The Evolving Syllabus: (subject to changes)

 

 

1. Astronomy as a science

    Some history. Relation to physics. Types of observations. Limitations of our observations.

 

2. Starting the exploration

    Units, distances, and parallaxes. Celestial coordinates, time systems. History of telescopes.

 

3. Telescopes and detectors

    Geometric optics. Adaptive optics. Radio telescopes. X-ray and gamma-ray telescopes and detectors. Cosmic ray, neutrino, and gravitational wave observatories. Detectors (UV, vis, IR).

 

4. Electromagnetic radiation processes

    Blackbody radiation. Spectra, Kirchoff's laws, atomic transitions. Non-thermal mechanisms. Magnitudes and fluxes.

 

5. Interstellar medium, the birth of stars and planets

    ISM phenomenology and properties. Star formation. Planetary system formation.

 

6. Solar system

    Solar system overview. A quick description of the major components. Formation of the Solar system. Planetary atmospheres.

 

7. Planets beyond the Solar system

    Thermodynamics of planets. Exosolar planetary systems. Life in the universe.

 

8. Stellar structure, Sun

    Basic considerations. Energy generation. Energy transport. Our Sun.

 

9. HR Diagram, Star Clusters, and Stellar Evolution

    HR diagrams, main sequence. Star clusters. Evolution past the main sequence.

 

10. Endpoints of stellar evolution

    White dwarfs. Contact binaries. Supernovae. Supernova remnants. Pulsars and neutron stars. Stellar black holes.

 

11. Milky Way Galaxy

    Overall structure, major components, stellar populations. Kinematics, rotation, dark halo. Spiral structure, stellar dynamics. Local group, evidence of hierarchical assembly.

 

12. Galaxies and their properties

    Hubble sequence, variation of properties. Structural and dynamical properties. Correlations.

 

13. Galaxy formation and evolution

    Formative and evolutionary processes. Protogalaxies. Evolution. Observations. History of galaxy assembly and star formation.

 

14. Large scale structure, its formation and evolution

    Large scale structure. Redshift surveys. Galaxy clustering. Origins and evolution. Clusters of galaxies.

 

15. Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN)

    Definitions, structure, unification. SMBHs and fueling. Jets and high-energy phenomena. Evolution. Formation and co-evolution with galaxies.

 

16. Cosmology: basics, expansion

    The universal expansion. Cosmological redshift. Hubble Constant. Cosmological models and parameters. Distances in cosmology. Cosmological tests. Supernova standard candles and the Hubble diagram. CMB cosmology and the angular diameter test.

 

17. Contents of the universe

 

18. The early universe