Introduction to Astrophysics Syllabus

 Instructor

Dovi Poznanski

Email : dovi@tau.ac.il

Academic Year, Semesters

2018B

Number of Hours/ Credits

3+1

Mandatory/Elective

Elective (except physics only majors)

Prerequisites

Analytical Mechanics, Special Relativity, QM1

Year in program & how often given, if relevant

Year 3 of physics, given annually

Course overview – short abstract

Stars - observations, stellar structure, stellar evolution, compact stars, interstellar medium, galaxies, cosmology.

Learning outcomes – short description (if you don’t have LOs, then don’t write anything in this part)

Assessment: coursework and grade structure

Final exam – 100%

Week-by-week content, assignments and reading

Week 1 Introduction, basic stellar observations

Week 2-4 Stellar physics

Week 5-6 Stellar evolution, compact remnants

Week 7-8 Star formation, Interstellar medium

Week 9 Galaxies

Week 10 Gravitational Lensing

Week 11-13 Cosmology (introduction, Friedman equations, solutions, observations, Cosmic Microwave Background, early Universe)

Required text – in language of origin (if Hebrew or Arabic, no need to translate it)

Astrophysics in a Nutshell by Dan Maoz, Princeton University Press