Course Contents

Course Contents

[39 Lectures, 12 Assignments]

L = Lecture, S = Slides, B = Board, A = Assignment, P = Problem, N = Numerical, H = Hands on


Overview of astronomy and cosmology: [1L, S]

Astrometry: [3L B, 1A 6P 5N 3H]

    1. Measurement of position, celestial sphere, RA, DEC, Epoch
    2. Measurement of Time, Sidereal Time, Mean solar time, equation of time.
    3. Measurement of Intensity and magnitude, colour and their implications.

Radiative processes in astrophysics: [5L B, 2A 10P 3N 1H]

    1. Definition of Luminosity, Intensity and Radiative transfer equation.
    2. Simple solutions to the radiative transfer equation solution in one dimension
    3. Thermal radiation.
    4. Non-thermal Radiation: I.
    5. Non-thermal Radiation: II

Astronomical detections: coherent/incoherent: [4L B, 1A 6P 3N 2H]

    1. Difference in detection techniques, Incoherent detection with emphasis on optical astronomy.
    2. Detection of color, color-color diagram and dust correction.
    3. Coherent detection, single dish and need for interferometry.
    4. Van-Cittert Zernike theorem and radio interferometry.

Stellar structure and evolution: [6L B, 2A 10P 1N 2H]

    1. H-R diagram and its implication
    2. Basic stellar equations.
    3. Understanding of stellar structure and evolution by dimensional analysis.
    4. Stellar evolution in and out of main sequence.
    5. Chandrasekhar limit, neutron star, supernovae.
    6. Star formation, Jeans theory, initial mass function.

Many body Physics: [2L B, 1A 4P 1N]

    1. Boltzmann equations.
    2. Fluid equations and implications.

Galaxy, galactic dynamics: [5L B, 2A 10P 2N]

    1. Historical perspective of Milkyway, number counts, Types of galaxies.
    2. Stellar orbits, stability of a rotating disk. [2L]
    3. Origin of spiral structures, density wave theory, Toomre criteria for stability of the disk. [2L]
    4. Rotation curves and dark matter

Interstellar Medium: [5L B, 1A 8P 1H]

    1. Historical perspective of discovery of ISM, Constituent of ISM.
    2. Thermodynamics of ISM and various phases. [2L]
    3. Moment maps and their implications.
    4. Metallicity and star formation rates.

Cosmology: [8L 5B, 3S, 2A 10P 2N]

    1. Hubble's observation and law, Cosmic distance scales.
    2. A flavor of General Relativity.
    3. FRWL Metric, Redshift-distance relations.
    4. Friedman equation, its solution and implications.
    5. Thermal History of the universe.
    6. Overview of CMBR.
    7. Overview of EoR.
    8. Gravitational Waves.