| source Berkeley (X) |
level |
department Astronomy (X) |
Non mathematical description of research and results in modern extragalactic astronomy and cosmology. We read the story of discovery of the principles of our Universe.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
This is the first part of an overview of astrophysics, with an emphasis on the way in which physics is applied to astronomy. This course deals with the solar system and stars, while 7B covers galaxies and cosmology. Solar system topics include orbital mechanics, geology of terrestrial planets, planetary atmospheres, and the formation of the solar system. The study of stars will treat determination of observations, properties and stellar structure, and evolution. The physics in this course includes mechanics and gravitation; kinetic theory of gases; properties of radiation and radiative energy transport; quantum mechanics of photons, atoms, and electrons; and magnetic fields.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
This is the second part of an overview of astrophysics, which begins with 7A. This course covers the Milky Way galaxy, star formation and the interstellar medium, galaxies, black holes, quasars, dark matter, the expansion of the universe and its large-scale structure, and cosmology and the Big Bang. The physics in this course includes that used in 7A (mechanics and gravitation; kinetic theory of gases; properties of radiation and radiative energy transport; quantum mechanics of photons, atoms, and electrons; and magnetic fields) and adds the special and general theories of relativity.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
A description of modern astronomy with emphasis on the structure and evolution of stars, galaxies, and the Universe. Additional topics optionally discussed include quasars, pulsars, black holes, and extraterrestrial communication, etc. Individual instructor's synopses available from the department.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
A description of modern astronomy with emphasis on the structure and evolution of stars, galaxies, and the Universe. Additional topics optionally discussed include quasars, pulsars, black holes, and extraterrestrial communication, etc. Individual instructor's synopses available from the department. Also listed as Letters and Science C70U.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
A tour of the mysteries and inner workings of our solar system. What are planets made of? Why do they orbit the sun the way they do? How do planets form, and what are they made of? Why do some bizarre moons have oceans, volcanoes, and ice floes? What makes the Earth hospitable for life? Is the Earth a common type of planet or some cosmic quirk? This course will introduce basic physics, chemistry, and math to understand planets, moons, rings, comets, asteroids, atmospheres, and oceans. Understanding other worlds will help us save our own planet and help us understand our place in the universe. Also listed as Letters and Science C70T and Earth and Planetary Science C12.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
The Berkeley Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small-seminar setting. Berkeley Seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
This course requires four to six experiments such as the following: accurate position measurements of stars with subsequent derivation of the diameter of the Earth and the refraction of the atmosphere; laboratory exploration of the characteristics of charge-coupled devices; measurement of the distance, reddening, and age of a star cluster; measurement of the Stokes parameters and linear polarization of diffuse synchrotron and reflection nebulae; measurement of the period and pulse shape of the Crab pulsar using Fourier techniques. There is a heavy emphasis on error analysis, software development in the IDL language, and high-quality written reports.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
Several basic laboratory experiments that concentrate on microwave electronics and techniques; construction of receiving, observing, and data analysis systems for two radioastronomical telescopes, a single-dish 21-cm line system and a 12-GHz interferometer; use of these telescopes for astronomical observing projects including structure of the Milky Way galaxy, precise position measurement of several radio sources, and measurement of the radio brightness distributions of the sun and moon with high angular resolution. There is a heavy emphasis on digital data acquisition, software development in the IDL language, and high-quality written reports.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
Course consists of one basic laboratory experiment to explore the fundamental properties and characterize the performance of solid-state infrared photon detectors. This will be followed by three to five observational astronomical measurements using an infrared detector array on the instructional telescopes at Leuschner Observatory to study the Jovian planets; moons and rings; interstellar extinction and the colors of stars; regions of star formation; and using the infrared Tully-Fisher method to estimate distances to galaxies.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
Observational constraints on the properties and evolution of stars. Theory of stellar structure. Stellar atmospheres and stellar spectroscopy. Evolution of high and low mass stars; supernovae. Degeneracy of matter and structure of collapsed stars. Elements of gas dynamics, accretion onto compact objects, and x-ray sources. Dynamics and evolution of close binary systems, either stellar pulsation or formation.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
Elements of general relativity. Physics of pulsars, cosmic rays, black holes. The cosmological distance scale, elementary cosmological models, properties of galaxies and quasars. The mass density and age of the universe. Evidence for dark matter and dark energy and concepts of the early universe and of galaxy formation. Reflections on astrophysics as a probe of the extrema of physics. Also listed as Physics C161.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
Physics of planetary systems, both solar and extra-solar. Star and planet formation, radioactive dating, small-body dynamics and interaction of radiation with matter, tides, planetary interiors, atmospheres, and magnetospheres. High-quality oral presentations will be required in addition to problem sets. Also listed as Earth and Planetary Science C162.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
Methods of data analysis, model fitting, and data display, all oriented towards the detailed analysis of astronomical observation data and/or numerical results from simulations. Specific topics include probability density functions, error propagation, maximum likelihood, least squares, data and function fitting, Fourier transforms, wavelets, principal components analysis, color images. The software language used is the Interactive Data Language (IDL).
