Astronomy 309N - Fall 2010
Lives and Deaths of Stars
ASTRONOMY BIZARRE: COSMIC CATASTROPHES

MWF 10:00-11:00 · WEL 3.502 · Unique No. 47700

cass a

Cass A (Chandra/NASA)

Professor

J. Craig Wheeler

A theoretical astrophysicist specializing in exploding stars and related topics

RLM 17.230 · MWF 5-6, or by appt · email

Courses - Fall '10  |  Course Website

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Schedule

  1. Setting the Stage: The Universe is a Strange Place (Week 1)
    1. Introduction
    2. Background - Gravity and Quantum Theory, Forces

  2. Stellar Catastrophes (Weeks 2-4)
    1. Supernovae
    2. Supernovae 1987A

  3. Neutron Stars (Week 5)

  4. Black Holes in Theory: Into the Abyss (Weeks 6-7)
    1. Event Horizon and Singularity
    2. Black Holes in Space and Time
    3. Black Hole Evaporation: Hawking Radiation
    4. Fundamental Properties of Black Holes
    5. Inside Black Holes

  5. Black Holes in Fact: Exploring the Reality (Weeks 8-9)
    1. Black Hole X-ray Novae
    2. Miniquasars
    3. Supermassive Black Holes

  6. The Universe: Long, Long Ago and Far, Far Away (Weeks 10-11)
    1. Gamma-Ray Bursts: the Birth of Black Holes
    2. Probing the Size, Shape, and Fate of the Universe with Supernovae

  7. Black Holes, Worm Holes, and Beyond: the Frontiers (Weeks 12-13)
    1. Worm Holes
    2. Time Machines
    3. Quantum Gravity
    4. String Theory
    5. When the Singularity is not a Singularity
    6. Extra dimensions

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