Prof Robert L. Zimmerman

ASTR 123  Elementary Astronomy

The Evolution of Galaxies and the Universe

Fall 2009, LIL Room 282    17:00-18:20  T, R

 

Prof Robert L. Zimmerman: Office Wil 448   rlz@uoregon.edu

Office Hours: 11:30-1:30 M, W, or by appointment

Web page for the class:  http://uoregon.edu/~phys600

Text:  Astronomy Today by Eric Chaisson & Steve McMillan 6th Ed

 

                           Approximate Outline

Date(Tuesday)         Topic                   Reading (chp)   Assign      Tests 

1 (9/29) Overview and Introduction  

2 (10/6) The Milky Way Galaxy  23           Assign #1 

3 (10/13) Normal Galaxies     24                  Assign #2  TEST #1(10/15,Thur)

4 (10/20) AGN                         24                  Assign #3

5 (10/27)  Galaxies and Dark Matter   25    Assign #4

6 (11/3) Galaxies and Dark Matter  25                Assign #5  TEST #2 (11/3,Tues)

7 (11/10) Cosmology     26                             Assign #6     

8 (11/17) Cosmology     26                             Assign #7 

9 (11/24) The Early Universe 27                                    TEST #3  (11/24,Tues) 

       (Thanksgiving 11/26-27)          

10 (12/1) Dead Week, Life in the Universe 28  (if time permits)

11 Final                     Tuesday 19:00  (Dec 8, 2009)

 

Midterm Exams: There will be three weekly exams and one final. Each weekly exam is worth 40 points and covers only the material to the previous exam. The test questions come from the lectures and book. No makeup exams will be given because your grade is based on your two best scores. 

Final:  The final is worth 80 points and covers the complete term. The questions for the final are comprehensive but are closely related to the questions covered in the three-midterm tests and the last week of lectures. You must take the final! 

Web Assignments:  There will be a "Web Assignment" about once each week. The Web assignments are designed to expand your exposure to astronomy and to the latest findings. There is two parts to the assignment: i.  In part one you are asked to explain some basic concepts ii. In part two you are asked to return various images with brief explanations of the images.  All images must be placed in a word processor and under the pictures you must include a brief description of the image and the URL where you located the image. You must do your own work and you must personally hand in your own paper. You cannot copy or Xerox another personŐs report and replace their name with yours even if you do the assignment together! A reduction of points will occur if it is not turned in on time, not done with a word processor, or it is xeroxed from another paper. The web assignment is worth approximately 6 or so points.

Attendance: Attendance is REQUIRED. To encourage attendance short questions worth about four points will be asked during the term.

Extra Credit: You may write a report for extra credit. The report must consist of no less than 4 double spaced pages (not including pictures). The subject must come from the following list or a mixture of topics in the list:

 

1.  Dark Matter: How do astronomers know it is found in galaxies and clusters of galaxies? How do astronomers make dark matter maps around galactic clusters? What is it?

2.  Three Degree Radiation: What is 3-degree radiation and how is it detected? What kind of information does it reveal about the universe. What are the plans for future investigations of the microwave radiation and what do they want to learn from the results

3. Early Universe: Elaborate on the events that occurred in the early universe between 0 and 380,000 years after the Big Bang (Planck era, Inflation, freezing out of the four forces, the creation of the early elements,etc)

 

The material can come from the web, notes and text. Add pictures from the Web to your paper. You must cite the web URLs used in your report and images. The report is due the last class lecture of dead week. The extra credit does not give you any additional points but if you are on the borderline it may increase your final grade. The extra credit may increase your grade by changing an F+ to a D-, a D+ to a C-, B+ to A and etc. The extra credit is strongly advised.

Grades: Your class score will be determined by throwing away your lowest midterm test and then adding all of your points (All Web Assignments +two midterm tests +Attendance Questions+ Final). Your grade will then be based on a class curve made from the total points.