Astrophysics fall trimester  2008

 syllabus   &  course expectations
safety, tardy, classroom computer use, and honesty

Universe/publisher link:  register as a student to use the resources

 Astronomy Picture of the Day        the latest astrophysics discoveries
  what's up in the 
sky this week


 
  Monday,
August 25
Tuesday,
  August 26

Wednesday,
August 27

Thursday,
August 28

Friday,
August 29
class


special schedule

JIT (due Friday) will be available sometime today

on Moodle
you'll need your second lab book, because we start a new lab today and you're handing in your other lab book today JITdue by noon today AFTER you have done the reading below.... all JITs are found on the Astrophysics/Moodle page....

although only 80% of JITs are required, everyone should plan to do the first one, if only to try out the process; this one is also particularly easy; if you do extra JITs, you will get extra credit
reading
(always done before class)




Universe 5(5)

+

parts of Walker
25 - 28



 5(6) in Universe

today's reading challenging!

walker
28(1 up to, not including example 28-1)

28 (2,  up through example 28-2)

28(6, up thru example 28-7)

we will save 5(3) for tomorrow



5(3) and its associated box 5-1

read the first and last pages of the lab
(see below)
5(4)...
and associated box 5-2
















things you should know the answer to before coming to class



  bring at least 5 more  behaviors  of light (beyond those that we did last friday)
see the Walker references on the syllabus
(but it doesn't have to be Walker.... other physics books will do; Wikipedia will not!)

 
bring the laws that go with the behaviors as you read

  about two sides of a page of notes while you're reading would be appropriate






know what physical states of matter produce what types of spectra

are some states of matter not covered by the laws?
which?

from Walker

know the formula for 2-slit (and multi-slit) constructive interference;
and how they came about
ric ways that matter can interact with light?
what pairs of interactions are mutually exclusive?

from Universe

be able to state 3 ways in which a hotter blackbody's curve differs from that of a cooler blackbody

what's a blackbody anyway?

what are the 4 general ways that matter interacts with light?


homework
(written assignments
to be turned in)





10 properties of a star that astronomers would want to know/deduce from measurements




web stuff




Wikipedia needs more physicists
(on why Wikipedia science can be a joke)
lab





image processing lab due

spectra lab begins

news/discoveries
of the week



A Clash of Clusters Provides a Clue to Dark Matter



  Tuesday,
August 19
Wednesday,
August 20
Thursday,
August 21
Friday,
August 22
class
astronomical light detectors
and
image processing
more about light detectors
& then lab

make sure that you have a lab book for today's class

bring your PC to class today if you have installed the HOU software
image processing lab continues

bring your PC to class today if you have installed the HOU software

you'll need your calculator in class/lab today
 bring Honesty/Tardy/Safety/ etc sheet to class today
SIGNED
(and you also have read it, right?)
reading
(always done before class)

all of the lab guide

6(4)



 
the CCD handout
that you got in class yesterday

an electronic copy of the same is here
 


Universe 5(1-2): what is light?
you should know some  properties of light (e.g. wavelength or frequency)

and some behaviors of light (e.g., reflection, refraction)
see the Walker references on the syllabus

perhaps you will learn some laws that go with the behaviors as you read?

maybe two sides of a page of notes while you're reading?
questions you should know the answer to before coming to class


what 2 advantages does a CCD detector have over photographic film and the eye's retina?
(the reading should tell you!)

what are the three pieces of info astronomers can record about an incoming photon?

homework
(written assignments
to be turned in)





number the odd pages of your lab book

finish the browser5 part of the lab

web stuff

stellar evolution summary



 
lab


directions for installing
the HOU software
(needed for lab tomorrow)
on your PC
are at Moodle 
.... after reaching the Moodle Software site, look for HOU under

"Classroom Related"
(mac people will have to use on the physics computers)

image processing lab
(I will have hard copies of this in class today)


images for the image processing lab:
(the only ones you should need are the first two; the rest are just backups)....
to open an image DO NOT left click on the link; instead, right click and then save it to your directory

fireball
new browser 7
browser 2
browser 3
browser 4
browser 5
browser 6


lab guide
(that gets taped on your inner sides of your lab book covers
it would nice if you finished up the browser5 section of the lab before coming to class today.....

image processing lab
continues in E block today

directions for installing ds9 on your computer
(probably not necessary for today, but you will eventually need it in order to finish the first lab)

however, both HOU and ds9 are installed on all physics-floor public computers

news/discoveries
of the week

Measuring Cosmic Expansion
from today's NY Times