Instructor: Prof. Chung-Pei Ma
Office: Campbell Hall 641B
Phone: (510) 642-4850
Fax: (510) 642-3411
Email: cpma(at)berkeley.edu
Office Hours: 5-6pm Monday

Meet: Monday 3-5pm; Campbell 501

Books:

We will start with "Blind Watchers of the Sky" by Rocky Kolb (Addison Wesley; QB981.K689)
We will read excerpts from "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 summary of the reading and at least three questions about the reading to facilitate the discussion.

Your grade (P/F) is based on the writeups (due in class; no late homework accepted), and class attendance and participation.

(Evolving and Expanding) List of questions we will ponder:

Aug 27: Course introduction

Sep 3: Labor Day

Sep 10: Chapters 1-4 of Kolb (p. 1-112)

What did the old folks think of the Universe?

Sep 17: Chapters 5-7 of Kolb (p. 113-197)

How do we know the Universe is expanding?
Solar spectrum, Hertzsprung-Russell diagram,Interactive HR diagram

Sep 24: Chapter 8 of Kolb (p. 201-235) and The 1920 Shapley-Curtis Discussion:Backgrounds, Issues, and Aftermath by Trimble

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

Oct 1 : Finish Kolb.

How do we know the Universe was once hot?
WMAP-Cosmology 101

Oct 8 : Thorne: Prologue (p. 23-58) and p. 59-70 of Chapter 1.

Why is a black hole black?
Image of Quasar 3C273, Stars near the Galactic Center

Oct 15 : Thorne: Finish Chapters 1 and 2 (p. 71-120)

How can gravity be used to bend light?

Oct 22 : Thorne: Chapters 3 and 4 (p. 121-163)

Oct 29 : Thorne: p. 164-187 of Chapter 5, and all of Chapter 9 (p. 322-356)
Radio image of galaxy Cygnus A, NGC 6240: double black holes, LIGO, LISA

Nov 5 :

Why do we think there is dark matter? Scientific American article Gravity's Kaleidoscope
CASTLES lensing survey

Nov 19 :

What can dark matter be?
Two Scientific American articles: (1) Dark Matter in the Universe, (2) Dark Matter

Nov 26 :

Why do we think the Universe is accelerating?
Scientific American article: From Slowdown to Speedup,

Dec 3 :

Why do black holes evaporate and what are vacuum fluctuations?
Thorne: Chapters 11 and 12 (p. 397-448)

Dec 10 :

Finale: Wormholes and Time Machines
Thorne: Chapter 14 (p. 483-527)