PHYS 390: Course Schedule

Reading and Reading Quizzes must be completed before the beginning of each class.

Week	Dates	Tuesday (80 min)	Thursday (80 min)	Weekly HW
1	Sept 2, 4	Course Introduction (10 min) Celestial Mechanics (20 min): 1-1 Definition of terms; heliocentric model; 1-2 Planetary Orbits Kepler’s laws Solar System Models Simulator (25 min) - pre-test - student guide - post-test Planetary Orbit Simulator (25 min) - pre-test - student guide - post-test	Reading: Ch 1, complete Ch 1 Reading Quiz on Blackboard before class Slides (20 min) 1-3 Newtonian Mechanics; 1-4 Gravitation; 1-5 Physical interpretation of Kepler’s Laws	1.5,1.6,1.7,1.13a (notation means chapter.problem) Due 9/9
2	Sept 9, 11	Reading: Ch 2 & Complete Reading Quiz on Blackboard before class Solar System Overview (15 min) 2-1 Blackbodies; Wien’s Law; Stefan’s Law & subsolar temperature; planetary atmospheres 2.11 NAAP Module: Atmospheric Retention Module	Reading: Ch 3 & Complete Reading Quiz on Blackboard before class NAAP Modules: Basic Coordinates and Seasons - skip pre-test - start at Question 6 - skip post-test The Rotating Sky - skip pre-test - take post-test -	2.3, 2.7, 2.12, 2.8, 2.15, 2.20, Using calculus, show the area of an ellipse is A = p a b, where a is the semi-major axis and b is the semi-minor axis. Finish NAAP Modules on The Rotating Sky and The Motion of the Sun (if you didn’t finish in class). Due 9/16
3	Sep 16, 18	Reading: Ch 3 No Reading Quiz Ch 3 slides (15 min); Tidal Forces 3.16, 3.12 The Motion of the Sun	Reading: Ch 4 & Complete Reading Quiz on Blackboard Ch 4 Earth-Moon System Eratosthenes; Dynamics; Interiors; Surfaces; Atmospheres; Magnetic Fields Finish Motion of the Sun	3.2, 3.10, 4.3, 4.4a, 4.14 Lunar Phase Simulator Complete student guide only Due 9/23
4	Sep 23, 25	Reading: Ch 5 No Reading Quiz Ch 5: The Terrestrial Planets	Reading: Ch 6 & Complete Reading Quiz on Blackboard Ch 6: Jovian Planets Pluto	5.8, 5.13, 6.4, 6.13 Due 9/30
5	Sep 30, Oct 2	Reading: Ch 7 Origin of Solar System Extrasolar Planets	Midterm Exam!	Watch MATLAB on-ramp if you are new to MATLAB or need a refresher. Due 10/7
6	Oct 7, 9	Review midterm exam Matlab: (45 min) Slides from UMass Part1 - Part2 - Write program (gravity.m) to calculate gravitational acceleration, g, given mass and radius of planet. Complete problem 1.4. - Bonus: complete problem 1.3(b) - Matlab exercise to solve Problem 3.9	Reading: Ch 8 & Complete Reading Quiz on Blackboard Electromagnetic Radiation Hydrogen Energy Levels
7	Oct 14, 16	Reading: Ch 11 & Complete Reading Quiz on Blackboard SDSS Stellar Colors Note: We will be using matlab for all plotting.	SDSS Stellar Colors Grading Rubric so you can see how you will be graded on this project.
8	Oct 21, 23	SDSS Stellar Colors	SDSS Spectral Types	Siena College Physics Department hosts the Astronomical Society of New York Meeting Oct 24^th & 25^th
9	Oct 28, 30	SDSS Spectral Types	SDSS Spectral Types	Research Project: Background & Data due 10/28
10	Nov 4, 6	Stars: Binary Systems SDSS Hertzsprung-Russel Diagram Exercise 1: You can import the xls file into matlab using File -> Import Data, or you can use the function importfile contained in this m-file. Exercise 2: Download the data file for Exercise 2 here. You will need to add a second column of numbers that converts spectral type to a number.	Reading: Ch 12 & Complete Reading Quiz on Blackboard SDSS Hertzsprung-Russel Diagram
11	Nov 11, 13	SDSS Hertzsprung-Russel Diagram	Reading: Ch 13 & Complete Reading Quiz on Blackboard SDSS Hertzsprung-Russel Diagram
12	Nov 18, 20	Reading: Ch 10 & Complete Reading Quiz on Blackboard The Sun	Reading: Ch 16 & Complete Reading Quiz on Blackboard Fusion	Research Project: Analysis & Results due 11/21 by 4 pm
13	Nov 25, 27	The Evolution of Stars	Thanksgiving
14	Dec 2, 4	Review for Final	Research Project Presentations (Starting at 9:30 am!!!)	Research Project: Paper due 12/4
	Dec 16	Final Exam 8:30 – 10:30 am Location TBD

^** Readings should be completed before class.

NOTE: THIS SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE CHECK ON A WEEKLY BASIS.