Orion Nebula

ASTR 221 — Stars & Planets

Fall 2021

Announcements:

Time / Place: Mondays & Wednesdays, 12:45 pm - 2:00 pm, Sears 552

Instructor: Bill Janesh (bfj2), Sears 571. Office Hours: MW 2-3, Th 3-4:30
Teaching Assistant: Ray Garner (crg56), Sears 573. Office Hours: T 10-11, F 2-3

Course Webpage: http://astroweb.case.edu/bjanesh/astr221/
Canvas: https://canvas.case.edu/courses/28101
PDF Syllabus: Find a PDF copy here

Required Textbook
Fundamentals of Astrophysics, by Ryden and Peterson

Useful, but not required, Textbooks:
Astronomy: A Physical Perspective, 2nd Edition, by Kutner
An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, 2nd edition, by Carroll and Ostlie

Course Description: Stellar structure and energy production. Formation and evolution of stars. Supernovae, neutron stars, and black holes. Star clusters. Planetary systems and the detection of extrasolar planets. The application of physical laws to the study of the universe.

Grades:

Weights Scale
Homework 45% A 90.0 to 100%
Midterm Exam 25% B 80.0 to 89.9%
Final Exam 30% C 70.0 to 79.9%
D 60.0 to 69.9%
F 0.0 to 59.9%

Disability Accommodations: In accordance with federal law, if you have a documented disability, you may be eligible to request accommodations from Disability Resources. In order to be considered for accommodations you must first register with the Disability Resources office. Please contact their office at 216.368.5230 to register or get more information on how to begin the process. Keep in mind that accommodations are not retroactive.

Homework: There will be a total of 6 homework assignments. Collaborative discussion is permitted and encouraged, but each person must turn in their own solutions with unique writeup/analysis. Collaborative means talking with each other about approaches, techniques, etc., and not swapping final solutions to copy! Submissions will be accepted on paper or in PDF format via Canvas. Write-ups should be typed or neatly handwritten. For PDF submissions, scan your handwritten work properly (see homework tips page for suggestions) and please make an effort to merge all parts into a single file for submission. Homework will generally be due in class but see each assignment for specifics.

Exams: There will be one midterm and one final exam. You are allowed one sheet of letter/A4-sized paper with notes on both sides, but exam questions will ask you to synthesize information from what you know, not just work a problem or cite facts. You may not work collaboratively with your classmates, and I’ll only answer clarifying or format questions. The final exam is scheduled for 12/15 from 12–3pm, please register any time conflicts with Undergraduate Studies. Academic integrity violations during an exam will result in, at minimum, the failure of the exam.

Attendance/Late Policy: Attendance: you are encouraged, but not required, to attend lectures. I will be recording class audio, which will be posted on the course webpage along with slides and notes. Late work: You get one free no excuse late homework (up to one week). All other late work loses 20% per day. If you have an emergency or otherwise legitimate reason out of your control for missing a homework due date (illness, technology issues, etc.), please document this with your Navigator and me ASAP. We’ll then work out an alternate due date without penalty.

Computing: Some HW assignments will require you to write and run code in Python to solve astronomical problems. Don’t worry — we’ll spend at least one class getting more familiar with Python before I ask you to use it, but ask for help if you need it. Typed reports can easily be created using a Jupyter notebook, showing formatted text alongside code and math. If you would like access to departmental computing resources, or have questions or concerns about this aspect of the course, please let me know as soon as possible.

Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays the hour after class ends, and a 90 minute block on Thursday decided by class popular vote, or just drop in! Some questions can probably be answered via email; I will do my best to respond as soon as possible during normal business hours. If you have a question in person, please come prepared — for homework questions, you must attempt the problem on your own first! I will ask you to show me what you’ve tried before I answer questions. If you’re not sure where to start, see the homework tips page.

Schedule & Notes: The tentative course schedule is below. A Google Calendar with lectures, office hours, and other course events can be accessed here (you must log in with your CWRU network id). Please note readings from the textbook and dates of homeworks and exams. The date in each row is a link to an audio recording of that day's class. The PDF notes for the course will be kept in a single file, will update within an hour of the end of class, and can be found here: astr221-fa21_notes.pdf Equatorial Coordinates Chart Here

Date General Topic Ryden & Peterson Readings Due
Aug 23 Introductions; Orbits and Kepler’s Laws 2.3, 2.5, 3.1
Aug 25 Orbits and Kepler’s Laws; Gravity; Tides 3.1–3.4, 4.2, 4.3
Aug 30 The Sky; Constellations 1.3–1.6, 2.1, 2.2
Sept 1 Celestial Sphere; Coordinate Systems 1.1, 1.2
Sept 6 Labor Day (no class)
Sept 8 Light; Radiation; Blackbodies; Spectra 5.1–5.7 HW1
Sept 13 Light; Radiation; Blackbodies; Spectra 5.1–5.7
Sept 15 Python Introduction bring a computer!
Sept 20 Astronomical Techniques; Telescopes 6.1–6.7
Sept 22 The Sun; Hydrostatic Equilibrium 7.1–7.3, 14.1
Sept 27 Distances, Magnitudes, Colors 13.1–13.2 HW2
Sept 29 Spectral Types; The H-R Diagram 13.3–13.6, 14.2–14.4
Oct 4 Velocities; Binary Stars; Stellar Masses 13.5
Oct 6 Nuclear Fusion; Energy Transport in Stars 15.1–15.4 HW3
Oct 11 Review!
Oct 13 Midterm Exam don’t forget your notes sheet!
Oct 18 Fall Break (no class)
Oct 20 Stellar Evolution; Supernovae 17.2, 17.3
Oct 25 White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, Black Holes 18.1–18.4
Oct 27 Star Clusters 14.2–14.4, 17.2, 17.3 HW4
Nov 1 Interstellar Medium; Star Formation 16.1–16.3, 17.1
Nov 3 Star Formation 17.1
Nov 8 Solar System Formation 8.1–8.3, 12.2
Nov 10 The Earth and Moon 9.1–9.5 HW5
Nov 15 Solar System Intro; Formation 8.1–8.3, 12.2
Nov 17 Rocky Planets; Interior Processes 10.1
Nov 22 Moons; Comets; Asteroids; Tiny Things 11.1–11.4
Nov 24 Atmospheres; Gas Giants 10.2–10.3, 9.2
Nov 29 Exoplanets 12.3–12.4
Dec 1 Habitable Zones; Drake Equation 12.3–12.4 HW6
Dec 15 Final Exam 12–3pm don’t forget your notes sheet!