Astronomy & Astrophysics
Undergraduate Students - Astronomy Units from 2010
Unit title links lead to the relevant pages in the university handbook.
ASTR178: Other Worlds: Planets and Planetary Systems
This unit explores our solar system and the newly-found planetary systems around other suns. We begin by examining the processes that have shaped the marvellous variety of worlds within our own solar system, from the scorched and buckled surface of Mercury to the geysers of frozen methane on Neptune's largest moon, Triton. From this we build an understanding of how our solar system formed and subsequently evolved to become the system that we inhabit today. We turn our attention to the on-going discovery of a startling variety of planets around other stars. These provide a new and challenging perspective on our place in the Universe that is modifying the scientific theories of how generic planetary systems are formed. The unit will highlight breaking news as the unit proceeds. The practical component of the unit includes observing the planets with the telescopes of the Macquarie University Observatory.
ASTR170: Astronomy
This unit is a foundation course in astronomy, suitable for aspiring physicists/astronomers and non-scientists alike. Students intending to enter the Astronomy and Astrophysics stream are encouraged to enrol in PHYS270 in their first year. No prior knowledge of astronomy or physics is required. ASTR170 gives a broad underpinning of basic astronomical subjects and concepts but with the essential mathematical content.
A diverse range of astronomical topics are covered, starting with the solar system (Sun, moon, planets, comets etc) and then increasing in scale to galactic stars, nebulae, our own Milky-Way galaxy, galaxy clusters, quasars, black holes and basic cosmology. Key fundamental physical principles, theories and observational technologies are covered.
Experimental work is both hands-on and computer-based, and covers such areas as galaxy classification, eclipses, spectroscopy and geometrical optics. A session at the Division's observatory forms an integral part of the practical work.
Online Material
Information about Observing Sessions
ASTR278: Advanced Astronomy
This unit is intended to give students the appropriate background and theoretical understanding of astronomical observations (techniques and technology) across a broad range of the electromagnetic spectrum. This will be coupled with essential coverage of celestial mechanics; coordinates and precession. The unit will specifically cover atmospheric effects, detection theory and detectors and associated image processing and enhancement techniques (including the use of Fourier transforms). The course will cover the fundamentals of radio, X-ray, UV, infra-red and cosmic-ray astronomy and an introduction to stellar structure. Neutrino and gravitational-wave detectors will also be covered. ASTR278 will involve practical experiments based on some of these concepts and may involve evening work at the University's optical and radio observatory. Completing students will be able to write a credible observing proposal.
Lecture notes by Quentin Parker
ASTR377: Astrophysics I
This unit is a foundational introduction to astrophysics. It deals with the physics of the major emission, absorption and scattering mechanisms of astronomy, the passage of waves through ionised and neutral media, stellar models and stellar spectra, and may also include discussion of several interesting astronomical objects. Students will become familiar with the UNIX computing environment and learn the use of professional astronomical data-reduction packages. They will carry out a project using data from a major observatory.
PHYS378: General Relativity and Cosmology
This unit presents Einstein's theory of general relativity and an overview of modern cosmology. The unit begins with a review of special relativity, gravity and the equivalence principle. Curved spaces, metrics, tensor analysis and spacetime curvature are introduced. Einstein's field equations are developed and applied to classical tests of relativity, the Schwarzschild metric, black holes, and gravitational radiation. The cosmology section of the unit presents the Robertson-Walker metric, cosmological models, cosmological observations and the current understanding of the history of the Universe.
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