AST2002H - Astrophysics

Course Outline:

This course presents an introduction to the theoretical aspects of modern astrophysics. The key objective is to illustrate the application of physical laws in an astronomical context and to explain how we know what we do about the universe and its constituents. Subject matter broached includes: Celestial mechanics; radiation laws; blackbody radiation, Planck function and approximations; magnitudes; the hydrogen atom; stellar spectroscopy; stellar evolution and remnants; special relativity; the Earth-Moon system; the Solar system; extrasolar planets; stellar motions; the Milky Way and other galaxies; the extragalactic distance scale; large scale structure; Newtonian cosmology.