The department offers general courses to all University students, including those who are not science oriented.
The Astronomy 2A-2B two-term sequence covers the material in courses 3, 4, and 6. Students may take one sequence or the other, but not both.
Astronomy 3 is the fundamental one-term course for students who do not major in physical sciences and should be taken in the first or second year. Students who had an astronomical introductory course in high school should take either courses 2A-2B, or 3H.
Astronomy 4, 5, and 6 develop the topics covered in course 3 to somewhat greater depths. They use more mathematics but are still aimed at nonscience majors. Course 4 details the stars and stellar systems; course 5 concentrates on the problem of life in the universe; course 6 discusses endpoints of stellar evolution and the structure and evolution of the universe. These three courses may be taken in any order by students with a grade of C or better in course 3, or whose astronomical knowledge is on a similar level.
Students who have had at least two courses in high school algebra and one course in trigonometry are advised to take, instead of Astronomy 3, the parallel honors course, Astronomy 3H. Declared or potential majors in astrophysics or in physical sciences should take course 3H if they need an elementary introductory course in astronomy.
Astronomy 81 and 82 are general survey courses recommended for science majors in their second year. They systematically introduce astrophysics and require a good background in physics and mathematics (at least two terms of the Physics 8 series and two terms of the Mathematics 31/32 series).
Students of junior and senior standing in physics or related sciences are invited to select any of these courses: 115, 117, 127, 140, 180.
2A-2B. Introduction to the Physical Universe. Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Thorough introductory survey of astronomy for students not planning to major in physical sciences. Same topics as course 3 but in greater depth, with emphasis on physical reasoning. 2A. Planets and Stars; 2B. Galaxies and Cosmology. Enforced requisite: course 2A (C or better).
3. Astronomy: Nature of the Universe. Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Not open to students with credit for or currently enrolled in course 3H or 81 or 82. No special mathematical preparation required beyond that necessary for admission to the University in freshman standing. Course for general University students, normally not intending to major in physical sciences, on development of ideas in astronomy and what has been learned of the nature of the universe, including recent discoveries and developments.
3H. Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics. Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Not open to students with credit for or currently enrolled in course 3. Introduction to astronomy and astrophysics for freshmen who are seriously interested in science. Requires ability to understand mathematical and physical concepts, but high school algebra and trigonometry classes provide sufficient qualification. Particularly recommended for declared or potential majors in astrophysics or in physical and mathematical sciences.
4. Universe of Stars and Stellar Systems. Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisite: course 3 or 3H. Essentially nonmathematical course for general University students with previous introduction to astronomy; sequel to course 3, dealing in greater detail with stars and stellar systems. Various observed types of stars in relation to their internal structure and evolutionary state. Interacting binary stars, pulsating stars, explosive stars (novae and supernovae). Mass loss from stars, stellar wind. Galactic and planetary nebulae and their relation to stars. Interstellar medium. Initial stages of stellar evolution (protostars, T Tauri stars) and final stages (degenerate and collapsed stars). Stellar systems from clusters to galaxies.
5. Life in the Universe. Preparation: prior introduction to astronomy. Life on Earth and prospects for life elsewhere in the context of the evolution of the universe from the simple to complex. Course material primarily from astronomy and biology but includes some chemistry, geology, and physics. Selected topics treated in some depth, but with little or no formal mathematics.
6. Cosmology: Our Changing Concepts of the Universe. Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisite: course 3 or 3H. Exposition of our ideas about the structure and evolution of the universe and its contents. Special and general relativity; black holes, neutron stars, and other endpoints of stellar evolution. Expanding universe, cosmic microwave background radiation, dark matter. Big Bang and inflation.
81. Astrophysics I: Stars and Nebulae. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, one hour. Enforced requisites: Mathematics 31A, 31B, Physics 8A. Open to qualified sophomore and upper division students. Survey of our knowledge about stars: their distances, masses, luminosities, temperatures, and interrelations between these parameters. Methods and importance for astrophysics. Variable stars. Planetary and gaseous nebulae.
