ASTR 323/423 - The Local Universe
Fall 2023


Instructor: Chris Mihos (mihos@case.edu)

Course Time:
T/Th 11:30-12:45

Office Hours:
Feel free to stop by any time (except T/Th mornings); my door is usually open. If you want to be sure I'll be in, send me an email and we can arrange a specific time to meet.

Website:
http://burro.case.edu/Academics/Astr323/

Course, Assignment, and Grading Policies

Class attendance is expected, as is on-time arrival.

Homeworks can be discussed collaboratively, but each person must turn in their own solutions with unique writeup/analysis. Collaborative means talking with each other about approaches, techniques, etc. Collaborative does not mean sitting side-by-side working out the answers, or swapping final solutions to copy!

There will also be assignments involving computational/data analysis. The use of python and astropy is highly recommended.

For graduate students enrolled in ASTR 423, there will be additional problems on the HW sets. Graduate students must also earn a B or better on each of the Homework and Midterm/Final portions of the grade to earn a B or better for a final course grade.

Homework must be turned in using the Canvas course site, and is due at 5pm on the due date. Homeworks must be submitted/uploaded as a single pdf file -- all your answers, plots, descriptions, math, etc should be written up as a standalone, self-contained solution set. Do not submit (or copy and paste from) jupyter notebooks, you need to write your solution set separately from your code.

You may upload your code if you wish, but it will not be reviewed as part of the grading process. I am happy to help you if you are having problems with a coding solution, but I do not grade code. Full details on electronic submissions are given here.

Late HW policy: You get one free late homework (up to one week late), no questions asked. After that, it's a penalty of 20% for every day late, unless you have an prearranged, excused reason.


Grade Weights
Homework
50%
Midterm
20%
Final
30%

Grading Scheme
A
90-100
B
80-89
C
70-79
D
50-69
F
<50
In addition, ASTR423 students must earn a B or better in each of the HW and the Midterm + Final  portions of the grade to earn a B or better in the course.



Policy on the usage of "AI" (Large Language Models)

The use of LLMs is strongly discouraged, for two major reasons:
  • One of the major purposes of coursework is for you to learn how to find, use, and evaluate primary source materials: online data sites, scientific websites, published scientific literature. LLMs are not primary source material.
  • LLMs are often very wrong, and have a tendency to make up false information.
However, if you decide to use an LLM to help with course assignments, you must include the following in your writeup:
  • State explicitly that you used an LLM, say which one you used, and tell me the prompt you gave it.
  • Describe in detail the steps you took to verify the answers you got from it, and explain how accurate the answers were.
  • If it was used for code, say which  pieces of the analysis used LLM coding and describe in detail how that code worked.
Homework Due Dates
(always 5pm deadline)
HW #1
Fri Sep 15
HW #2
(HW #2 SQL, explained)
(HW #2 example CMD)
(HW #2 coding tips)
Fri Oct 13
HW #3 Fri Nov 17
HW #4 Fri Dec 8
Homework Tips
and
Submitting Electronic HW

Tests
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Oct 19
in class
Midterm Exam Study Questions
Dec 18
12pm - 3pm
Final Exam
Study Questions




Useful Links:
Textbooks:
 

None required, but these are all good sources and are available in the Astronomy Library:
  • Sparke & Gallagher: Galaxies in the Universe
  • Carroll & Ostlie: An Introduction to Modern Astrophyics
  • Binney & Merrifield: Galactic Astronomy
  • Binney & Tremaine: Galactic Dynamics

Schedule and Content
(Future topics subject to change, just like life.....
)

