TEACHING | McQuinn

Principles of Astrophysics: PHYS 341 and 342

Astrophysics is the application of physical principles to astronomical systems. In Physics 341 and 342 you will learn how to use gravity, electromagnetism, and atomic, nuclear, and gas physics to understand planets, stars, galaxies, dark matter, and the Universe as a whole.

Some astrophysical systems are described by equations that are fairly easy to solve, and we will certainly study them. However, many interesting systems cannot be solved exactly. Nevertheless, we can often use physical insight and approximate calculations to understand the salient features of a system without sweating the details. One goal of both Physics 341 and 342 courses is to develop that skill. As you will see, it will take us very far (through the whole Universe, in fact!). Another goal is to learn about recent advances in astrophysics, a very dynamic field of research.

PHYS 341 Undergraduate level course (Fall 2021)

Physics 341 is built on applying gravity to various astonomical systems, and we begin the course by working to understanding gravity. We will then use gravity to connect the mass of objects with their motion and vice-versa, including the motion of planets in our solar system, the motion of planets orbiting around other stars, the motion within binary star systems, and the bulk motion of gas and stars in galaxies. We will traverse the cosmos, studying the effects of gravity from the nearest object in our solar system, our Moon, and the surprising expansion of the universe as a whole.

Prerequisites for this class are two semesters of physics and two semesters of calculus. Previous study of modern physics is a must. I will briefly review physical principles as we need them, but assume that you have seen them before. I will also assume familiarity with vector calculus. Some of the assignments may involve a bit of computation that can be done with programs like Excel, Google Spreadsheets, Maple, Matlab, or Mathematica. Note that Physics 341 is not a prerequisite for Physics 342; the two courses are designed to be complementary, but independent.

Lectures will be based on the course textbook, Principles of Astrophysics: Using Gravity and Stellar Physics to Explore the Cosmos, by Prof. Chuck Keeton. (It was written specifically for this course.)

Binary stars; Image by NASA

PHYS 342 Undergraduate level course (Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023)

In Physics 342 we will focus on the question: How did we get here? Our story will include the nucleosynthesis of hydrogen and helium in the first few minutes after the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago, the formation of stars from this primordial gas, and the forging of heavier elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, among all others within these stars' nuclear furnaces. Around at least one star in the Universe some of these heavy elements coagulated to form a rocky planet with a tenuous atmosphere. On this planet Earth, the energy from the star and the gas in the atmosphere were just right to allow the emergence of life. The energy that sustains us originated deep in the Sun, thanks to E=mc2 . The atoms that comprise our bodies were made inside dying stars. Literally, we are star dust. The goal of Physics 342 is to understand the physics of this remarkable story.

Our Sun; Image by NASA

Prerequisites for this class are two semesters of physics and two semesters of calculus. Previous study of modern physics is a must. I will briefly review physical principles as we need them, but assume that you have seen them before. I will also assume familiarity with vector calculus. Some of the assignments may involve a bit of computation that can be done with programs like Excel, Google Spreadsheets, Maple, Matlab, or Mathematica. Note that Physics 341 is not a prerequisite for Physics 342; the two courses are designed to be complementary, but independent.

Galaxies and Galaxy Dynamics

Graduate level course PHYS 607 (Spring 2020)

The primary aim of this course is to establish a strong foundation of knowledge and techniques used to interpret the properties, characteristics, and dynamics of galaxies, including our own Milky Way Galaxy, galaxies in the nearby Universe, and galaxies in the distant Universe.

By the end of the course students should be able to:

build a simple stellar population synthesis model for galaxies’ integrated starlight
identify different characteristics and origins of galaxies’ components and describe how they are measured
describe the evolution of gas across different temperatures, densities, and scales
diagram stellar orbits in a galaxy’s gravitational potential
concept map the theory of galaxy formation and evolution
formulate and pose fundamental questions about galaxy formation and evolution

NGC 4449; Image by McQuinn et al. (2019)

Practice Goals:

In addition to the primary learning objectives listed above, this course’s philosophy is based on the empirically validated idea that the best learning happens through applied practice. Therefore, the primary mode of assessment in this course will not be through memorization of material, but rather through the application of knowledge and understanding to applied research problems. By the end of this course, students should be able to:

be proficient in discussing the tools of an observational astronomer
solve problems computationally, and make appropriate approximations as needed
read and synthesize material from review papers with present-day literature
write a scientific proposal
share, talk, and express informed opinions about galaxies with colleagues

Pre-requisites and Core Requirements:

This is a core graduate course, targeted at astronomy graduate students who wish to gain a practical knowledge of the study of galaxy formation and evolution. I will assume that students have a general knowledge of stellar evolution and a rudimentary understanding of cosmology. I will also assume students have a strong grasp on basic computer programming (the language does not matter, but python use is encouraged), calculus, and mathematical modeling.