AST 309R

"Astronomy Bizarre: Galaxies, Quasars, Cosmology"

Fall 1998

MWF 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Welch 3.502
Unique No. 45050
PROFESSOR: Gregory Shields
Office: RLM 15.224
Phone: 471-1402
E-mail: shields@astro.as.utexas.edu
Office Hours: MW 2:00 - 3:00 p.m., F 10:00 - 11:00 a.m., or by appointment
Web page: http://bluebump.as.utexas.edu/shields.html

TA: Mr. Feng Ma
Office: 16.216
Phone: 471-0445
E-mail: feng@astro.as.utexas.edu
Office Hours: TTH 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: How did the universe begin? How did the fiery gases of the Big Bang collect into "island universes" like our own Milky Way, even as the Universe as a whole was expanding into the frigid emptiness of today? What processes led to the formation of stars, planets, and life? Where do we go from here?

This course presents a survey of historical and modern observations and theories about the structure and evolution of the Universe. Topics emphasized include the evidence for the Big Bang, the formation of galaxies, the nature of quasars, and the origin of the earth. We trace the evolution of the Universe from the first millisecond through the creation the primeval fireball radiation and the birth and evolution of galaxies. We examine the rich variety of observations of quasars and the reasons for suspecting that the 'monster' at the center is a giant black hole. We consider the birth of stars, the formation of the solar system, and the question of intelligent life in the Universe.

Mathematics will include high school algebra but no calculus. Lectures will be illustrated with slides and occasional films.

PREREQUISITES: AST 301, 302, or 303, or an equivalent descriptive introduction to astronomy of one semester or more.
GRADING: Course grade will be based on two hour exams in class, a comprehensive final exam, and homework. Exams will be closed book and will involve both multiple choice and essay questions. Exams will cover lectures, assigned reading, and homework. Make-up tests will not be given except for a compelling reason presented in advance or in case of illness. Exam weights and tentative dates are:

First exam 20% W 9/23
Second exam 25% W 10/28
FINAL EXAM 40% F 12/11 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Homework will count 15%, based on grading of selected problems from each homework set.
HELP SESSIONS: The lecture before each exam will be devoted to reviewing the material on the exam. Additional help sessions will be scheduled for help with the homework and class material.
REQUIRED TEXT: The Big Bang, by Joseph Silk (1989), revised edition, W.H. Freeman and Co., ISBN 0-7167-1812-X, 485 pages. (Available at the Co-Op and elsewhere. Used copies OK.) A description of modern cosmology by a leading theoretical cosmologist. Includes a historical summary, observational and theoretical foundations of the Big Bang model, active galaxies, and the origin of the solar system and life.
DROP DATES: You may drop any course without academic penalty until September 23. You can then drop courses until October 21 with a Q or F, depending on your performance in class up to that time. After October 21, you may drop the course or withdraw from the University only for an urgent and substantiated, nonacademic reason. Consult the University's published calendar to verify these dates and for further information.
STAR PARTIES: Every Wednesday evening, if the weather is clear, there will be telescopes set up on the roof of RLM Hall by the 16-inch telescope dome. These sessions will start about one-half hour after sunset. Graduate students will be available to show you astronomical sights and answer questions. Some sessions may be preceded by a film or lecture. There is also a 9-inch telescope on Painter Hall that is open to UT students on Friday evenings and to the general public on Saturday evenings. You can use the 9-inch telescope if you are checked out on it. McDonald Observatory, in west Texas has star parties Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. The public is invited to look through the 107-inch telescope one evening a month. Information on this and other programs of the McDonald Observatory Public Information Office can be obtained on the World Wide Web at StarDate Online (phone 471-5285).
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Professor Shields was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in Nebraska and Kansas. He earned a B.S. in Physics from Stanford University in 1968 and a Ph.D. in Astronomy at Caltech in 1973. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard, he joined the UT faculty in 1974. He now holds the title of The Jane and Roland Blumberg Centennial Professor in Astronomy, and served as Chairman of the Department of Astronomy from 1990 to 1994. He has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses throughout his career at UT. His research interests include theoretical studies of ionized nebulae in galaxies and the nature of quasars. He has published numerous research papers and several popular articles in various areas of astronomy.
ABOUT THE TA: Mr. Feng Ma was born in China in 1973. He received a B.S. in Applied Physics from Beijing University and an M.S. in Theoretical Physics from Beijing Normal University in 1994. He then entered the graduate program in Astronomy at UT. He has been a TA for AST 301, AST 309L, and AST 309R. His research interests emphasize the observational aspects of quasars and active galactic nuclei.
SUGGESTED READING: Black Holes, Quasars, and the Universe, by H.L. Shipman (1980), second edition, Houghton Mifflin Co., ISBN 0-395-28499-6, 246 pages. A dated but highly readable and enjoyable account of white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, quasars, and cosmology. (Out of print; use library or borrow instructor's copy.)

A Short History of the Universe, by Joseph Silk (1994), Scientific American Library, W.H. Freeman and Co., ISBN 0-7167-5048-1. An up-to-date, attractively illustrated summary of the evolution of the Universe from the Big Bang to the present. Similar technical level to The Big Bang but briefer.

Voyage to the Great Attractor: Exploring Intergalactic Space, by Alan Dressler (1994), Alred A. Knopf, Inc., ISBN 0-394-58899-1, 355 pages. A combination of personal reminiscences and scientific exposition by an astronomer who has made important contributions to observational cosmology. Vividly written, with uninhibited commentary on the personalities of various astronomers.