5: Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

General Information | Programs and Degrees Offered | Admission Information
Financial Assistance | Graduate Academic Regulations
Requirements for Specific Graduate Degrees | Departments and Programs | Faculty

Department of Astronomy
Course Descriptions | Departmental Degree Requirements

Course Descriptions

ASTR 511, 512 - (3) (O)
Astronomical Techniques
Prerequisites: ASTR 211-212, PHYS 342, 343 or permission of instructor
A survey of modern techniques of radiation measurement, data analysis, and image processing, and their application to astrophysical problems, especially the physical properties of stars and galaxies. Relevant laboratory experiments and observations with the department's telescopes are included. Students are expected to develop a familiarity with FORTRAN programming and other basic computer skills if they do not already possess them.

ASTR 534 - (3) (E)
Introductory Radio Astronomy
Prerequisite: MATH 225 and PHYS 210
Fundamentals of measuring power and power spectra, antennas, interferometers, and radiometers. Thermal radiation, synchrotron radiation, and line frequency radiation. Radio emission from the planets, sun, flare stars, pulsars, supernovae, interstellar gas, galaxies, and quasi-stellar sources.

ASTR 539, 540 - (3) (IR)
Topical Seminar
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
A detailed study of a current topic is made by the instructor and the seminar members. The topic to be covered appears in the academic schedule for the semester in which it is given.

ASTR 541 - (3) (E)
Stellar Atmospheres
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Basic concepts and techniques required to calculate the structure and emergent spectrum of stellar atmospheres are developed.

ASTR 542 - (3) (E)
Interstellar Medium
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Physics of the interstellar gas and grains, the distribution and dynamics of gas, and cosmic radiation and interstellar magnetic fields are covered.

ASTR 543 - (3) (O)
The Physics of Stellar Interiors
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Basic physical principles required to study the interiors of stars are discussed, including the equations of stellar structure, the thermodynamics of stellar material, sources of opacity, and nuclear reactions. Simple approximations to stellar structure are developed.

ASTR 544 - (3) (O)
Stellar Evolution
Prerequisite: ASTR 543 or permission of instructor
The evolution of main sequence stars, late stages of evolution, explosive evolution, nucleosynthesis, convective and non-convective mixing, and numerical techniques are discussed.

ASTR 545 - (3) (E)
High Energy Astrophysics
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Introduction to the physics of basic radiation mechanisms and particle acceleration processes which are important in high energy phenomena and space science. Applications to pulsars, active galactic nuclei, radio galaxies, quasars, and supernovae are discussed.

ASTR 546 - (3) (SI)
Binary Stars
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
The determination of orbital elements, the mass-luminosity-radius relation, formation of binary systems, the Roche model, mass loss, mass transfer, circumstellar material, accretion disks, evolution of close interacting binaries, and some special classes of binaries such as cataclysmic variables, RS CVn binaries, Algol-type binaries, and X-ray binaries.

ASTR 803 - (3) (SI)
Stellar and Galactic Dynamics
Prerequisite: Knowledge of the methods of advanced calculus and classical mechanics
Types and composition of galaxies; mass distributions and kinematics. General dynamics of stellar systems; Liouville and Boltzmann equations, isolating integrals; encounters, relaxation times; epicyclic stellar orbits. Dynamics of interstellar material; observations, hydromagnetic equations; gravitational stability of a disk-shaped galaxy; spiral structure (same as APMA 647).

ASTR 836 - (1) (S)
Current Astronomical Topics
Current research problems are discussed by University of Virginia staff members and guest speakers.

ASTR 846 - (3) (O)
Cosmology
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Theories of the structure and evolution of the universe. Critical observations for testing the theories are considered.

ASTR 849, 850 - (3) (SI)
Advanced Seminar
Subjects of current interest, such as star formation, galaxy evolution, cosmology, etc., are discussed. The topic appears in the Course Offering Directory each semester.

ASTR 897 - (3-12) (S)
Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Research
For master's research, taken before a thesis director has been selected.

ASTR 898 - (3-12) (S)
Non-Topical Research
For master's thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director.

ASTR 995 - (3-12) (S)
Supervised Research
Under supervision, the student undertakes or assists with a current research problem. This course may be repeated for credit.

ASTR 997 - (3-12) (S)
Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Doctoral Research
For doctoral research, taken before a dissertation director has been selected.

ASTR 999 - (3-12) (S)
Non-Topical Research
For doctoral dissertation, taken under the supervision of a dissertation director.

Continue to: Departmental Degree Requirements
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