Instructor: Prof. Chung-Pei Ma
Office: Hearst Field Annex C12
Email: cpma(at)berkeley.edu
Office Hours: 4-5pm Monday in Hearst Field Annex B26

Grader: Angelo Ricarte
Email: angeloricarte@gmail.com
Homework Help: Email him with any questions

Meet: Wednesday 3-5pm; HFA B5

Required books:

"Blind Watchers of the Sky" by Rocky Kolb (Addison Wesley; QB981.K689) and "Black Holes and Time Warps" by Kip S. Thorne (Norton)

Class format and requirement:

Each week we will discuss one of the questions about the Universe listed below.

For each class, you are required to read book chapters and articles beforehand and come to class with a one-page writeup of what you have learned and what you found fascinating about the reading and at least three questions about the reading to facilitate the discussion. In addition, there will be four problem sets containing quantitative questions and two online "virtual" observation projects to be completed during the semester.

Your grade is based on the problem sets (35%; due in class; no late homework accepted), two online projects (30%), writeups (25%), and class attendance and participation (10%).

List of questions we will ponder:

Aug 31: Course introduction

How big is the Universe?

Sep 7: Read Chapters 1-3 of Kolb (p. 1-71)

What did the old folks think of the Universe?
(Tycho, Copernicus, Kepler's laws of planetary motion)
Orbit precession

Sep 14: Read Chapters 4-6 of Kolb (p. 73-168)

How is light used to study the universe?
EM spectrum; Blackbody spectrum; Solar spectrum; Doppler effect

Sep 21: Read Chapter 7 of Kolb (p. 169-197) Problem Set 1 due

How do we know the Universe is expanding?
Messier Catalog, M100, M104, Cepheid Variable Stars

Sep 28: Read Chapters 8-9 of Kolb (p. 201-259)

What happens when we travel near the speed of light?

Oct 5: Read Mr Thompkins. Problem Set 2 due

How do we know the Universe was once hot?

WMAP-Cosmology 101

Oct 12: Read Kolb Chapters 10-11 (p. 261-294) and Thorne: Prologue (p. 23-58)

How were the first elements in the Universe created?

Oct 19: Read Thorne: Chapters 1 and 2 (p. 59-120)

Why are we made of star dust?

Start Virtual Project 1: "The Revolution of the Moons of Jupiter."
If you have a PC: Go to this website. Click on "Software" (in the top left green menu bar).
Roll down the page, and click on "The Revolution of the Moons of Jupiter."
Download JupLab.EXE and make sure it runs on your PC computer.
Record your measurements on this worksheet and turn it in.

If this doesn't work on your PC or if you have a Mac, you need to go to HFA B-104 to do this project.
The PC at HFA B-104 is available from 9-12 and 1-5pm, every weekday, between Thu Oct 13 and Tue Oct 25 (excluing weekends). Please email Angelo (angeloricarte@gmail.com) TWO (separate)possible one-hour slots during this period (e.g. 9-10am Thu Oct 13; 4-5pm Oct 24), and he will assign you to a time slot. Make sure to bring the worksheet above when you go.

Oct 26: Read Thorne: Chapter 3 (p. 121-139) Virtual Project 1 due. "The Revolution of the Moons of Jupiter."

Why is a black hole black?

Sirius AB, Planetary Nebula Gallery
Crab Nebula and Pulsar, Kepler SN Remnant, Supernova 1987A, Cygnus X-1

Nov 2: No reading this week! Problem Set 3 due

What happens when we travel near a black hole?

Stars near the Galactic Center, first known quasar 3C273, M87, Coma, NGC6240: double black holes, LIGO

Nov 9: Thorne: Chapters 4 & part of 5 (p. 140-178)

Why do we think there is dark matter and dark energy?

Start Virtual Project 2: "The Hubble Redshift-Distance Relation"

If you have a PC: Go to this website. If you use Windows 7 or Vista, you will probably need to download "VIREO.exe" first, which is in the bright yellow box in the lower part of this page.
This software contains "The Hubble Redshift-Distance Relation."
Record your measurements on this worksheet and turn it in.

If this doesn't work on your PC or if you have a Mac, you need to go to HFA B-104 to do this project.
The PC at HFA B-104 is available from 9-12 and 1-5pm, every weekday, between Thu Nov 3 and Tue Nov 15 (excluing weekends). Please email Angelo (angeloricarte@gmail.com) TWO (separate)possible one-hour slots during this period (e.g. 9-10am Thu Nov 3; 4-5pm Fri Nov 4), and he will assign you to a time slot. Make sure to bring the worksheet above when you go.

Nov 16: No reading this week! Virtual Project 2 due. "The Hubble Redshift-Distance Relation."

What can dark matter be?

Nov 23: Open House (1-2:45pm)

Nov 30: Read Thorne: Chapter 14 (p. 483-527). Problem Set 4 due

Finale: Wormholes and Time Machines

What is the geometry and fate of the Universe?