ASTRONOMY 421 Stellar Observations and Theory: Calendar Winter 2009
Listing of Topics, Reading, and Corresponding Assignments

Week
Day
Topic
Reading
HW
 
Theory: Introduction to Modeling Stellar Atmospheres
01
6-Jan Review of Fundamentals (A210)
B-V2* Ch. 1 - 4
 
8-Jan Reading Quiz 1*** (due 13-Jan)
02
13-Jan Stellar Atmospheres (A210) B-V2 Ch. 5 - 6 Reading Quiz 2 (due 20-Jan)
15-Jan B-V2 Ch. 7 Reading Quiz 3 (due 27-Jan)
03
20-Jan Programming Techniques (B 356) Handout Step 1 & 2 completed
22-Jan Modeling Atmospheres (B 356)   Step 3 & 4 completed
04
27-Jan Basic opacity equations (B 356) Handout Step 5 completed; Combine all parts/plot
29-Jan   Model Atmos. Report (due 10-Feb)
05
3-Feb Non-greyness; line formation (A210) B-V2 Ch. 8, 10, 12 Reading Quiz 4 (due 7-Feb)
5-Feb Curve of growth analysis (A210)    
 
Theory: Introduction to Modeling Stellar Interiors
06
10-Feb Radiative transfer and line formation (B356)    
12-Feb Convective Instability; Basic Equations (A210)
Stellar Convection
B-V3** (Ch. 1-4) Ch. 5, 6, 7, 9 Reading Quiz 5 (due 23-Feb., 11:00 pm)
07
17-Feb Stellar Interiors (B 356)   BZAMS instructions
FORTAN program
19-Feb Stellar Interiors (B 356)   BZAMS Project (due 27-Feb)
08
24-Feb Stellar Pulsation (A210) B-V3 Ch. 18, 19 Reading Quiz 6 (due 2-Mar, 11:00 pm)
26-Feb Pulsation (B356)   Pulsation Code Project (due 6-Mar)
Observations: Star Formation, Stellar Evolution, Stellar Populations (A210 for rest of quarter)
09
3-Mar Star Formation: An On-line Lecture B-V3 Ch. 20  
5-Mar Star Formation (cont.)
MS evolution (if you finish star formation)
Watch Stars Evolve (direct link)
B-V3 Ch. 10, 11 (12, 13)  
10
10-Mar Post-MS Evolution B-V3 Ch. 14, 15, 16 Reading Quiz 7 will be incorporated into the final.
12-Mar Application to stellar populations B-V3 Ch. 17 + Handouts  
11
Take-Home Final Exam Due Friday, March 20, 5 pm

*B-V2 refers to Böhm-Vitense, Erika, Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics Vol. 2, Stellar Atmospheres (Cambridge University Press, 1989)
**B-V3 refers to Böhm-Vitense, Erika, Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics Vol. 3, Stellar Structure and Evolution ( Cambridge University Press, 1992)

*** For the reading quizzes, you can save a partial effort and come back to finish it later. You can change answers before submitting but not afterwards.