ASTR 4017 / 8007 -- Diffuse Matter in the Universe
Semester 1, 2021
Class meeting times
Tuesdays 9 - 11 AM, Thursdays 11 AM - 1 PM
Woolley Seminar Room
Topics
This course covers the important physical processes that occur in diffuse matter in space, and can roughly be divided into two parts. The first part of the class covers the basic physical processes and concepts that are important in diffuse matter. The second part of the class discusses the major phases of interstellar and intergalactic matter, and the cycle of mass and energy between these phases.
Texts
Our main reference for this class will be Physics of the Interstellar and Intergalactic Medium, by Bruce Draine. Copies are available from the campus bookstore, as well as any number of online retailers. Additional ISM books that may prove useful include Astrophysics of the Diffuse Universe by Michael Dopita and Ralph Sutherland, Astrophysics of Gaseous Nebulae and Active Galactic Nuclei, by Donald Osterbrock and Gary Ferland, and Physics and Chemistry of the Interstellar Medium, by Xander Tielens. Standard references for radiative processes and hydrodynamics such as Rybicki & Lightman and the two volumes by Frank Shu will also be useful.
Assessments
This course has three forms of assessment:
- There will be 5 problem sets, due on the dates indicated in the schedule below. These should be submitted via the course wattle page. The problem sets together form 40% of the total assessment, and are all weighted equally. Late submissions will be accepted, at a penalty of 5% of the credit per working day, up to one week past the original due date, at which time I will distribute solution sets.
- Each student will give an in-class presentation of approximately 20-30 minutes summarising a topic from the recent research literature. Topics will be by mutual agreement between the student and the professor, and will be fixed by the midterm break. Presentations will take place during the last few meetings of the term. All students are expected to attend, and to ask questions and participate in the discussion -- such participation will be factored into the presentation grade. This item is 30% of the total course grade.
- There will be an oral final exam during the exam period, which will be scheduled individually. This exam will last approximately 45 minutes, and will consist of making rough estimates, order of magnitude calculations, scaling arguments, and similar quick calculations of the type that one is likely to encounter during a discussion at a scientific conference or similar venue. The exam is worth 30% of the total course grade.
Policy on collaboration
Group work is encouraged in this course. In particular, if your understanding is lacking in places, I strongly encourage you to discuss and debate with other students to reach a better understanding. However, this should not lead to a number of students producing identical assignments. In the end, you must work through, understand, and answer the assignment questions yourself, not simply reproduce verbatim other students' work. See links for further information on ANU policies on plagiarism and collusion.