Astronomy

Paper Code: 
PHY-613
Credits: 
03
Contact Hours: 
45.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

This course will enable the students to -

                                                                                   

This paper is designed to develop knowledge of Stars & stellar systems, Stellar Evolution, White dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes, Pulsars, The sun and solar system. This paper provides general information about the universe and equilibrium dynamics of planets and starts and develops necessary background for further studies and research programmes in astronomy and astrophysics.

 

Course Outcomes (COs):

          Course

Learning outcome (at course level)

Learning and teaching strategies

Assessment Strategies

Paper Code

Paper Title

 

   PHY 613

 

     Astronomy

(Theory)

 

The students will be able to –

 

CO169: Ability to comprehend astronomical scales and understand basic concepts of positional astronomy like astronomical coordinate system and measurement of distances, time and temperature and radius of star.

 

CO170: Understand about star evolution & supernova .

 

CO171: Understanding Physics of Dwarfs, neutron stars and black hole.

 

CO172: Acquire basic knowledge of Pulsars and binary stars.

 

CO173: Understanding of

Components of Solar System and its evolution

 

CO174: The student acquires abilities to take up higher studies/research in Astro- Physics.

 

 

Approach in teaching:

Interactive Lectures, Discussion, Tutorials, Power point presentation, Problem Solving in tutorials,  Visit to Birla Platenorium &  Swai Man Singh Jantar-Mantar the Astronomical open Lab.  

 

Learning activities for the students:

Self learning assignments, Effective questions, Seminar presentation, Solving numerical

Additional learning – Online Videos.

Class test, Semester end examinations, Quiz, Solving problems , Assignments, Presentations

 

9.00
Unit I: 
I

Stars & stellar systems: Introduction, stars, stellar magnitudes & colours, pulsars, stellar binaries, theoretical constraints on astronomical observations.

Stellar structure: introduction, equation of stellar structure, solutions to equations, toy stellar models, observational aspects of stellar atmospheres.

 

9.00
Unit II: 
II

Stellar Evolution: Introduction, pre-main sequence collapse, evolution of high mass stars, evolution of low mass stars, late stage evolution of stars.

Supernova: Introduction, Formulation of iron cores & neutrino cooling, core collapse, supernova luminosity & light curves.

10.00
Unit III: 
III

White dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes: introduction, structure of white dwarfs,  surface structure & thermal evolution of white dwarfs, neutron star models, mass bounds for neutron stars, internal structure of neutron stars, gravitational collapse & black holes, rotating black holes.

 

9.00
Unit IV: 
IV

Pulsars: Introduction, EM field around the pulsar, glitches in pulsars, pulsar timing, pulsar scintillation.

Binary stars & Accretion: Introduction, low mass and high mass X-ray binaries, accretion disks, general relativistic effects in binary systems.

 

8.00
Unit V: 
V

The sun and solar system: Introduction, the standard solar model, solar neutrinos, solar oscillations, the atmosphere and corona of the sun, solar wind, brief description of the solar system, aspects of solar system dynamics.

 

Essential Readings: 

 

  • Green, S.F. & Jones, M.H., An Introduction to the Sun and Stars (Cambridge University Press)
  • Jones, M.H. & Lambourne, R.J.A., An Introduction to Galaxies & Cosmology (Cambridge
  • University Press)
  • Carroll, B.W. & Ostlie, D.A., An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics (Pearson)
  • Shu, F.H., The Physical Universe, An Introduction to Astronomy, (University Science Books)
  • Motz, L. & Duveen, A., The Essentials of Astronomy, (Colombia University Press)
  • T. Padmanabhan, Theoritical Astrophysics, volume II, (Cambridge University Press)

 

Academic Year: 
2021-2022
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