ASTRONOMY 340 – FALL 2009

Syllabus (Version 1)

3 September

Introductions

 

What is a Planet?”

The 10th Planet”

Brown Dwarfs”

PS Chapter 1

8 September

Gravity & Orbits I

HW 1 handed out

lecture notes

10 September

Gravity & Orbits II

 

lecture notes

15 September

Detecting Exoplanets

 

PS Chapter 2

Santos 2008

Minniti et al 2008

17 September

Detecting Exoplanets

HW 1 due in class

see above

22 September

Chemistry of the Solar System

HW 2 handed out

lecture notes

24 September

Impacts & Tides

 

lecture notes

29 September

Terrestrial Planets I

 

PS Chapter 4

1 October

Terrestrial Planets II

HW 2 due in class

PS Chapter 4

6 October

Gas Giants I

HW 3 handed out

PS Chapter 4

8 October

Gas Giants II

 

PS Chapter 4

13 October

Moons

 

PS Chapter 4

15 October

Rings

HW 3 due in class

PS Chapter 4

20 October

Kuiper Belt Objects



22 October

KBOs/Asteroids

 Midterm Review

 

27 October

Midterm

 

(through 15 October)

29 October

The Space Program

 

lecture notes

3 November

Radiative Processes I

HW 4 handed out

 

5 November

Radiative Processes II

 

 

10 November

Star and Planet Formation I

 

PS Chapter 5

12 November

Star and Planet Formation II

HW 4 due in class

PS Chapter 5

17 November

Dynamics of Planetary Systems I

HW 5 handed out

PS Chapter 6

19 November

Dynamics of Planetary Systems II

 

PS Chapter 6

24 November

Dynamics of Planetary Systems III

 

PS Chapter 6

26 November

Pumpkin Pie

 

Apple Pie

1 December

Physical Properties of Exoplanets I

 

PS Chapter 7

3 December

Physical Properties of Exoplanets II

HW 5 due in class

PS Chapter 7

8 December

Habitability of Exoplanets I

Group Project due in class

Cowan et al. 2006

PS Chapter 9

10 December

Habitability of Exoplanets II

 

PS Chapter 9

15 December

Review

 final review