Syllabus#
Course Information#
Instructor: Prof. Carl E. Fields (he/him)
Email: carlnotsagan@arizona.edu
Office: SO N504 (don’t forget the N!!)
Office Hours: By appointment using this link or via email.
Communication: also available as part of the Slack workspace link.
Class Location and Time: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - 11:00am-11:50am in SO 208
Course Description#
In this class we will explore the basics of stellar structure, stellar evolution, making frequent contact with the similarities and differences between gas giant planets and stars. We will also touch briefly on exoplanet statistics, placing them in the context of the stellar initial mass function. We will learn how the detailed study and understanding of stars as planet hosts affects nearly all aspects of exoplanet observations and interpretation.
Course Prerequisites or Co-requisites#
This course assumes background physics and mathematics preparation consistent with an undergraduate physics degree, or similar, in addition to an advanced undergraduate or graduate level course in radiative transfer and basic fluid dynamics. This course also assumes an undergraduate familiarity with the “vocabularly” of stars. While the first two chapters of the course text provide a very broad overview, students without undergraduate coursework in astronomy may wish to consider reading through the chapters on stars in any introductory undergraduate astronomy textbook (e.g. “21st Century Astronomy (Kay, Palen, Blumental), or the free online book: chapters 15-23).
Course Format and Teaching Methods#
This course will be fully in person. Much of class time will be devoted to group problem solving sessions. Students are expected to read any assigned corse material prior to the start of class. We will also be making extensive use of the stellar evolution code MESA and Jupyter Notebooks to help us transcend the approximations inherent in an analytic description of stellar and planetary structure.
The primary course website containing lectures, learning materials, assignments and more will be hosted using Jupyter Books at this website. This website will be a living document, updated regularly as the course progresses. There is also D2L website for the course that students are expected to check regularly. Homework will be turned in digitally via D2L.
Statement on Generative AI#
In this course any and all uses of generative artificial intelligence (AI)/large language model tools such as ChatGPT, Dall-e, Google Bard, Microsoft Bing, etc. will be considered a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity, specifically the prohibition against submitting work that is not your own. This applies to all assessments in the course, including case studies, written assignments, discussions, quizzes, exams, and problem sets. This course policy is driven by the learning goals and desired learning outcomes for the course described above.
The following actions are prohibited:
entering all or any part of an assignment statement or test questions as part of a prompt to a large language model AI tool;
incorporating any part of an AI-written response in an assignment;
using AI to summarize or contextualize reading assignments or source materials; and
submitting your own work for this class to a large language model AI tool for iteration or improvement.
Course Objectives#
By the end of the semester students will have a strong grasp of the fundamental of stellar structure and evolution, with a keen awareness of the areas of active research. Students will also have the tools to model gas giant planets within the same formalism, and knowledge of the broad demographics of stars and planets in the Milky Way.
Expected Learning Outcomes#
Exhibit an expert-level facility to engage with the principle findings, common applications, current problems, fundamental techniques, and underlying theory of the astronomy discipline.
Demonstrate advanced discipline skills and knowledge necessary to utilize the observational techniques, instrumentation, computational methods, and software applications used to investigate modern astrophysical phenomena and problems.
Develop expertise with communicating, translating, and interpreting fundamental astronomical concepts and research results in oral and/or written formats.
Required Texts and Materials#
We will primarily follow the textbook “Stellar Interiors” by Hansen, Kawaler, and Trimble (2004). This is available for free on the University Library website. Supplemental reading materials may be assigned through the course of the semester and will be provided in digital format using SSO access by the University. Additional lecture materials may draw from the open astrophysics bookshelf here. We will also reference and utilize resources from Onno pols online notes here.
Schedule of Topics and Activities#
See course schedule for detailed topics by week.
Assessments#
Homework (approximately weekly): 30% In Class Presentations / Activities (approximately weekly): 20% Pre-Class Assignments (before most lectures): 10% Exams (Midterm - 10% / Final - 10%): 20% Project Proposal: 5% Final Project: 15%
Final Examination#
There will be an in person final exam at the end of the semester. The expected final exam date is May 12th, 10:30-12:30pm, per the university schedule, in the usual room. This date will be discussed with the class in case to avoid any major research / travel / conference conflicts and may be altered.
Grading Scale and Policies#
A: 90-100% B: 75-90% C:<75%
Safety on Campus and in the Classroom#
For a list of emergency procedures for all types of incidents, please visit the website of the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT): https://cirt.arizona.edu/case-emergency/overview
Also watch the video available here.
Nondiscrimination and Anti-harassment Policy#
The University of Arizona is committed to creating and maintaining an environment free of discrimination. In support of this commitment, the University prohibits discrimination, including harassment and retaliation, based on a protected classification, including race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information. For more information, including how to report a concern, please see here.
University Policies#
All university policies related to a syllabus are available at: https://catalog.arizona.edu/syllabus-policies. By placing this link in your syllabus, you no longer need to have each individual policy included in your syllabus.
Accessibility and Accommodations#
At the University of Arizona, we strive to make learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience barriers based on disability or pregnancy, please contact the Disability Resource Center (520-621-3268, https://drc.arizona.edu) to establish reasonable accommodations.
Subject to Change Notice#
Information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence policies, may be subject to change with reasonable advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor of this course.
Graduate Student Resources#
Please consider including a link to the University of Arizona’s Basic Needs Resources page.