Professor
Gregory A. Shields
Office: RLM 15.224
Office Hours: M 1-2,
W 2-3
Phone: (512) 471-1402
shields@astro.as.
utexas.edu
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Course Description
This course is an introduction to stellar astrophysics and some other topics of modern astrophysics. The core subject is
the structure and evolution of stars, including the relevant physics. This includes absorption and emission of radiation
by atoms, radiative transfer, hydrostatic equilibrium, and nuclear energy production. Other topics include black holes,
active galactic nuclei, and other high energy phenomena. This course is intended for astronomy majors and other science
and engineering majors with some background in undergraduate math and physics, including mechanics, electricity
and magnetism, differential and integral calculus, and vector calculus.
Prerequisite
Physics 316 and 116L (Electricity and Magnetism)
Grading
Course grade will be based on two exams in class, project, and homework. Exams will be closed book involving
numerical problems and essay questions. Exams will cover lectures, assigned reading, and homework. Exam weights
and (tentative) dates are:
First Exam
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20%
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W 10/13
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Second Exam
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30%
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W 12/1
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Homework will count 30%, based on grading of one or more selected problems from each homework set.
Individual or group project will count 20%; nature of projects to be discussed in class.
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