Office:
Email:
Hours:

Office:
Phone:
Email:
Hours:

GRADES: There will be five hour-long examinations each counting 20 percent of the grade. The exams are tentatively scheduled for 9/13, 10/4, 10/25, 11/15, 12/6. There will be no comprehensive final. The exams will be mostly multiple choice plus 2-3 short essay questions.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is a specialized course for non-science majors that will presume some knowledge of the basic astronomical concepts presented in Astronomy 301. There will be a minimum of mathematics, but a familiarity with basic algebra and scientific notation ("powers of ten") will be helpful.

COURSE CONTENT: Background on stellar evolution in single and double stars followed by
discussion of supernovae, neutron stars and black holes with applications to gamma-ray bursts, worm holes, determining the origin, state, and fate of the Universe, and hints of extra dimensions.

TEXT: The book was written by the instructor based on many years of teaching this class. It is titled Cosmic Catastrophes: Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts, and Adventures in Hyperspace and published by Cambridge University Press. Other material will be added as needed.

HELP SESSIONS: Weekly help sessions will be scheduled Thursday in RLM 15.216B at 5:00 p.m. to discuss class material and exams. These sessions and office hours allow a more nearly one-on-one relationship and are a valuable addition to the lecture.

WEB SITE: http://www.as.utexas.edu/astronomy/education/fall02/wheeler/main.html