The Ohio State University

Astronomy 2291

Basic Astrophysics and Planetary Astronomy

Astronomy 2291 is the first semester of the required two-semester introductory sequence for Astronomy and Astrophysics majors and minors.  It may also be taken by scientifically literate undergraduates who wish to learn basic astrophysics from a quantitative perspective. The major topics to be covered are

  1. the fundamentals of Newtonian gravity and orbital mechanics
  2. Matter, light, radiative transfer, and optics as applied to astronomy
  3. The properties of the planets and small bodies of the solar system
  4. The discovery and characterization of exoplanet systems.

Topical Outline

The course topics, by week, are as follows.  Assigned readings are the relevant sections of the required textbook, Foundations of Astrophysics, by Barbara Ryden and Bradley Peterson.

Week 1: Units, Numbers, Sig-Figs, Greek Astronomy and Planetary Configurations (§2.1–2.2 & handouts)
Week 2: Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton (§2.3-2.6 & 3.1)
Week 3: Labor Day, Orbital Mechanics (§3.2-4 & handout)
Week 4: Two-, 3- and many-body orbits, Tides and Tidal Effects (§4.1-4.3 & handout)
Week 5: Atomic Structure & Processes, Distribution Functions (§5.1-5.3)
Week 6: Radiative Transfer, LTE, Blackbody Radiation (§5.4-5.7)
Week 7: Telescopes, Observatories, Detectors (§6.1-6.4, 6.7 & handout)
Week 8: Photon Detection (§6.5 + handout), Midterm, Autumn Break
Week 9: Solar System Overview, Planet Properties, retention of gases (§8.1-8.3, §12.1)
Week 10: Earth as a Planet (§9.1-9.3)
Week 11: The Moon, Terrestrial Planets, Giant Planets (§9.4-9.5, §10.1-10.2)
Week 12: Giant Moons, Planetary Rings, Veterans Day (§10.2-10.3, §11.1)
Week 13: Asteroids, Trans-Neptunian Objects, Comets et al. (§11.2-4 & handout)
Week 14: Non-gravitational effects and solar sails – Thanksgiving Break 11/23-25
Week 15: Exoplanet detection and properties (§12.3-4 & handouts)
Week 16: Habitable zones, exoEarths and life (§12.4 & handouts)