER 3: All problems from Unit 3 (3.1-3.2 and Computer Problem 3.1)
|
| Oct. 15 |
UNIT 3: Energy Transport
- Semiconvection, onset of convection, mixing length theory
|
- [notes]
- ASSIGNMENTS:
- Problem 3.2
|
| Oct. 13 |
- Review of polytrope computer problem
- See the main class notes, Section 2.6.4 for new information about polytropes and their usefulness.
|
| Oct. 8 |
No class today |
| Oct. 6 |
UNIT 3: Energy Transport
- Conduction, convective instability
|
- [notes]
- DUE TODAY:
- All problems from Unit 2
|
| Oct. 1 |
UNIT 3: Energy Transport
- Opacity sources, Eddington luminosity
|
|
| Sep. 29 |
UNIT 3: Energy Transport
- Radiative diffusion, Rosseland mean opacity
|
- [notes]
- ASSIGNMENTS:
- Problem 3.1
|
| Sep. 24 |
UNIT 2: Hydrostatics
- Polytropes
|
- [notes]
- ASSIGNMENTS:
- Computer Problem 2.1
- DUE TUESDAY OCTOBER 6: All problems from Unit 2 (2.1-2.8 and Computer Problem 2.1)
See the polytrope page for a table of the values that will be updated as values get sent to me.
|
| Sep. 22 |
UNIT 2: Hydrostatics
- Virial theorem
|
|
| Sep. 17 |
UNIT 2: Hydrostatics
- Thermodynamics of ideal gas and photons, hydrostatic equilibrium
|
- [notes]
- ASSIGNMENTS:
- Problem 2.6, 2.7, 2.8
|
| Sep. 15 |
UNIT 2: Hydrostatics
- Radiation pressure, thermodynamics
|
- [notes]
- ASSIGNMENTS:
- Problem 2.4, 2.5
|
| Sep. 10 |
UNIT 2: Hydrostatics
- Degenerate gas EOS |
- [notes]
- ASSIGNMENTS:
- Problem 2.3
- DUE TODAY:
- All problems from Unit 1
|
| Sep. 8 |
UNIT 2: Hydrostatics
- Mean molecular weight, ideal gas |
|
| Sep. 3 |
UNIT 2: Hydrostatics
- Time scales, statistical mechanics |
- [notes]
- ASSIGNMENTS:
- Problem 2.1, 2.2
|
| Sep. 1 |
UNIT 1: Energy Generation
- Proton-proton chains, CNO cycle |
- [notes]
- ASSIGNMENTS:
- Problem 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, Computer problem 1.1
- DUE THU. SEP. 10: All problems from Unit 1
|
| Aug. 27 |
UNIT 1: Energy Generation
- Energy release, binding energy, H burning |
|
| Aug. 25 |
PART I - STELLAR STRUCTURE
UNIT 1: Energy Generation
- Energy equilibrium, nuclear reactions, reaction rates |
- [notes]
- ASSIGNMENTS:
- Problem 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4
|
| Aug. 20 |
Introduction
- Overview |
- Notes: [slides] [article]
- ASSIGNMENTS:
- Read carefully the syllabus and MESA notes. Try to run MESA.
|