The students would be able to get adequate idea on the Astronomy & Astrophysics specialization - about the astronomical observation, stellar structure, stellar evolution, the solar system, galaxies and also about the statistical tools to be used for astrophysical analysis.
Unit I:
Optical Telescopes, Radio Telescopes, Hubble Space Telescope, Astronomical Spectrographs, Photographic, Photoelectric and Spectro-Photometry, Detectors and Image Processing.
Magnitudes, Motions and Distances of Stars:
Stellar Magnitude Sequence, Absolute Magnitude and the Distance Modulus, Bolometric Magnitude, Different Magnitude Standards: The UBV System and Six-colour Photometry, Radiometric Magnitudes, The Colour-index of a Star, Luminosities of Stars, Stellar Parallax (Trigonometric) and Units of Stellar Distances, Stellar Positions: The Celestial Coordinates, Stellar Motions, Solar Motion and Peculiar Velocities of Stars, Velocity Dispersion, Statistical and Moving Cluster Parallax.
Spectral Classification of Stars:
Boltzman's Formula, Saha Ionisation Equation, Harvard System of Spectral Classification: Henry-Draper Catalogue, Luminosity Effect on Stellar Spectra, Spectroscopic Parallax, Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram.
The Photosphere: Limb-darkening, Solar Granulation, Faculae, Chromosphere, Corona, Prominences, The 11-year Solar Cycle and Sunspots, Solar Magnetic Fields, Theory of Sunspots, Solar Flares, Radio Emission, Solar Wind, Solr Neutrino Puzzle.
Equation of Transfer and it's solution, Absorption Processes in Stellar Atmosphere, Continuous Absorption by Negative Hydrogen Ions in Cooler Stars, Analysis of Spectral Line Broadening, Curve of Growth, Stellar Temperatures, Chemical Composition.
Unit II:
Visual Binary, Spectroscopic Binary, Eclipsing Binary, Multiple Stars, Origin of Binary Stars, Stellar Masses and Mass-Luminosity Relation, Mass Transfer in Close Binary Systems.
Classification of Variable Stars, Cepheid Group of Variables, Period-luminosity Relations of Cepheid Group of Variables, RV Tauri Variables, Mira-type Variables, Red Irregular and Semi-regular Variables, Beta Canis Majoris Variables, U Geminorum Stars, SS Cygni or Dwarf Novae, Flare Stars, Pulsation Theory of Variable Stars.
Distribution of Novae in Our Galaxy, Determination of Distance and Luminosity of Novae, Light Variation of Novae, Spectra of Novae, Cause of Nova Outburst, Supernovae, SN 1987 A.
Stars with Extended Atmosphere:
The Wolf-Rayet Stars, P Cygni and a Cygni Stars, Be Stars: Shell Stars, Of Stars.
Some Cooler Stars of Interest:
Peculiar A Stars and Metallic-line A Stars, T Tauri Stars, Emission-line Red Dwarf, R Coronae Borealis, Carbon and Heavy-metal Oxide Stars, Subdwarfs, Brown Dwarfs.
Unit III:
Clusters and Associations of Stars:
Galactic and Globular Clusters, Stellar Associations, Stellar Population Characteristics, Star Formation.
Classification and Galactic Distribution of Nebulae, Observational Techniques, Dark Nebulae, Reflection Nebulae, Diffuse Emission Nebulae: Theory of Emission Lines, Planetary Nebulae, The Crab Nebula: Supernova Remnants.
Large-scale Distribution of Interstellar Matter, Interstellar Lines, Interstellar Clouds, H I and H II Regions: Stromgren's Spheres, Interstellar Shock Waves, Interstellar Cloud Collisions, Energy Balance in Interstellar Gas, Intercloud Medium, Interstellar Grains.
Structure and Evolution of Stars:
Observational Basis, Equation of State for Stellar Interior, Mechanical and Thermal Equilibrium in Stars, Energy Transport in Stellar Interior, Energy Generation in Stars, Stellar Evolution, White Dwarfs.
Neutron Stars and Black Holes:
Discovery of Pulsars, Rotating Neutron Star Model of Pulsars, Period Distribution and Loss of Rotational Energy, Test of Rotating Neutron Star Model of Pulsars, Gold's Model of Pulsars, Distance and Distribution of Pulsars, Binary Pulsars, Black Holes.
Unit IV:
Differential Rotation of Galaxy, Determination of Rotation Parameters in Solar Neighbourhood, Radio Observation of Galaxy at 21-cm Wave-Length, Rotation Curve of Galaxy, Density Distribution of Gas and Spiral Structure of Galaxy: Radio and Optical Data, General Structure, Mass, Magnetic Field of Galaxy, Cosmic Rays, Continuous Radio Emission in the Galaxy.
Classification, Distribution, Luminosity Distribution and Spectra of Galaxies, Local Group, Distances and Nuclei of Galaxies, Theories of Spiral Structures of Disk Galaxies, Dwarf Galaxies, Ultra Compact Dwarf Galaxies, Compact Groups of Galaxies.
Clustering Nature of Galaxies, Morphological Classification of Clusters, cD Galaxies, Interacting Galaxies and Galaxy Mergers, X-Ray Emission from Galaxies and from Clusters of Galaxies: The Cooling Flow, Masses and Evolution of Galaxies, Dark Matter in Galaxies, Superclusters and Voids.
Techniques of Identification of Radio Objects, Structures of Radio Galaxies, Classification of Radio Galaxies and Their Typical Characteristics, Energy Processes in Radio Galaxies, Radio Galaxies in Evolutionary Sequence, Some Important Radio Galaxies, Seyfert Galaxies.
Discovery of Quasars, Radio and Optical Properties, Redshift of Quasars, Active Galactic Nuclei.
Redshift and Expansion of Universe, Matter Density in the Universe and the Deceleration Parameter, Cosmological Principle, Fundamental Equations of Cosmology, Current Theories, Observational Tests of Cosmological Models, Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.
Internal Test 1 (25 Marks)
Internal Test 2 (25 Marks)
Internal Test 3 (25 Marks)
Final Exam (50 Marks)
Final evaluation sheet will be prepared using the best TWO out of the three Internal Tests (25+25 = 50 Marks) + Final Exam (50 Marks).
William K. Rose: Atrophysic, Dover Publications, (2010).
Padmanabhan, T., Theoretical Astrophysics, Vols.1-3, Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Badyanath Basu: An introduction to Astrophysics, Prentice Hall of India, (2003).
D. D. Clayton: Principle of Stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis, University Chicago Press, (1984).
R. Kippenhahn and A.Weigert: Stellar structure and evolution(Astronomy and Astrophysics Library), Springer, (1994).
K. D. Abhayankar: The Physics of Stars and Galaxies
H. L. Duorah and KalpanaDuorah.: Introduction to Astrophysics
Frank H. Shu: The Physical Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy, University Science Books, California, (1982).
Bradley W. Ostlie and Dale A. Carrol: An introduction to Modern Astrophysics, Addision-Wesley, (1996).
1. Harwit, M., Astrophysical Concepts, 3rd ed, Springer-verlag, 2006.
2. Erika Bohm-Vitense, Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics, Vol. 3 : Stellar structure and evolution --
3. Shapiro &Teukolsky,Black Holes, White Dwarfs & Neutron stars --.