2023-24 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Nov 03, 2024  
2023-24 Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Add to Portfolio (opens a new window)

PHY 550 - Intermediate Astronomy

A survey of modern astronomy and the physical principles used to describe astronomical phenomena. Topics may include the Big Bang, formation of the Sun and Solar System, the Earth and planetary geology, the stars and stellar evolution, and the Milky Way and other galaxies. Prerequisites: PHY 202 or PHY 106; and MAT 121 or MAT 135. Fulfills: LASR; PRES. (3 cr. hr.)
Frequency code F = offered in fall

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Mathematically describe the orbit of a planet in terms of the six classical orbital elements.
  2. Analyze galactic structure in terms of dark matter, disk, and bulge components.
  3. Apply the Equations of Stellar Structure to deduce the temperature, density, and pressure of a star as functions of radius.
  4. Compute the age of the universe given fundamental observations of its structure.
  5. Explain the Big Bang Theory and Inflation in terms of basic Relativistic concepts.



Add to Portfolio (opens a new window)