Instructor: Dr. Mark Henriksen

Office: Physics 414

Office Hours: TuTh 1-2 or by appointment

Phone: 410-455-1980 (o)

Lecture: TuTh 11:30 - 12:45

Lecture Hall: Physics 107

Recommended Textbook:  "An Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics" by Ostlie  and Carroll. A basic astronomy textbook would also provide good background material. I have a number of introductory texts which I will make available. Sometimes  it is nice to look at material covered in class presented differently.

Recommended supplementary texts:

       Stars and Their Spectra : An Introduction to the Spectral
       Sequence by James B. Kaler Paperback - 320 pages 1
       edition (March 1997) Cambridge Univ Pr (Trd); ISBN:
       0521585708

       Cosmic Clouds : Birth, Death, and Recycling in the Galaxy
       by James B. Kaler Hardcover (March 1997) Scientific
       American Library; ISBN: 0716750759

       Big Bang by Joseph Silk Paperback - 485 pages 2nd edition
       (October 1988) W H Freeman & Co.; ISBN: 071671812X

       Astrophysical Concepts (Astronomy and Astrophysics
       Library) by Martin Harwit Hardcover - 650 pages 3rd
       edition (June 1998) Springer Verlag; ISBN: 0387949437

       Black Holes, White Dwarfs, and Neutron Stars : The
       Physics of Compact Objects by Stuart L. Shapiro, Saul A.
       Teukolsky (Contributor) Paperback - 672 pages (May 1983)
       John Wiley & Sons; ISBN: 0471873160
 

Summary:  A survey of the life and death of stars. Topics include star formation,  stellar  structure  and evolution,  stellar  death  (white dwarfs, neutron stars    and    black   holes), supernovae,   binary  star   systems  and accretion  onto compact objects, and x-ray sources.

Grading: There are 2  midterms, homework, project, and a final exam. The mid-terms will contribute 40% to your grade; the homework 20%, the project 10%, and the final exam will contribute 30%. The project will involve using the UMBC 32" telescope.

Lecture Schedule:
 

Lecture	Topic
1	Introduction to the Course: Modern Stellar Astrophysics
1,2	Binary Stars
3,4,5	Formation of Spectral Lines, HR Diagram
6,7,8,9	The Radiation Field, Stellar Opacity, Structure of Spectral Lines
10,11,12	Hydrostatic Equilibrium, Equation of State, Stellar Energy Source, Energy Transport, Main Sequence Stars
Midterm Exam - October 9
13,14,15,16	Interstellar Gas and Dust, Shocks Star Formation, Pre-main Sequence
17,18 - 22	Evolution on the Main Sequence, Late Stages of Stellar Evolution, Supernovae, Star Clusters
Midterm Exam - November 20
23	Stellar Pulsation
24 - 27	White Dwarfs, Chandrasekhar Limit, Neutron Stars, Pulsars, Blackholes
28,29	Close Binary Systems, X-ray Binaries
	Final Exam - December 13, 10:30 - 12:30