A358-Sp19 Homepage
Astro 358 (Unique 46625)/ Spring 2019
Galaxies and the Universe


Current Announcements
Course Overview

Hours:
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Prof. Shardha Jogee
Th. 11:00 to 12.00
RLM (PMA) 15.214
(512) 471-3302
sj@astro.as.utexas.edu
Sydney B. Sherman
Mon. 11.00 to 12.00
RLM (PMA) 16.220
(512) 471-3447
ssherman@astro.as.utexas.edu
  • Course Calendar: The course outline/calendar provides an approximate sequencing of topics to be covered in class. There may be small schedule adjustments based on the learning curve of, and feedback from, the class. The course outline will be updated regularly and the most current version can be found on the class website at the above link.

    Note that as outlined in the Memo to Undergraduate Astronomy Students regarding Astronomy Courses , the professor is a professional astronomer(and Department Chair) who has research and professional responsibilities and may be occasionally on travel in order to conduct research, present colloquia, and attend scientific meetings. In such cases, there may be a schedule change and an appropriate replacement lecture or other assignment will be scheduled.

  • Course Grade: Your grades will be posted online on Canvas. I strongly recommend that you attend classes as assignments are primarily based on the lectures and your in-class participation count directly toward your final grade. The final grade will consist of
      45% Homeworks
      20% Midterm exam
      20% End-of-term exam
      15% In-class attendance, participation and activities (e.g., quizzes, talks)

    When converting your final numerical scores to letter grades, I will use the scheme below or one that is slightly more lenient.
    Letter Grade
    A
    A-
    B+
    B
    B-
    C+
    C
    C-
    D+
    D
    D-
    F
    		Grade Points
    4.00
    3.67
    3.33
    3.00
    2.67
    2.33
    2.00
    1.67
    1.33
    1.00
    0.67
    0.00
    		Numerical Score
    91% to 100%
    86% to 90%
    81% to 85%
    76% to 80%
    71% to 75%
    66% to 70%
    61% to 65%
    56% to 60%
    51% to 55%
    46% to 50%
    41% to 45%
    0% to 40%
  • Class and University Policies:

    • 2) Please turn off all cell phones before the start of class.
    • 3) If you have to miss a lecture, please email the TA and professor with a valid reason and present some official supporting document (e.g., a doctor's note for medical absences or a note from an academic administrator if your absence is related to participation in official UT events). It is your responsibility to catch up on missing material by getting the lecture notes from your classmates or visiting the professor's office to get a copy of some of the notes that can be copied.
    • 4) Late homeworks will be accepted for partial credit only if you have been granted an extension prior to the due date.
    • 5) Requests for correction or re-grade of an assignment (homework, exam or quiz) will be accepted at latest two weeks after it is handed back to you.
    • 6) There will be no final comprehensive exam.
    • 7) There will be makeup exams only for students having a valid excuse and an official note from UT for the specific date and time of the missed exam. Makeup exams may be based on any part of the course.
    • 8) You are encouraged to study with other students, but you must write up your own homework, exams, and quizzes. Cheating will be severely punished: if you copy someone's homework/quiz/exam or let someone copy yours, both of you will receive zero credit, and I will consider filing a report to the Dean of Students.
    • 10) By UT Austin policy, you must notify the professor of a pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

    • Academic Integrity and the University Code of Conduct: A fundamental principle for any educational institution, academic integrity is highly valued and seriously regarded at The University of Texas at Austin. More specifically, you and other students are expected to maintain absolute integrity and a high standard of individual honor in scholastic work undertaken at the University.
      The University Honor Code states: "The core values of the University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the University is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community."
      Academic dishonesty includes: cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, multiple submissions, and any other acts or attempted acts that violate the basic standard of academic integrity. Consequences of academic dishonesty can be severe. Grade-related penalties are routinely assessed but students can also be suspended or even permanently expelled from the University for scholastic dishonesty. Other potential consequences can be particularly far-reaching, such as the creation of a disciplinary record that may very well impact future opportunities. Furthermore, incidents of scholastic dishonesty diminish the overall value of scholastic achievements on this campus and reflect poorly on the University. Helpful resources:

    • Emergency Procedures: In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors. Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Students requiring assistance in evacuation should inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class. Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy and remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building. Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office.

    • Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL): The Behavior Concerns Advice Line is a service that provides The University of Texas at Austin’s faculty, students and staff an opportunity to discuss their concerns about another individual’s behavior. This service is a partnership among the Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD). An individual can either call the line 512-232-5050 or report online

Selected Material from Lectures/Assignments
  • The lecture extracts posted below only include a small fraction of the material covered in class, and they typically include figures, plots, tables, and qualitative descriptions. However, they do not include the quantitative derivations, worked examples, discussions, and other activities conducted in class. The latter material are typically written on the blackboard or document camera and will not be posted. It is therefore very important that you attend class. The best way to learn in this course is to combine the in-class notes and activities with the select material posted below, and do some supplementary reading using the books listed in the textbook section of the class website.
  • Due to past delays from suppliers selling the primary course textbook "Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology" (EAC) by Peter Schneider (Publisher: Spinger, copyright 2006) on time, we are providing the scanned versions of first few chapters:
  • Class Project: Talks by Student Teams
    In this assignment you will work in pre-assigned teams. Each team will give a presentation to the class on how specific current and future cutting-edge facilities will push the frontiers of knowledge in the field of galaxy formation and evolution. This should be a lot of fun for everyone and provide you with the opportunity to think about the frontiers in galaxy evolution and the exciting discoveries that might await us in the next decade!
    • This file provides detailed instructions for the project, including key deadlines; details of team membership; examples of what the talks should cover; resources for preparing the talks; and the format and schedules of talks.

  • Homework 5 (Note: This is due at the start of class on May 7, 2019. No late homeworks will be accepted as we will discuss the solution in class on May 7. )
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