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Syllabus Downloadable Syllabus ( pdf ) AST 309N - LIVES AND DEATHS OF THE STARS Section: Unique No. 48370, Fall 2005 Class Meetings: TuTh 11:00 AM, Welch 3.502 Instructor: Prof. Harriet Dinerstein, (512) 471-3449 Office: RLM (Dean Keeton & Speedway) 16.324 E-mail: harriet@astro.as.utexas.edu Office Hours: M 1:30-2:30, W 10:30-11:30, or by appt Teaching Assistant: Marcelo Alvarez Help Sessions: To be announced (usually evenings before hour exams) Context and Prerequisite: Ast 309N is an elective course for non-science majors. The prerequisite is Ast 301 or the equivalent: a one-semester, college-level introductory survey course in astronomy. While we will remind you about certain things you might have forgotten since your intro class, you are expected to be familiar with the basic ideas and terms covered in introductory astronomy courses. Subject Matter: In Ast 309N, we will focus on the nature and life cycles of stars, both ordinary and exotic. Major topics will include: how the Sun and other stars create the energy that keeps them glowing; how the stars are born, age, and "die" (and what remains behind when they die); what we currently know about planets around other stars; how stars create the elements of which the Earth and living things are made; the nature of cosmic explosions such as novae and supernovae; and the evidence that black holes really do exist. We will also cover the basic concepts of the theories of relativity (in a qualitative way) and discuss what exciting discoveries might be made with planned space missions and experiments. Textbooks: We will not have a formal textbook this semester. The book "Cosmic Catastrophes" by J. Craig Wheeler is useful for some of the topics we cover, but is currently available only as a used book (a new edition is in preparation). Some other relevant books will be placed on reserve in the Physics-Math-Astronomy library, which is located on the ground floor of RLM, but mainly you will be responsible for the material presented in class and posted at the Course Website. There will be files that you can download and print, including instructorÕs notes, power point slides, summaries, and study guides, as well as links to relevant websites. Instructor Expectations: I want the time you spend in class to be useful, and to be used for learning and thinking. I expect you to attend class regularly and to come on time. Some in-class activities will provide participation credits towards your course grade. When we are not engaged in a group activity or discussion, I expect you to pay attention to the speaker, whether it be the instructor, TA, or a student, and not to engage in behavior that distracts others (private conversations, rustling papers, etc.) Please turn off your cell phones during class. Finally, while we will do our best to promptly post announcements on the class web pages, it is your responsibility to keep up with the readings and stay informed about assignments, test dates, etc. Course Exams: There will be four in-class exams of equal weight (25% each), at roughly equally-spaced intervals. The sum of your best three exam scores determines 75% of your grade. Because of this flexible policy, there will be no make-up exams for a missed hour exam, nor will any students be allowed to take an exam earlier than the rest of the class. However, you will also have the option of replacing a low exam score with your grade on an (optional) comprehensive final exam given at the official final exam time for classes that meet TuTh 11:00 AM. (Note: This official time slot is Saturday, Dec. 17, from 7:00 - 10:00 PM. If you want to reserve the option of taking the final, you are responsible for ensuring that you are still in Austin then!) Grading Basis: Course grades will be awarded on a point system. There are no quotas on "A's" or "B's" and your course grade will be based only on your individual performance. The course grade will be determined according to these rules: Hour exams - (75%). The best three scores on the hour exams, counting each as 25%. If you miss an exam or are unhappy with a grade, you may substitute your score on the optional final exam for a lower grade on one of the hour exams. Exam formats will be mainly multiple-choice questions, plus a few short essays.Credits earned in these ways accumulate, up to 25% of the course grade, but cannot exceed 25%. (Participation credits do not replace adequate performance on exams.) Letter-grade equivalences for numerical scores will be announced around the middle of the semester. Grade records will be posted on-line via the eGradebook at UTdirect. Links to "eGradebook" are available on your UTDirect home page, or at the course site. Preliminary Exam Dates: The following are tentative dates for the hour exams; they are subject to change, but changes will be announced at least a week in advance. Exam 1 - Thurs., Sep. 22Getting Help: The instructor and teaching assistant will be available for office hours several times during the week. Initially, these times will be:
If none of these times works for you, please contact the instructor or TA to set up a special appointment. Sending an e-mail is a good way to reach us. In addition, some of the in-class activities will also provide opportunities for you to ask questions about the material, and an evening review/help session will be scheduled before each exam. Scholastic Integrity: The University of Texas has recently adopted a new "honor code" regarding scholastic honesty and integrity. You are responsible for knowing and following these standards. For example, cheating during exams will not be tolerated, nor will plagiarism on written essays. Plagiarism is defined as representing the work of others as your own work, and includes more than just borrowing exact words; it also includes paraphrasing that just changes word order or one or two words in a sentence. This subject is addressed in detail at the website of the Dean of Students: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/academicintegrity.html Students With Disabilities: Upon request, the University of Texas at Austin provides appropriate academic adjustments for qualified students with disabilities. Contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, or (TTY) 471-4641, or via email to ssd@uts.cc.utexas.edu (link at http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ssd/). Important Dates for the Fall Semester: First class meeting: Thurs., Sep. 1 Last day of official add/drop period: Tues., Sep. 6 Last day to add a class, or to drop a class with a possible refund: Fri., Sep. 16 Last day to drop a class with an automatic "Q": Wed., Sep. 28 Last day to drop except for non-academic reasons: Wed., Oct. 26 (because of the policy regarding dropping the lowest exam scores, Q-drops will be granted up to this date) Special Events: The Astronomy Department offers evening Star Parties (viewing through small telescopes) on campus, several days a week. Wednesday evening star parties are restricted to UT students, while viewing is available to a larger pool, including the general public, on Fridays and Saturdays. Details of times and locations will be announced in class, listed (or linked) to the course website, or you can go to http://outreach.as.utexas.edu/public/viewing.html. Departmental Information: If questions arise during the semester that cannot be resolved with the instructor or TA, you may contact the Chair of the Undergraduate Studies Committee, Prof. Gregory Shields (471-1402 or via email at shields@astro.as.utexas.edu), or the Chairman of the Astronomy Department, Prof. Don Winget (471-3302, chairman@astro.as.utexas.edu). General Schedule of Topics: Unit 1 - Review of basic principles; how the Sun makes energy, solar neutrinos Unit 2 - Properties and life histories of stars of various masses; how the stars synthesize new elements; stellar "cinders" (dead stars) Unit 3 - Relativity: what happens at high speeds & strong gravity Unit 4 - Extreme stars: magnetic stars, black holes, & other oddballs of nature |
6 September 2005
Astronomy Program · The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, Texas 78712
prospective student inquiries: studentinfo@astro.as.utexas.edu
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Astronomy Program · The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, Texas 78712
prospective student inquiries: studentinfo@astro.as.utexas.edu
site comments: www@www.as.utexas.edu