ASTR 406 — Galaxies and the Universe
Syllabus for Fall 2020
1302 Siebel Center and Online — MWF 11:00-11:50

Teaching Staff

Course Web Site (continuously updated)

Course Information

Prerequisites: Credit in PHYS 212 (University Physics: E&M) is required. Credit in ASTR 210 (Introduction to Astrophysics), PHYS 213 (Thermal Physics) and 214 (Quantum Physics) is recommended. Some prior knowledge of astronomy is assumed.

Modified Delivery for Fall 2020

Lectures will be available online as a series of recorded videos. Rather than three 50-minute lectures per week, you will be expected to view a number of mini-lectures prior to attending the weekly tutorial (see below). Each lecture is accompanied by assigned reading which should be completed before or immediately after viewing the lecture. A few multiple-choice questions must be answered in the course of watching the videos; responses to these questions are recorded for credit.

Once a week, during a regularly scheduled class meeting (Mon or Wed 11:00 AM), you are expected to join a tutorial session. The tutorial will be a mix of going over recent homework and quizzes, working towards solutions for the assigned homework, and developing good coding practices. Please bring your questions and concerns as well. Tutorials will be held online via Zoom, but recording options will be limited so live participation is strongly encouraged. If deemed safe and feasible a few weeks into the semester, we may meet in person in the assigned classroom, with social distancing measures and face mask requirements implemented; in that case, online participation will still be possible. A decision on starting face-to-face meetings will be made during the 4th week of class.

Instead of major exams, we will administer online quizzes once every two weeks. The quizzes will be short answer problems and must be completed within 55 minutes between 10:00 AM and noon on Friday. The final exam will be optional and will be a retake of one of the quizzes of your choice (with possibly minor modifications) for grade replacement. More information about the quizzes will be given on the course web page.

Course Goals

Astronomy 406 is an intermediate course covering galaxies and cosmology. The study of galaxies builds on the study of stars (covered in Astronomy 404, but the basics will be quickly reviewed) to understand how stars behave as populations and how they interact with the galaxies they populate. The study of cosmology takes a very different approach, extrapolating from a small number of key observations with the help of modern physics, particularly general relativity and particle physics. Yet the two are inextricably linked, as galaxies are key probes of cosmology, and cosmology sets the stage for the formation of galaxies.

Throughout this course we will use physics and mathematics to understand astronomical observations. We will push the very frontiers of physics as we seek to understand how the Universe began. There remain many unanswered questions, yet we will also marvel at how much of astrophysical theory continues to pass observational tests! In a sense, the theory seems to work better than we have any right to expect!

ASTR 406 is intended for advanced undergraduates with an interest in astronomy and a strong background in physics; it is also suitable for beginning graduate students. Beyond the formal prerequisites, students are expected to come in with some comfort and familiarity with data analysis and computer programming. Some exercises will be done in Python, an increasingly popular language for data analysis and scripting. You are strongly encouraged to bring your laptop to tutorial sessions to participate in coding exercises.

Textbooks

• Galaxies in the Universe: An Introduction by L. S. Sparke & J. S. Gallagher, III (2nd Ed., 2007). Publisher: Cambridge U. Press. ISBN: 978-0-521-67186-6.
  Textbook website
  This textbook covers galactic and extragalactic astronomy at an appropriate level for our course. It also covers some of the basics of cosmology.
  
  
• Introduction to Cosmology by Barbara Ryden (2nd Ed., 2016). Publisher: Cambridge U. Press. ISBN: 978-1-107-15483-4.
  Textbook website
  This is a more thorough textbook on cosmology.
  

In the past these texts have been recommended, but they are now required in order to make the most of the pre-recorded lectures. It is vitally important that you prime yourself for tackling the difficult concepts in this course by completing the reading assignments on time. Any additional readings will be available for download from the Moodle website.

Grading

The course point total will be converted to a percentage, with A's corresponding to 90-100%, B's corresponding to 80-89%, C's corresponding to 70-79%, and D's corresponding to 60-69%. Pluses and minuses will be used.

Assignments

1. Homework assignments (accessed through the course web page). These will consist of about 4 problems each, and will be based primarily on lectures and required reading. For problems which can be completed by hand, scans of handwritten solutions are acceptable, but the scans should be clearly legible and combined into a single PDF file. We recommend typing your solutions if possible. Other problems will require coding and/or plotting and should be submitted in PDF or IPYNB format. Regardless of whether handwritten or typed, credit will only be given to well-explained answers, and all important steps in a calculation must be shown.

2. Keep a copy of your work. You are expected to maintain an electronic copy of anything you upload to the course website. If you are unsure of whether your assignment was properly submitted, please contact the TA.

3. Late assignments. Homework assignments are due by 11 PM on Wednesdays. We typically allow a grace period of 15-20 minutes after the due date. Assignments received after but within 24 hours of the deadline will attract a fixed, 10 point penalty. For special circumstances the penalty may be waived at the instructor's discretion. After 24 hours, further submissions are disabled and will NOT be accepted by any other means.

Rules of Etiquette

• Show up for class on time. If you must be late on a regular basis, please inform the instructor.
• Silence and put away your cell phone before class begins.
• During class, laptop screens should be focused on the task at hand with any unrelated windows closed or minimized and notifications silenced.
• Do not leave class early, and do not rustle papers or pack up bags in preparation for leaving before class time is up.
• Be respectful in your interactions with your fellow students and your teachers, whether in person or in cyberspace. Be especially careful with humor or sarcasm as it could be misinterpreted.

Class Policies

• General: This course will follow all policies in the Student Code (http://studentcode.illinois.edu).

• Working With Others: Discussing course material with your classmates is encouraged, but each student is expected to do his or her own work. You are allowed to work together on homework problems, but each student should write up an individual description of the solution. This rule also applies to computer code: you must clearly state the source of any code that was not written by you, and you may not make your code available in any way that would allow other students to copy it. When working on quizzes you should communicate only with the instructors. If you are in any doubt about whether something is allowed or not, ask the instructor or TA.

• Late completion of quizzes and homework will be allowed in well-justified circumstances, in accordance with sections 1-501, 1-502, and 3-201 of the Student Code. Advance notice is required for approved school events (e.g., athletic events), religious observances, and other planned absences. Accommodation for illness requires documentation from a qualified health professional.

• Special accommodations: To insure that concerns are properly addressed from the beginning, students who require reasonable accommodations to participate in this class are asked to see the instructor as soon as possible. All accomodations will follow the procedures as stated in sections 1-107 and 1-110 of the Student Code.

• Academic Integrity: Any instance of academic dishonesty (including cheating and plagiarism) will result in a grade of 0 for that component and be documented in the student's academic file. This includes copying written material from the Internet without proper attribution. Please refer to sections 1-401 to 1-406 of the Student Code.