Astrophysics of the Stellar and Diffuse Content of Galaxies

3 credits · Graduate credit

This course provides a detailed introduction to the stellar and gaseous components of galaxies and astrophysical processes governing them. This course reviews the intertwined nature of the phases of the interstellar medium and galactic stellar populations. This course provides a rigorous treatment of the physics of molecular, atomic, and ionized gas phases as well as the physics of particulate "dust" grains. This course introduces critical concepts such as radiative transfer, heating/ cooling functions, and stable/unstable equilibria. This course reviews the rotational properties of the Galactic disk as measured with both stellar and 21-cm observations. This course provides a rigorous introduction to the dynamics of stellar orbits/structures in dark matter halos, the virial theorem, gravitational potentials, and relaxation processes. This class also summarizes key concepts for observational studies of galaxies including composite stellar populations, spectroscopy, and morphology. This class assumes a basic understanding of quantum physics and Newtonian dynamics.