Frontiers of Modern Astronomy

Course content

The table below provides links to the course notes. The rate at which you work through the modules within each section is flexible and you should bear in mind some modules may be longer and/or more complex than others.

Introduction & overview of the course
 

Nov/Dec

Stellar Explosions

Tim O'Brien

0. Introduction Printable PDF file
1. Interacting Binary Systems Printable PDF file
2. Novae Printable PDF file
3. Supernovae Printable PDF file
4. Gamma-ray bursts Printable PDF file
Brian Warner's Cataclysmic Binaries paper Printable PDF file
Dina Prialnik's Novae paper Printable PDF file
Craig Wheeler's Supernovae paper Printable PDF file
Peter Meszaros' GRB paper Printable PDF file

 


Jan/Feb

Pulsars

1. Properties of pulsars Printable PDF file
2. Pulsars as radio sources Printable PDF file
3. The life of pulsars Printable PDF file
4. Observations of pulsars Printable PDF file
5. Pulsars as tools Printable PDF file
6. Searching for pulsars Printable PDF file
7. Pulsars at other wavelengths Printable PDF file
8. The future Printable PDF file
Michael Kramer's Review of Pulsars Printable PDF file
Duncan Lorimer's Review of Pulsars Printable PDF file
Double Pulsar Nature paper Printable PDF file
Double Pulsar Science paper Printable PDF file
 

Feb/Mar

Introduction to Cosmology

0. Overview Printable PDF file
1. Introduction to Cosmology Printable PDF file
1.1 Cosmological expansion and redshift Printable PDF file
1.2 The Geometry of the Universe Printable PDF file
1.3 Dynamics of the Universe Printable PDF file
1.4 Observational cosmology Printable PDF file
   

Feb/Mar

Gravitational Lenses

0. Overview Printable PDF file
1. Introduction and history Printable PDF file
2. Geometry of lens systems Printable PDF file
3. Searches for gravitational lenses Printable PDF file
4. Mass models for galaxies Printable PDF file
5. The Hubble constant Printable PDF file
6. Cosmology Printable PDF file
7. Microlensing and cluster lensing Printable PDF file
8. Conclusion and the future Printable PDF file
   

April/May

Cosmic Microwave Background

Paddy Leahy

0. Contents Printable PDF file
1. Prologue: Blackbodies Printable PDF file
2. Discovery of the CMB Printable PDF file
3. Early History of the Universe Printable PDF file
4. The CMB and the History of the Universe Printable PDF file
5. The Geometry of the Universe Printable PDF file
6. Structure in the Universe Printable PDF file
7. Epilogue: 21st Century CMB Science Printable PDF file
8. Further Reading Printable PDF file
   

mid June

Final Test and End of course