Physics 413 Assignments
(Spring 2005)
Reading Assignments:
- Recommended background for orbital mechanics:
Harwit 3-1 to 3-5; Carroll and Ostlie Chapter 2.
- Nature paper on Milky Way center.
- ApJ paper on Milky Way center.
- Handout exerpt from Chapter 1 of Shore's "Tapestry of Modern Astrophysics".
- Derivation of Planckian distribution in Chapter 1 of Rybicki and Lightman.
- Handout entitled "Where does the Boltzman factor come from?"
- During spring break: Chapter 1 of Rybicki and Lightman.
- Rutten book (Chapter 2) (get a copy on-line).
Homework:
- (18 Jan 05) : Diagnostic Quiz
- (1 Feb): Problem Set #1: Orbital Mechanics
- (7 Feb): Problem Set #2: Gravitational Potential
- (17 Feb): Problem Set #3: Statistical Mechanics
- (1 March): Problem Set #4: TE Distributions
- (17 March): Redo problems 1, 3, and 4 from Exam #1. For problem 3,
just break it into collisions involving an atom; particle collisions and
photon collisions. You can ignore electron cascading, free-free processes,
etc.
- Rybicki & Lightman Problem 1.10.
- Turn in a write up based on your presentation. Include a copy of
the scientific paper that you used as an example.
- (25 April): Problem Set #7: Plasma Parameters