#
Date
(Slides)
Topics
1
Aug 29
Course Introduction; Astronomer's Toolbox
2
Aug 31
Stellar Pops: Stellar evolution, metallicity, resolved stellar pops,
stellar population synthesis
3
Sep 5
HW #1 Discussion, Part 1
Stellar Pops: modeling, color evolution
Galaxy Pops: morphology and Hubble Type
SSP animation, SFR animation
4
Sep 7
HW #1 Discussion, Part 2
Galaxy Pops: luminosity functions, luminosity profiles (disk,
elliptical, composite)
5
Sep 12
Galaxy Pops: Sersic Profiles, Distribution of Galaxy Properties
from SDSS
The ISM of Galaxies: HI, molecular, ionized gas
6
Sep 14
The ISM of Galaxies: dust, hot X-ray gas
Star Form / Chem Evol: tracing star formation in galaxies
7
Sep 19
Star Form / Chem Evol: feedback, chemical evolution
Milky Way Stars: properties of stars: spectral types, CMDs, parallax,
proper motion, stellar masses
8
Sep 21
Milky Way Stars: star clusters, stellar ages,  metallicities, spectroscopic parallax
9
Sep 26
Milky Way Stars: pulsating variables
Lecture Video
10
Sep 28
Milky Way Structure and Kinematics: overview and stellar velocities
(McGaugh lecture)
11
Oct 3
Discussion of HW #1 and HW #2
Milky Way Structure and Kinematics: Oort Limit, metallicity distribution
12
Oct 5

Milky Way Structure and Kinematics: thin and thick disks, galactic center distance
Satellite galaxy merger movies: Top view, side view, sat only, fly-around
13

Milky Way Structure and Kinematics: Bulge/Bar and Halo
Satellite Accretion movies: Johnston, Bullock & Johnston
14
Oct 12
Milky Way Rotation and the Epicyclic Approximation

15
Oct 17
Milky Way Rotation and the Epicyclic Approximation
Disk Galaxies: Structure and Content
16
Oct 19
Midterm Exam in class (Midterm Study Questions)
--
Oct 24
Fall Break - No class
17
Oct 26
Disk Galaxies: Star Formation and Kinematics
18
Oct 31
Disk Galaxies: Tully-Fisher
Disk Galaxy Dynamics: Rotation curve modeling and Spiral Structure
19
Nov 2
Disk Galaxy Dynamics: Density Waves, Bars, Disk Stability
Gas Flow in Barred Galaxy movie
20
Nov 7
Election Day!!!
Elliptical Galaxies
: Structure, Stellar Populations, Gas Content
Elliptical Galaxies: Kinematics
21
Nov 9
Elliptical Galaxies: Kinematics, Fundamental Plane, Orbits
22
Nov 14
Elliptical Galaxies: Relaxation, Black Holes
23
Nov 16
Dynamical Friction Notes
Elliptical Galaxies: Nuclei, Formation models
24
Nov 21
Groups and Clusters: Environment and Galaxy Evolution
--
Nov 23
Thanksgiving - No class
25
Nov 28
Dwarf Galaxies: General properties (McGaugh Lecture)
26
Nov 30
Dwarf Galaxies: Formation and Evolution
AGN: Discovery
27
Dec 5
AGN: Basic Properties
28
Dec 7
AGN: The AGN-Galaxy Connection
--
Dec 18
Final Exam 12:00 - 3:00 (Final Study Questions)





Accessibility Statement

In accordance with federal law, if you have a documented disability, you may be eligible to request accommodations from Disability Resources.  In order to be considered for accommodations, you must first register with the Disability Resources office.  Please contact their office to register at 216.368.5230 or get more information on how to begin the process.  Please keep in mind that accommodations are not retroactive.



Academic Integrity Statement

Students at Case Western Reserve University are expected to uphold the highest ethical standards of academic conduct. Academic integrity addresses all forms of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation, obstruction, and submitting without permission work to one course that was completed for another course.  Please review the complete academic integrity policy.  Any violation of the policy will be reported to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and the Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards.


Learning Outcomes:

After taking this course, students should be able to:

  • Describe different morphological classification systems for galaxies.
  • Describe galaxy properties as a function of type.
  • Derive quantitative relationships between a galaxy's gravitational potential and the kinematics of its stars.
  • Understand the interplay between stars and the ISM
  • Understand how stellar populations vary across galaxy type, and how these stellar populations can be used to infer the star forming histories of galaxies.
  • Quantitatively describe galaxy scaling relationships.
  • Explain the observational tools used to study different components of galaxies: stars, dust, gas, and dark matter.
  • Describe the role of environment in shaping galaxy populations
  • Describe the unified model for AGN, and how AGN are triggered.
  • Use observational datasets to quantify the structural and kinematic properties of galaxies.
  • Use online data respositories to develop statistical descriptions of galaxy populations.