AST 120  SPACE SCIENCE I:  

This is possibly a changing document and has to be accessed often! current version   11/11/2009)

NOTE This change : Laboratory assignments are listed for each week  at the end of this webpage.

NOTE 2  CHANGE IN % for final grade

Syllabus:  An Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics:

Prof. Irv Robbins (CSI-CUNY) Send e-Mail to Prof Robbins!and cast of thousands! (special thanks to Dr. Jim Napolitano at RPI

for idea help and permission to use some of his material)

TEXT: Please purchase in bookstore.

The book has a website at  http://www.astronomyaphysicalperspective.com/, a list of errata  are found there and be sure to correct your text with them..

  GRADE POLICY :

Grade AVERAGE =  +20% HW + 20%  Laboratory Assignments +5% Observing requirement+ 20%Midterm Exam + 35% Comprehensive Final EXAM + Extra Credit

On the Final EXAM YOU ARE PERMITTED 4 PAGES (8X11) OF NOTES (FRONT AND BACK). BE SURE TO BRING A CALCULATOR

Most  software in our laboratory is web based. Some exercises require you to finish them at home!

GENERAL LINK TO ALL CLEA EXERCISES (some of which we use):Gettysburg College Project CLEA 

LECTURE REVIEW: 

LECTURE PRESENTATION will be  AVAILABLE IN PDF FORMAT: FOLLOW THE NEXT LINK (ADOBE READER NEEDED) 

LECTURE REVIEW

HOME WORK SOLUTIONS: 

SOLUTIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN PDF FORMAT: FOLLOW THE NEXT LINK (ADOBE READER NEEDED) 

HOMEWORK SOLUTIONS

ASSIGNMENT POLICY!

When you instructed to finish the laboratory exercises  hand them in for grading  within one week you have an additional week grace until graded labs are returned. after that late exercises will be penalized significantly.  

Written assignments  below are  due the week  or session after they are given with  no grace period  The instructor will explain

Assignment #1: The Universe (An overview and scale of the Universe ) 

READ: Preface and Chapter 1 and start reading Chapter 2.

HW #1:  Define the the Key terms from lecture & Laboratory exercise as well as questions from the lecture 

Assignment #2:Properties of Ordinary Stars-Radiation (Continuous) from the Stars:

READ: Chapter 2 sections as assigned in class

Advanced notice: all HW problems that will be assigned in this chapter will be Problems #: 1, 2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 14, 18, 24, 26, 29  + in class problems as noted in the due dates.

HW #2: DUE  2/5/09 Read /Study 2-1,2-2: Problems 2.1,2.2,2.3

+ in class HW  Problem S1: What is the Frequency of a green photon whose Wavelength Is = 500 nm?  How much energy does it contain?

HW #3:   HW Read/study sec 2-3 Problems 2.13,2.14,2.18

HW #4:   HW Read/study sec 2-4   Problems 2.12

HW #5:  Read/study 2.5-2.7  Problems 2.4,2.24,2.26,2.29
•Also study page 19 of text for Parallax •derivation
 Extra credit!  The Distance Modulus ( other forms of the same equation can you derive them???) 
mV – MV = -5 + 5 log10(d [pc])
 

d = 10(mV – MV + 5)/5 pc

 

Assignment #3: Spectral lines in Stars:

HW #5B  Read/study Chap 3 to 3.2

Questions 3.1,3.6(these are not in the Problems section!)

SP 1 Check on the web for stellar spectra then do Question 3.2

Sp 2 Looking over the table "Abundances of the elements" in appendix G

A. how many times more abundant is Helium than sodium. (ie relative ratio).

B. In general what can be said of the abundances of elements heavier than iron.

C. Calculate the ration of iron to Uranium, iron to carbon and iron to iodine.

D. Does your values in C support what you said in B. Yes or no. Why?

Sp3. Check on the web for a periodic table. What do you expect the formula for the combination of Potassium(K) and Sulfur (S) to be?

Also the formula for Lithium (Li) to Flouride (F)?

 
HW #6 Read/study section 3.3
Problems 3.1,3.2,3.3,3.5,3.9
SP 4 : Do Example 3.1  calculation for the first Balmer line…
what color is this line?
 
