Instructor: Dr. R. J. Pfeiffer

Office: P134 (Physics Department); Telephone: 771-2557 or 771-2569 (Office Manager).

Office Hours: Mon. 16:30-17:50; Tues. 15:30-16:50;  Other times are available by appointment.

Text: Pfeiffer, R. J., Introduction to Astrophysics, Pfeiffer Publishing, 2011.  Available online and free.

Other references are available in the Departmental Seminar Room.  These may not be photocopied.

General Course Outline:

1. The Observational Properties of Stars.

2. Theory of Thermal Radiation

3. Atomic Theory of Radiation and Spectroscopy

4. Radiation Transfer and Spectral Line Formation

5. The Structure and Evolution of Stars and Stellar Systems. This includes interpreting spectroscopic and
   photometric data.

6. Cosmology and cosmogony.

Tests:

There will be two major tests given during the semester, one every 5 weeks or so. Class tests are designed to take 80 minutes.

There may also be some very short quizzes.

A comprehensive final examination, worth approximately 30% of the course grade, will be given during the final exam period. The final exam period is usually three hours long. Students are advised to keep up with their studies in order to avoid cramming for tests.

Attendance and Missing a Test:

Students are expected to participate in each of their courses through regular attendance at lecture or discussion sessions. It is further expected that every student will be present on time and prepared to participate when scheduled class sessions begin. Attendance will be taken daily. Students with poor attendance records will lose credit for class participation.

All other appointments must be made around scheduled test times. Missing a test or quiz must be considered a grave matter, since make-up tests are given only in rare cases and only when documentation for a valid absence can be provided. Trips for personal reasons are not valid absences. If a student knows in advance that a scheduled test will be missed for a valid reason, it may be possible to reschedule that test for another day or at a different time on the same day, if the instructor is notified as soon as possible. In this way, the problem of taking a make-up test can be avoided. A test will not be postponed for a student because they are unprepared. Missed quizzes can not be made up.

Saying, "I missed the test because I was ill" is not an acceptable excuse. If a student is sufficiently ill to miss a test, then they should go to the College Infirmary or see their physician. If a test or quiz is missed because of illness, a student must present documentation from their physician or the College Infirmary in order to take a make-up test. A note from a dormitory RA is not a valid medical document. Failure to comply with these procedures could mean automatic failure of the missed test.

Students who arrive late to class and miss a quiz automatically fail the quiz. If a student misses a quiz because they were absent, they fail the quiz unless they have a medical or some other legitimate excuse. In any event, a student who misses a class is still responsible for the subject matter they missed and must be prepared to take the quiz on the day they return.

If a student misses a test or quiz because of a death in the family, proper procedure is for the student to notify the Dean of Student Life, who, in turn, will notify the instructor. Only such notification from the Office of Student Life will entitle a student to take a make-up test, otherwise a failure will be incurred.

If a test is missed because of illness or other emergency and the above procedures are followed, a student must contact their instructor to arrange for a make-up test at the earliest opportunity but no later than the first day they return to campus.

In general, excuses for missing a test because of transportation problems are not acceptable. It is the student's responsibility to get to class for a test, by whatever means it takes (plane, train, bus, cab, bicycle, or skateboard), even if they are late. Students who depend on others for commutation to campus should particularly take note of this.

The basis for these somewhat stringent rules is, in part, to provide equity amongst all students. Simply put, to excuse someone for missing a test is not fair to those students who have made the effort to be in class for the test.

Classroom Protocol

Please do not try to settle personal matters with me immediately before class or as I walk into the classroom because I need this time to prepare for class and/or it takes from class time. All personal problems must be dealt with at least 10 minutes before class, during office hours, or after class.

Common courtesy for the instructor and other students demands that there be no talking, eating, or drinking while class is in session.

Audio and video recordings of classes are not permitted.

Course Requirements:

1. Mathematical level of Calculus 2.

2. Basic programming skills,

3. To do well on all tests, the final exam, homework, and any other assignments.

Regarding Assignments:

All pages of an assignment must be stapled together.

Please Note: paper clips and bending and tearing a corner are not acceptable means of binding. Use only 8.5 x 11 inch standard paper; no serrated edges.

Photocopies must be legible and clear. Your name, and date should be at the top of each page. Each assignment is to be done with care, neatness, and style as though it were a term paper. Assignments done carelessly or that do not adhere to the above criteria will be returned without credit.

The solution of a problem must be done in a neat and orderly fashion, showing each step in the solution clearly with explanations of what you are doing when necessary and quoting what equation, number, or principle that you are invoking.  This will facilitate grading of your work.  Skipping steps or doing anything that impedes my understanding of what you are doing will result in the loss of credit.

Grading Criteria:
 

1. Students are expected to memorize the terminology, comprehend the subject matter, and to be able to apply the concepts to specific problems and questions on the tests. Test performance will be the primary factor for determining a student's course grade.
2. The instructor shall make a professional judgment of each student's mastery of the course material based on his observations of the student in the both the classroom and laboratory. This judgment will be important when a student's grade is borderline.
3. Students will complete all assignments on time and in a satisfactorily manner. All assignments handed in for credit must be done on standard 8.5x11 inch, white paper, without serrated edges. Failure to adhere to these requirements will result in a failure or no grade.
4. Students are expected to adhere to the College's standards for communication skills, especially for writing grammatically correct English. Tests will be graded accordingly. All astronomical terms, nomenclature, and proper names introduced as part of the subject matter must be spelled correctly.

Course grades will be awarded primarily on the basis of a student's grand average percentage. The latter is found by adding together all the points a student has earned on all tests and assignments (total earned course points) and dividing this by the total number of possible course points. The following is a partial example for a hypothetical student:

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