Syllabus

Scope and Spirit of the Course

ASTRO-597 is a course on the astrophysics of gravitational wave sources for Astronomy & Astrophysics and Physics graduate students. It covers the mathematical theory of generation of gravitational waves by astrophysical sources and the most common types of astrophysical objects that can generate gravitational waves in the nHz, mHz, and kHz bands. It emphasizes the evolutionary pathways that lead to such objects, the expected properties of the sources, and what we might learn by detecting them with current and future gravitational wave detectors. The principles of detection of gravitational waves and analysis of gravitational wave data are outside of the scope of this course; the capabilities of detectors will only be covered briefly and superficially.

Upon successful completion of this course, the students will:

The topics will be covered at a fairly advanced level and substantial background will be needed. The course will emphasize analytic calculations of the relevant physical processes, although the results of numerical models will also figure prominently in the course. Assignments will be an integral part of the course and an important means by which the students will learn how to apply the basic principles covered in this course.

Textbooks and Summary of Topics Covered in This Course

There is no required textbook for this course. The material is drawn from primary and secondary sources in the literature, i.e., original papers, review articles, and some advanced textbooks. The course content is defined by what is presented in class, not by the various sources adopted. All the materials are made available available electronically. 

The following textbook includes some of the material covered in this class and is available electronically through the Penn State libraries at the link given below

“Gravitational Waves in Physics and Astrophysics. An artisan's guide,” by M Coleman Miller and Nicolás Yunes (Institute of Physics 2021, Online ISBN: 978-0-7503-3051-0). Available electronically through the Penn State Libraries. (Call number QC179 .M554 2021eb)

“Gravity,” by Eric Poisson and Clifford M. Will (Cambridge University Press, 2014, ISBN: 9781107032866). Available electronically through the Penn State Libraries. (Call number QC173.59.M3P65 2014)

"Gravitational Waves, volume 1" by Michele Maggiore (Oxford Academic 2007, ISBN: 978-0-19-857074-5), Call number: QC179.M34 2008 v.1). Available electronically through the Penn State Libraries.

The following review articles also contain useful material 

"Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology with Gravitational Waves" by B. S. Sathyaprakash & Bernard F. Schutz, Living Rev. Relativity 12 (2009) 2

"The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems" by Konstantin A. Postnov & Lev R. Yungelson, Living Rev. Relativity 17 (2014) 3 

"Astrophysics with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna" by Pau Amaro Seoane et al., Living Rev. Relativity 26 (2023) 2

"The astrophysics of nanohertz gravitational waves" by Sarah Burke-Spolaor et al., Astronomy & Astrophysics Review (2019) 27:5

The topics to be covered are listed in the Topics tab of this web site. The course is divided into three parts: 

Expected Background

The students will be assumed to have advanced background in astronomy and physics. Students from the department of Astronomy & Astrophysics will should be familiar with the material covered in the required graduate courses, ASTRO-501 and ASTRO-502. Students from the department of Physics should be familiar with the physics of gravitational wave generation and with the basics of stellar astrophysics. All other students (including students from Astronomy & Astrophysics who have not yet taken ASTRO-501 and ASTRO-502) should contact the instructors before enrolling for the course to discuss their background and expectations for the course. 

This Web Site and the Canvas Page

On this web site you will find the vital logistical  information for the course (Home), the syllabus (this page), a list of topics to be covered in the course (Topics), information about assignments (Assignments), and official university policies and procedures (Policies). The calendar will be updated regularly to indicate the due dates of assignments and other relevant events.

The Canvas site for this course will be used as a way of communicating and distributing documents and other materials. Notes, slides, problem set solutions, etc., will be posted on Canvas. Canvas is also the means by which written assignments should be submitted. The schedule page contains a detailed schedule for the semester that includes the topics covered in each lecture, slides/notes/illustrations used in that lecture, the instructor(s), and other useful materials.

