The Department of Physics

Course Description

This course is designed to introduce the student to topics in the discipline of Astrophysics. Understanding Physics is crucial to the study of all Sciences. Physics is the study of matter, energy, space and time and gaining a better understanding of this subject is critical in understanding the world we live in and to a larger extent, the Universe in which we occupy. This course provides the students with fundamentals of Astrophysics. Through in-class discussions, and problem solving sessions, Students would have an opportunity to improve their ability to reason through challenging situations in the physical Universe using basic principles to develop appropriate solutions. Assessment and evaluation is done of Students in the form of in-course tests and a Final examination.

COURSE CONTENT

This course will focus on the following:
Special Relativity: Introduction to theory of Special Relativity: Galiliean transformation, Postulates of Special Relativity, Lorentz transformation equations. The Foundations of Special Relativity. Relativistic kinematics and Relativistic Particle Mechanics. Space-time intervals and Minkowski diagrams.
Astronomy: Observational Instruments, Celestial Sphere and coordinate systems, Solar System, Astrobiology, Stars and their evolution, Galaxies, Extragalactic Astronomy, Cosmology and New Frontiers.

GOALS/AIMS

This course’s goals in Astrophysics are:

• To discover how the Universe works.
• Explore how the Universe began and developed into its present form.
• Understand the nature and process by which research is done in Astronomy.
• Special emphasis is placed on Special Relativity as part of the course and how it relates to astronomical phenomena hypothetical and otherwise.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Describe and explain the Physics of phenomena in general Astronomy
• Solve problems using hydrodynamics for stars
• Solve problems using energy considerations concerning galaxies and clusters
• Employ particle physics to demonstrate understanding of the evolution of the early universe and solve problems
• Solve hypothetical and real problems involving high speed phenomena via application of special relativity.

Assessment