ASTRO 6560 - Physics of Stars, Neutron Stars and Black Holes

(crosslisted) PHYS 7667

Fall. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: physics at the advanced undergraduate-level. No astronomy background required, but is helpful. Co-meets with ASTRO 4431.

I. Wasserman.

Major topics include: the structure and evolution of stars; solar neutrino astronomy; stellar seismology; the physics of white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes; the physics of low mass stars and connection to planets. Basic ideas in atomic and molecular physics, condensed matter physics, nuclear and particle physics, fluid mechanics and general relativity are introduced in a practical fashion that emphasizes concepts useful for understanding astrophysical phenomena.