Astronomy Graduate Courses

ASTR 622: The Interstellar Medium

Astrophysics of diffuse matter, HII regions, molecular clouds, star formation.

ASTR 623: Stellar Interiors & Evolution

Historical introduction; basic physics (pressure, hydrostatic equilibrium, energy transfer, convective instability, energy generation); observational sources of information about the stars; polytropes; star formation; single and binary star evolution; planetary nebulae, white dwarfs, supernovae, neutron stars, black holes.

ASTR 626: Galaxies

Structure and dynamics of elliptical and spiral galaxies, populations, dark matter, clusters, galaxy formation and evolution.

ASTR 627: Cosmology

Geometry and evolution of the universe. Dark matter. Early universe, Formation of large scale structure, galaxies and clusters. Cosmological models.

ASTR 630: The Solar System

Survey of observational data and physical concepts on planets and smaller bodies; formation of planetary systems; solar activity.

ASTR 631: Radiative Transfer and Stellar Atmospheres

Excitation, ionization, and radiative transfer in stellar atmospheres; model atmospheres, formation of line and continuum radiation; stellar winds.

ASTR 633: Astrophysical Techniques

Telescopes, positional astronomy, photon detection, error analysis, photometry, spectroscopy. Offered each fall semester.

ASTR 635: Fundamentals of Astrophysics

Applications of fundamental physics to astrophysical situations. Elements of general relativity. Basics of hydrodynamics and shock waves. Radiative processes. High energy astrophysics. Modern dynamics.

ASTR 640: General Relativity

Introduction to gravity and General Relativity. Tensor basics, classical scalar, vector and tensor field theories. Exact symmetric Einstein equation, gravito-magnetic weak field, and radiation solutions.

ASTR 641: Active Galaxies

Phenomenology of active galactic nuclei, black holes, accretion flows and jets, emission mechanisms, host galaxies, and cosmic evolution. 

ASTR 657: Astrochemistry

This course anthologizes latest trends and the very first principles on how complex astrobiological molecules and their precursors are synthesized on the molecular level in various interstellar environments and in our solar system.  Cross-listed as CHEM 657 and GG 657.

ASTR 699: Directed Reading & Research

First semester: directed reading and overview of research at the IfA (1 credit, CR/NC). Thereafter: directed research with individual faculty members (1 to 6 credits).

ASTR 700: Masters Thesis Research

ASTR 734/735/736: Astronomy Seminars

Selected advanced topics in astronomy and astrophysics. Topics change every semester.

ASTR 740: Astrobiology Seminar: Origin, Evolution and the Role of Water for Life in the Universe

Interdisciplinary research topics in astrobiology as they relate to the theme of water: formation in space, role in creating pre-biotic moleculrs, delivery to earth, and terrestrial planet habitability.

ASTR 777: Star Formation

Molecular clouds, collapse processes, physics of circumstellar disks and accretion, properties of young stars, outflow and jets, formation of binaries, extrasolar planets and planet formation, meteorites and the early solar system.

ASTR 800: PhD Dissertation Research