Extragalactic Astronomy & Cosmology
Galaxies are massive collections of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter. They are both the birthplace of stars and planets and the signposts of the universe. By studying what happens inside galaxies, we are able to understand the conditions under which stars form. By studying the galaxies themselves, we can understand how the environment shapes their structure and makeup. By studying the distribution of galaxies, we gain insight into the structure and evolution of the universe as a whole. In this class, we will undertake a detailed, quantitative study of galaxies, with particular attention to the environment in which galaxies form and evolve and their place in the universe as a whole.
The schedule for the course is below. Note that links to problem sets and materials will become active as the term goes on.
Week of | Topic | Reading | Problem Set |
Feb 19 | Foundations & Fundamentals | Ch. 1 | |
Feb 26 | The Milky Way | Ch. 2 | Problem Set 1 30MA – NED |
March 4 | The Milky Way (cont.) | Ch. 2 | Problem Set 2 30MA (use right click -> Save As on files below) 30MA – Data File Gnuplot Demo |
March 11 | Properties of Large Galaxies | Ch. 3.1 – 3.3 | |
March 18 | Scaling Relations and Galaxy Populations | Ch. 3.4 – 3.8 | Problem Set 3 30MA – GalaxyZoo |
March 25 | Photometry & Galaxy Properties | Ch. 3.9 – 3.10 | Problem Set 4 Surface Photometry Python Code (Right Click-> Save Link As) SDSS Images (Right Click-> Save Link As): NGC 7817 NGC 5831 |
April 1 | Galaxy Properties (cont.) | Ch. 3.9 – 3.10 | |
April 8 | Review (Friday) | ||
April 15 | Exam (Tuesday) + AGN | Ch. 5 | |
April 22 | AGN (cont.) + Dark Matter (no class Friday) | Ch. 5 | Problem Set 5 |
April 29 | Large Scale Structure | Ch. 6 | |
May 6 | Galaxy Evolution (no class Tuesday) | Ch. 6 | Tully-Fisher Lab |
May 13 | Cosmology | Ch. 4 & 7 | Problem Set 6 |
May 20 | Cosmology (cont.) A Tale of Many H0 | Ch. 4 & 7 | |
May 27 | Exam Equation Sheet |