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
A survey of the observational data and theoretical ideas on the interstellar medium, with emphasis on the inferred physical conditions.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
The use of spectroscopy to diagnose physical conditions in optically thick objects is covered. Both continuum and spectral line formation (including NLTE) are treated. Modern research topics in this core area of astrophysics, like stellar atmospheres, star formation, and accretion disks, are used for illustration.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
A basic course. Structure and kinematics of the galaxy; stellar population concepts; dynamics of stellar systems with and without encounters.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
A survey of physical cosmology - the study of the origin, evolution, and fate of the universe. Topics include the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker model, thermal history and big bang nucleosynthesis, evidence and nature of dark matter and dark energy, the formation and growth of galaxies and large scale structure, the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave radiation, inflation in the early universe, tests of cosmological models, and current research areas. The course complements the material of Astronomy 218. Also listed as Physics C228.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
The physical foundations of planetary sciences. Topics include planetary interiors and surfaces, planetary atmospheres and magnetospheres, and smaller bodies in our solar system. The physical processes at work are developed in some detail, and an evolutionary picture for our solar system, and each class of objects, is developed. Some discussion of other (potential) planetary systems is also included. Also listed as Earth and Planetary Science C249.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
Topics will vary from semester to semester. See department for announcements.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
Equations of stellar structure, radiative transfer and convection, thermonuclear reactions and stellar energy generations; stellar models, degenerate configurations, evolutionary sequences, supernovae, neutron stars, black holes, nucleosynthesis.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
Basic physics of high energy radiation processes in an astrophysics environment. Cosmic ray production and propagation. Applications selected from pulsars, x-ray sources, supernovae, interstellar medium, extragalactic radio sources, quasars, and big-bang cosmologies. Also listed as Physics C254.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
A broad survey of state-of-the-art approaches to astrophysical self-gravitational gas dynamics with application to large scale simulation of coupled non-linear astrophysical flows. Finite-difference approaches for Lagrangian and Eulerian astrophysical hydrodynamics and coupled radiation-hydrodynamics. N-body gravitation techniques including direct N-body, P-M, P3M and hieracrchical Tree. Particle gas dynamics methods such as Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), Adaptive SPH and unification of SPH and Tree hierarchies (TREE-SPH). Advanced techniques such as higher order finite difference hydrodynamics with Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR). Applications of these approaches in three broad areas: Cosmology; High Energy Astrophysics and the Interstellar Medium.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
Applications of magnetohydrodynamics and plasma physics to astrophysical problems. Topics emphasized will be the physics of collisionless shock waves, both non-relativistic and relativistic, with application to supernova remnants, nebulae, and jets driven by outflows from compact objects, galaxy clusters, and cosmic rays. Reconnection, including structure and instability of current sheets, with application to flaring behavior in the Earth's magnetosphere, the Sun, and compact objects. Turbulence in magnetized plasmas, including intermittency and current sheet formation, with application to the solar wind, accretion disks, and molecular clouds.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page
The study of theoretical astrophysics. Also listed as Physics C285.
Score: 9.511099 Details | Listing | Web page