HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY AND COSMOLOGY

ASTRON 236

Multidisciplinary study of how the distribution of elements in the Universe has changed over the last 10-15 billion years by tracing the history of matter from the Big Bang to the present composition of the Earth. Emphasizes connections between astronomy, geology, and chemistry. Readings will draw both on scientific journals and the popular press to allow us to engage the material on multiple levels.

ASTRON 150

Intensively study selected topics of modern astronomy. Examples include missions to the planets, formation of stars and planets, end states of stellar evolution (supernovae, white dwarfs, pulsars, black holes), origin and evolution of the universe.

ASTRON 103

The cosmos is vast, mysterious, and beautiful. Join us on an exploration of the universe, from the big bang to the birth, life, and death of stars and the warped reality of black holes. Includes lifecycles of stars; supernovae and creation of elements; white dwarfs, pulsars and black holes; the Milky Way and galaxies; distances of stars and galaxies; quasars; expansion of universe; modern big bang cosmology, dark matter, dark energy.

ASTRON 335

Introduction to the study of our Universe as a whole. Distribution of matter on the largest scales. Equations for cosmic expansion; making observations in an expanding curved spacetime. Nucleosynthesis and other tests of the Big Bang hypothesis. Gravitational collapse and the growth of structure.

ASTRON 735

Extragalactic distance scale; groups and clusters of galaxies; distribution of galaxies and radio sources. Introduction to general relativity, cosmological models, microwave background, early universe, galaxy formation.