As stated in lectures
Using mv2  = e2 /r   and      mvr = nh / 2p   eliminate V gives
r = n2 h2 / 4 p2me2    = rn to indicate n dependence = eq. 3.5\
SP 5:  Do this last derivation (the algebra)
Then do the  books derivation for comparison!
SP 6. do EXAMPLE 3.2
 
SP 7. 1/l = R(1/m2-1/n2) which we see is the Balmer formula is Eq 3.8
derive this equation 3.8 from the analysis using Eq. 3.7b
 

HW#7 Read/study section 3.4

Questions  3.9,3.10,3.11

Problem 3.10

HW#8 Read/study section 3.5

Questions  3.12, 3.13, 3.14

Problems 3.17, 3.18, 3.19

 

MIDTERM EXAM

MIDTERM Exam Solutions

 

Assignment #4: Stellar masses and  the Sun 

Readings to follow in the HW's will be in sections 5.1-5.3 and chap 6

HW#9 read 5.1,5.2 and look over key elements of 5.3
Study carefully examples 5.1,5.2 (solar mass defined!)
Questions: 5.3,5.7
Problems 5.1,5.3,5.6
EXTRA CREDIT: 1. Derive Equation 5.20
2. if we cannot see both stars
how do we get R?
 

HW #10 Read  chap 6 sections 6.1, 6.2 (litely), 6.3

Question 6.9

Problems 6.2, 6.11, 6.12

 

HW #11    Read  chap 6 sections 6.4 to end of chapter

Questions 6.12, 6.19, 6.20

Problems 6.14, 6.15, 6.16,

 

Assignment #5: Stellar Interiors

Read Chap 9 

HW#12

•Read Chap 9 -9.3  
problems 9.1,9.2,9.4,9.6

HW #13
read 9.4-end
Questions 9.9, 9.13,9.14
Problems 9.7,9.8,9.9,9.11

 

•
 

 

 

laboratory assignments

week 1star finder

LABORATORY EXERCISE:  Print up for the first session this week the Star Finder  (this link) exercise and bring to class

FOR the NEXT week  lab session (week 2): Look over and study the exercise  math review found via this link.

week 2 math review

LABORATORY EXERCISE:  Print up for this week the math review (this link) exercise and bring to class

FOR the NEXT week  lab session (week 3): Look over and study the exercise found via this link. math with excel 

week 3 math using excel

LABORATORY EXERCISE:  Print up for this week the math with excel (this link) exercise and bring to class

FOR the NEXT week  lab session (week 4): Look over and study the exercise Blackbody Spectra found via this link.

 

 

week 4 Black body spectra

Look over and study the exercise Blackbody Spectra found via this link.

FOR the NEXT week  lab session (week 5): Go to CLEA WEBSITE and print up the student manual for the "Photoelectric Photometry of the Pleiades" exercise, READ THE INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL and bring to class next week lab session.  Directly ACCESS by image link

 

week 5 photoelectric photometry

 

FOR the NEXT week  lab session (week 6  PRINT AND STUDY Forensic Atomic Structure):

week 6  Forensic Atomic Structure   (obtain here Forensic Atomic Structure ) How do we identify element here and elsewhere in the universe will be explored. To Identify elements you will use the Chart and the link Spectra of Gas Discharges.mht at this link you can click on a spectra to get a better resolution.

FOR the NEXT week  lab session (week 7Go to CLEA WEBSITE and  go to the software link and print up the student manual for the "Classification of Stellar Spectra" exercise, READ THE INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL and bring to class next week lab session. You can also download the software to your system for further study and finishing up later.

week 7  Classification of stellar Spectra   student manual and software at    Additional assignments may be presented using the software.

week 8  Classification of stellar Spectra continued      Print up the following extension to the exercises: OTHER LUMINOSITY CLASSES

 

week 9  finish up stellar spectra  

 

week 10 Binary star simulations part i

(LAB STARTS ON THIS LINK) Binary Star simulations Part I

week 11 hr diagram of star clusters part i

(LAB STARTS ON THIS LINK) found in CLEA VIREO SOFTWARE..located in the lab and also at the CLEA site.

Student manual link! (word doc)

 

week 12-End  Astrophysics fun?

CUPS LABS( courtesy J. Napilitano RPI)

1. The Interior Model of a Star Part I

 2. The Interior Model of a Star Part II

3. Stellar Evolution on and off the Main Sequence

4. Stellar Evolution The Collapse of a Protostar

5. Binary Stars the CUPS approach

6. Mapping the Spiral Arms of the Galaxy