82. Astrophysics II: Stellar Evolution, Galaxies, and Cosmology. Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisites: Mathematics 31A, 31B, Physics 8A. Recommended: course 81, Physics 8B, 8C. Open to qualified sophomore and upper division students. Basic principles of stellar structure and evolution. Red giants, white dwarfs, novae, supernovae, neutron stars, and black holes. Pulsars and galactic X-ray sources. Milky Way galaxy and the interstellar medium. Extragalactic astronomy, galaxy clustering, active galactic nuclei, and quasars. Introduction to cosmology: Hubble law, thermal history of the Big Bang, and earliest moments of the universe.
88A-88Z. Lower Division Seminars (2 units each). Discussion, two hours; outside study, four hours. Limited to freshmen. Variable topics; consult Schedule of Classes for topics to be offered in a specific term. P/NP or letter grading:
88A. Cosmic Evolution. Varied astronomical and physical processes of evolution; discussion of how, over billions of years, basic mechanisms of cosmic evolution have transformed universe from fiery origin at Big Bang into abode for intelligent life.
115. Statistical Mechanics and Its Application to Astrophysics. Lecture, three hours. Prerequisites: Mathematics 31A, 31B, 32A, 32B, 33A, 33B, Physics 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D. Particle distributions, partition functions, black body radiation, Saha equation, degeneracy. Applications to stellar atmospheres, stellar interiors, and the interstellar medium.
117. Radiation and Fluids in Astrophysics. Lecture, three hours. Prerequisites: course 115 or equivalent and junior standing in astrophysics or physics, or consent of instructor. Emission and absorption of radiation by matter, spectroscopy, spectral lines, and radiative transfer. Hydrodynamics and shock waves. Applications to stars, to interstellar and intergalactic media, and to the early universe.
127. Stellar Atmospheres, Interiors, and Evolution. Lecture, three hours. Prerequisite: senior standing in astrophysics or physics or consent of instructor. Recommended: courses 115, 117. Physical conditions in stellar interiors. Energy production in stars. Stellar evolution from star formation through normally observed stages to white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. Novae, supernovae, other variable stars, chromospheres and coronae of sun and stars. Evolution of binary stars. Analysis of stellar atmospheres.
140. Stellar Systems and Cosmology. Lecture, three hours. Prerequisite: senior standing in astrophysics or physics or consent of instructor. Properties of star clusters and galaxies, with particular emphasis on Milky Way galaxy. Clusters and superclusters of galaxies. Extragalactic distance scale. Quasars and active galaxies. Topics in cosmology, including expansion of the universe, microwave background, galaxy formation from primordial fluctuations, and observational constraints on the Big Bang.
180. Astrophysics Laboratory. Lecture, two hours; laboratory, four hours. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing in astrophysics, physics, or a related field, consent of instructor. Lectures cover statistical methods in astrophysics, one- and two-dimensional random processes, and numerical methods. Laboratory experiments involve radio astronomy, interferometry, narrowband solar imaging, and visual photometry. Emphasis on use of computers for automatic collection of data and for processing two-dimensional astronomical images.
199. Special Studies (2 or 4 units). Prerequisites: senior standing in astrophysics or physics (with an outstanding record), consent of instructor. Special studies with an individual faculty member.
219C. Stellar Systems (10 units). Statistical astronomy. Distance determination. Stellar motions and populations. Stellar dynamics. Structure of the galaxy. Galaxies and clusters of galaxies. Distribution of matter in space. Cosmology.
270. Fundamentals I: Fluids and Dynamics. Lecture, three hours. Dynamics of gaseous flows and collisionless, self-gravitating systems. Basic equations of fluid dynamics, with application to shocks, winds, and accretion. The Jeans, Kelvin/Helmholtz, and Rayleigh/Taylor instabilities. Basic equations of stellar dynamics and application to relaxation processes, including virialization, core collapse, and dynamical friction.
