This course will be an exploration of current topics in astrophysics that can be addressed with an assumed student background of first year physics and first year calculus. The issues will be explored both from a theoretical and observational points of view.

There will be no assigned text book.

Bi-Weekly problem sets will be assigned. While some of these problems may be standard cookbook physics problems in an astrophysics context, other problems will involve the use of real data and will require data analysis.

We will focus on topics such as:

    The Observational Characterization of Stellar Evolution
    Stellar structure and stability
    Energy generation in Stellar Cores
    Degenerate Matter in Stellar Remnants
    The physics of supernova explosions
    Energy transport in the Interstellar Medium (ISM) of Galaxies
    Star formation in the ISM
    astronomical detectors an instrumentation
    the evidence for dark matter (or lack there of)