ASTR 210: Black Holes in the Universe
Section 1, Spring 2023
Lecture: Monday, Wednesday & Friday
Location:
RITA, room 363
Time: MWF
2:00pm - 2:50pm
Instructor: Dr.
George Chartas
Office: RITA,
room 307
Office
hours: MWF : 3:00 - 4:00 pm
Phone: (843)
953-3609
Email: chartasg@cofc.edu
A preliminary outline of the
course can be found at the SCHEDULE website. Some of this material is subject
to change and this site will be constantly up-dated so please check it before
each class.
_____________________________________________________________
Syllabus
Required materials:
The required textbook for the course is
Gravity’s Fatal Attraction, Black Holes in the
Universe Third Edition by Mitchell Begelman and Martin Rees.
Recommended
textbook for the course is Black Holes and Time Warps, Einstein’s Outrageous
Legacy by Kip S. Thorne
Course Objectives:
Ever
wonder what it would be like to cross the event horizon of a black hole, or
whether time travel was possible? Find
out how you can travel in a round trip close to the speed of light to find out
that your friend has aged when you return. Will the Large Hadron Collider create mini
black holes and is it safe? Learn about
how black holes drag space along as they rotate and do so with “no hair”.
This
course will cover the strange predicted properties of black holes and describe
observations of objects that we think harbor them.
Learning Outcomes:
Demonstrate
conceptual understanding (through quizzes, projects, and tests) of the
following topics:
- Understand
Einstein's theory of special relativity as it applies to length contraction,
and time dilation.
- Understand
Einstein’s theory of general relativity
as it applies to the equivalence principle, space-time, and the prediction of
black holes.
- Describe Stellar Evolution and the fate of
stars (Brown Dwarfs, White Dwarfs, Neutron stars, Black holes)
- Describe the techniques used for the detection
of stellar mass black holes
- Describe the current paradigm of active
galactic nuclei.
- Explain contemporary theories of Dark Matter
and describe methods to detect it.
- Describe
the current paradigm of Gamma Ray Bursts
- Describe recent observations of the
supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way
- Explain Gravitational
Waves and describe methods to detect them.
- Explain
Feedback between black holes and their environments
- Explain Miniholes and the Hawking Effect
I recommend that you
review the material before it is presented in class. This will help you to
better understand the concepts and enjoy the class. I expect your active
participation in the class.
SPECIFICS
CREDIT: This is a
three-credit course.
PREREQUISITES: This
course is designed for both science and non-science majors. Advanced
mathematics is not required; only high-school level math will be used
occasionally.
PRESENTATIONS: Every
student group will be expected to give a 15-minute presentation on a topic
related to material covered in the course. You will work in groups of two to four
to prepare and present the research talk.
The
presentation may be in PowerPoint, keynote, or PDF. It should include a list of
references and each student should present a portion of the talk.
There
will be dates near the end of the semester allocated to these research
presentations.
Syllabus Statement Regarding how the Covid-19 will
affect ASTR 210 for the Spring 2023 Semester
Students that need to isolate may
use the online lecture notes provided on OAKS and my course website to complete
assignments and will be granted an extension to submit their work.
If a student tests positive for
Covid-19 they should not attend any classes for the duration of the 5-day
quarantine period.
The College anticipates that some
members of the community will fall ill or test positive for the coronavirus,
and then be required to quarantine, thereby missing class, assignments, and
assessments. I will provide reasonable accommodations for students who
become ill or indicate a need to isolate themselves. To the extent
possible, arrangements will be made for students with COVID-19 related absences
to continue in the class.
If a student is absent from class
for an extended period, a withdrawal (W) before the deadline should be strongly
considered.
Midterm Exams and Quizzes:
There
will be 3 midterm exams over the semester. Several quizzes will be given during
lectures. The quizzes will be based on material already presented in lectures. There
will be a final exam that will cover most of the material presented in the
lectures.
Grades
Your
final grade will be calculated as follows:
Quizzes |
15% |
Presentation
and Participation |
20% |
Midterms |
40% |
Final |
25% |
Your
number grade will be converted into a letter grade as follows.
>85% |
A |
80-84% |
A- |
76-80% |
B+ |
72-76% |
B |
68-72% |
B- |
64-68% |
C+ |
60-64% |
C |
56-60% |
C- |
52-56% |
D+ |
48-52% |
D |
44-48% |
D- |
<44% |
F |
Special Needs
If you have any special needs or disabilities that
might require special arrangements to be made for any aspect of this course,
please let me know at the beginning of the semester or as soon as you become
aware of them.
1.
Any student eligible for and needing accommodations because
of a disability is requested to speak with the professor during the first two
weeks of class or as soon as the student has been approved for services so that
reasonable accommodations can be arranged.
2.
The College will make reasonable accommodations for persons
with documented disabilities. Students should apply for services at the
Center for Disability Services/SNAP located on the first floor of the Lightsey
Center, Suite 104. Students approved for accommodations are responsible
for notifying me as soon as possible and for contacting me one week before
accommodation is needed.
3.
This College abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you have a documented
disability that may have some impact on your work in this class and for which
you may require accommodations, please see an administrator at the Center of
Disability Services/SNAP, (843) 953-1431) or me so that such accommodation may
be arranged.
Class Policies:
Cellular technology: Please respect your classmates and keep your
cellular devices off.
College of
Charleston Honor Code and Academic Integrity:
Lying, cheating, attempted
cheating, and plagiarism are violations of our Honor Code that, when
identified, are investigated. Each
incident will be examined to determine the degree of deception involved.
Incidents where the instructor
determines the student-s actions are related more to a misunderstanding will be
handeled by the instructor. A written intervention designed to help
prevent the student from repeating the error will be given to the student. The intervention, submitted by form and signed
both by the instructor and the student, will be forwarded to the Dean of Students
and placed in the student-s file.
Cases of suspected academic
dishonesty will be reported directly by the instructor and/or others having
knowledge of the incident to the Dean of Students. A student found responsible by the Honor
Board for academic dishonesty will receive a XF in the course, indicating
failure of the course due to academic dishonesty. This grade will appear on the student-s
transcript for two years after which the student may petition for the X to be
expunged. The F is permanent. The student may also be placed on
disciplinary probation, suspended (temporary removal) or expelled (permanent
removal) from the College by the Honor Board.
Students should be aware that
unauthorized collaboration--working together without permission-- is a form of
cheating. Unless the instructor
specifies that students can work together on an assignment, quiz and/or test,
no collaboration during the completion of the assignment is permitted. Other forms of cheating include possessing
or using an unauthorized study aid (which could include accessing information
via a cell phone or computer), copying from others- exams, fabricating data,
and giving unauthorized assistance.
Research conducted and/or
papers written for other classes cannot be used in whole or in part for any
assignment in this class without obtaining prior permission from
the instructor.
Students can find the
complete Honor Code and all related processes in the Student Handbook at http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/honor-system/studenthandbook/index.php