Astronomy 6: Introductory Cosmology
Archive of Announcements
Week 12/14
Update (Dec. 8): We have class meetings on Monday and Wednesday this week. The former is an official make-up of the Friday class from Thanksgiving week and the latter is an unofficial make-up of the Wednesday class from that week. We'll meet at the usual time and place but on Monday and Wednesday this week.
Look on the Old Assignments page for information about preparation for class this week, for information about our last homework, and (eventually) for information about our final exam. New office hours are also posted.
Week 13
Update (Dec. 1): We've got two more weeks of class, effectively, with two class meetings next week as well as this week. We've also got a talk on Tuesday afternoon.
The talk is by cosmologist Mark Trodden, from U. Penn, at 4:30 on Tuesday afternoon. Everyone should plan to attend, and write a short (one page) summary of his talk. It is entitled, "Modern Cosmology and the Building Blocks of the Universe."
Note: week 12 was Thanksgiving week, but we didn't have any class meetings or assignments due that week so we'll treat the week of Dec. 9 as week 12 (since it officially contains two "make-up" classes from Thanksgiving week).
Week 11
Update (Nov. 17): There's something due on Monday afternoon — see below. Soon there'll be more universes to calculate and plot, as well as a regular homework assignment and some reading for the week.
Week 10
Update (Nov. 10): Homework is due on Monday (see Assignments section below). Note: it is now due at 6 pm (not 5 pm). And see my office hours, linked on the right side of this page.
We have another colloquium in the department this Friday (November 15). This Friday's talk, by our own Prof. Peter Collings, is titled, "Water-Based Liquid Crystals: Lessons from the World of LCDs." Please come if you can. The talk is at 12:30 in SC 199, and pizza will be served.
Week 9
Update (Nov. 7): Homework is due next Monday (see Old Assignments page).
Office hours Thursday and Friday (see link on the front page, top right). And I'll have office hours on Monday, too.
We have a colloquium in the department this Friday. These are hour-long presentations by visiting scientists on their recent research results. They are an excellent way to find out about new, cutting edge physics research. This Friday's talk, by Prof. William Wootters from Williams College, is titled, "Why Does Nature Like the Square Root of Negative One?" which will be about quantum mechanics and probability. Please come if you can. The talk is at 12:30 in SC 199, and pizza will be served.
Update (Nov. 4): David's out of town Monday and Tuesday, but will be occasionally reachable by email those days. There are office hours posted on the right side of the front page.
Week 8
Update (Oct. 28): We'll have regular 2:00 - 3:15 pm class meetings on Wednesday and Friday this week. There is some reading posted below (with some pdfs emailed to you). Check the Assignments section below on a regular basis.
Week 7: the first week of class
Update (Oct. 19): Our first class meeting is this Wednesday. There is a reading assignment posted on the Old Assignments page.
This is a new, half-credit, half-semester class - an introduction to cosmology - for students with an interest in majoring in physics, astrophysics, or astronomy, or with a corresponding level of interest in learning the calculus- and physics-based cosmology that has emerged over the last century and which has become a mature and high-precision field of physics in the last two decades. More context can be found in this description of the new class and in the course catalog, but the synopsis is that this class, Astro 6, will be taught at the sophomore, Astro 16 level, but because the basics of cosmology rely on only a restricted set of physics (gravity, light/radiation) and very little detailed astronomy, many first-year students should find the class to be accessible.
We will be using the same good textbook, Foundations of Astrophysics, by Barbara Ryden and Bradley Peterson, that we use in Astro 16. And we'll also supplement with a few articles. It is on reserve (behind the front desk) at Cornell. If you want to see what the content (and level of math and physics in the class will be like) you can read a representative chapter (pdf).
Note the unusual meeting time of the class - Wednesdays and Fridays, at 2:00 in the afternoon. And also note that the class will meet only after fall break.
More information about the class, and a syllabus, will be posted on the right side of this page soon.
In summary, Astro 6 is suitable for students taking Astro 16 concurrently, and also for many students taking Physics 5 concurrently.
Return to the main class page.
This page is maintained by David Cohen
cohen -at- astro.swarthmore.edu
Last modified: December 14, 2013