271. Fundamentals II: Radiation. Lecture, three hours. Radiative transitions in molecules, atoms, and nuclei. Sources of continuous and line radiation. Transition probabilities for spontaneous and stimulated emission and for absorption. Source function and equation of radiative transfer, with applications. Curve of growth and abundance determinations. Scattering processes, polarized light, masers.
272. Stellar Structure and Evolution. (Formerly numbered 227A-227B-227C.) Lecture, three hours. Structure and evolution of stars, stellar energy sources and problems of nucleosynthesis, theory of variable stars, structure of the sun from helioseismology and neutrinos. Supernova processes. Binary systems.
273. Stellar Photospheres. (Formerly numbered 217A-217B-217C.) Lecture, three hours. Physics of stellar photospheres. Radiative transfer under stellar atmosphere conditions. Continuous and line spectra of stars. Chemical abundances in stars. Stellar winds and stars with extended atmospheres.
274. Galaxies. (Formerly numbered 219A.) Lecture, three hours. Galaxy properties: kinematics, mass, morphology, stellar populations; stellar orbits and spiral structure; galaxy formation; galaxy clusters, collisions, and mergers; observations and theory of quasars and active galactic nuclei.
275. Cosmology. (Formerly numbered 219B.) Lecture, three hours. Prerequisite: course 274. Thermal and physical history of the universe. Interaction of matter and cosmic microwave background radiation. Study of inhomogeneities in the universe from inflationary epoch to the current large-scale structure.
276. Instrumentation and Observational Techniques. Lecture, three hours. Telescopes, optical principles, cameras, and spectrographs. Optical detectors; photomultiplier tubes, CCDs. Infrared detectors and arrays. Radio detectors. X-ray and gamma-ray detectors. Interferometry and aperture synthesis. Data analysis techniques. Statistical methods.
277A-277B. Astronomy Research Project (6 units each). Prerequisite: second-year graduate standing in astronomy. Two-term research project planned in conjunction with a faculty adviser on any suitable research topic in astronomy or astrophysics, culminating in a written report at end of second term. S/U (course 277A) or letter (course 277B) grading.
278. Special Topics in Astronomy (2 or 4 units). Informal course with lecture/seminar format, focusing on one of a set of specific topics in astronomy. S/U (two-unit course) or letter (four-unit course) grading.
279. Seminar: Current Astronomical Research (2 units). (Formerly numbered 250.) Astronomy and astrophysics colloquium with lectures on current research by local and visiting researchers. S/U grading.
M285. Origin and Evolution of Solar System. (Same as Earth and Space Sciences M285.) Dynamical problems of solar system; chemical evidences from geochemistry, meteorites, and solar atmosphere; nucleosynthesis; solar origin, evolution, and termination; solar nebula, hydromagnetic processes, formation of planets and satellite systems. Content varies from year to year. May be repeated for credit. S/U grading.
296. Research Topics in Astronomy (2 units). (Formerly numbered 296A-296Z.) Advanced study and analysis of current topics in astronomy. Discussion of current research and literature in research specialty of faculty member teaching course. May be repeated for credit. S/U grading.
M297. Research Tutorial: Astroparticle Physics (2 or 4 units). (Same as Physics M297.) Lecture, one hour; discussion, two hours. Required of each graduate student doing research in this field. Seminar and discussion by faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students on topics of current interest in astroparticle physics. May be repeated for credit. S/U grading.
375. Teaching Apprentice Practicum (1 to 4 units). Preparation: apprentice personnel employment as a teaching assistant, associate, or fellow. Teaching apprenticeship under active guidance and supervision of a regular faculty member responsible for curriculum and instruction at the University. May be repeated for credit. S/U grading.
The following courses may be repeated at the discretion of the department:
596A. Directed Individual Studies (4 to 10 units).
596L. Advanced Study and Research at Lick Observatory (4 to 12 units). Intended for graduate students who require observational experience, as well as those working on observational problems for their thesis.
599. Ph.D. Research and Writing (10 to 12 units).