Assessed Work, Basis for Grades, and Other Expectations

The assessed work for this course consists of problem sets, essay-type assignments, a final paper and a presentation associated with the final paper. There is no final exam. Attendance and participation are essential and they also contribute to the final grade. The scores from the above are combined to form the final grade using the following weights:

Detailed instructions and advice on how to approach problem sets and present their solutions, and other information about assignments are given on the Assignments page of this web site. The assignments are an extension of instruction; they will contain examples that are useful for understanding the material and they also cover some topics that follow naturally from the lectures but are not covered explicitly or in great detail in the lectures themselves.

More details about the types of assignments in this course are given below. Assignments must be turned in on time to get credit. 

In case the university is closed because of bad weather (or any other reason) and the closure affects office hours or class meetings, the instructors will send out instructions by email on how office hours, class meetings, and/or other events or deadlines are rescheduled.  

Problem Sets and Essay-Type Assignments

Problem sets or essay-type assignments will be assigned every week or every other week and their due date and time will be announced at that time. Typically, the due date will be one week after the assignment is issued. By the deadline, students are expected to upload their answers/solutions on Canvas. The official solutions will be distributed through Canvas right after the deadline. This policy implies that there can be no extensions to the homework deadline (nor can homeworks be made up). It is permissible to consult with other students and brainstorm in order to find the path to the solution of homework problems. But in the last step of the process, which includes figuring out the details and writing out the solutions or answers for submission, students must work individually and turn in their own, individual solutions. 

The answers for each problem set should be submitted as a single, self-contained PDF file; they can be written by hand and then scanned or photographed (e.g., using Microsoft Lens or Adobe Scan), or they can be written on a tablet and exported to PDF, or they can be typed (or they can be produced by some other method that creates a PDF file). A PDF resolution of 200–300 dpi (dots per inch) is preferred because it results in readable text and files that are not too big to be unwieldy. At any rate, it is the responsibility of the students to make sure that the files they upload are readable and can be manipulated by Canvas without problems. 

Final Papers and Presentations

Students will work in small teams of two (or, at most three, depending on the number of students in the class) to write short papers and give presentations. All team members will receive the same grade for papers and presentations submitted by their team. In the case of presentations, all team members must contribute approximately equally to the in-class presentation. In the case of papers, team members should contribute equally to the effort. The papers will be five pages with mored details announced on Canvas along with the specific topic assignments. 

The presentations will be scheduled for specific dates at the end of the semester, hence cannot delayed. Papers will be due a few weeks before the end of the semester so that they can be graded in a timely manner and feedback returned to the students, which may be relevant to their presentations. The exact schedule of presentations and due dates of the papers will be announced through Canvas. 

Format of Final Papers and Essay-Type Assignments

Papers and answers to essay-type questions should be typed (preferably using LaTeX) in 11-point Roman font, in single-column layout, and with 1-inch margins in all directions. This applies to all parts of the text, including figure captions, tables, and table captions. Do not use the layout of journal papers (i..e, avoid the small font sizes and 2-column layout). All figures and tables should be included at the end of the text, not embedded within it.

Attendance and Participation

Attendance is essential because there will be discussions in class. Therefore, it is required. Students who miss class will have to explain their absence. Absences will be excused in case of illness or other medical emergencies, family emergencies, and official university business. On some occasions there will be assigned reading in preparation for class discussion. Students are expected to do the reading and come prepared for the discussion. 

Academic Integrity

The formal policies about academic integrity are included in the Policies section of this web site. In the case of this course the important considerations are: 

In this particular course, students can discuss homework questions with each other and brainstorm on strategies. When it comes to writing complete and detailed answers to the homework questions, students should work completely on their own without consulting other students in any way. 

The final papers and associated presentations are team efforts. Students are expected to work in teams and collaborate closely with the other team members to write the papers and prepare and deliver the presentations. 

The Cardinal Rule

All students are responsible for knowing and following all the rules and regulations for this course as set forth in the syllabus (including any additional details on the class web site). Not knowing the rules is not an excuse for not following them. In case of any ambiguity, the instructor is the final arbiter. Students are also responsible for knowing what is announced in class.