Courses may be offered either in the Fall or Winter Term. Not all courses are offered every year. A list of courses for the upcoming year is circulated at the end of June.

Astronomy Graduate Courses

 

9001. Comprehensive Examination

A required examination for Ph.D. candidates normally taken at the beginning of the third term of PhD registration. This six hour, exam tests the student's knowledge of basic astronomy in the fields of the solar system, the Sun and stars, the Milky Way and galaxies, and cosmology. If necessary, a second attempt is allowed at the end of the third term of study. The exam must be passed in order to continue in the PhD program.
Non-credit requirement.

9601. Solar System and Planetary Astronomy

Topics include planet formation, orbital and dynamical processes in the Solar System, isotopes and cosmochemistry, meteorites, asteroids and comets, planetary interiors and atmospheres as well as other Solar System processes such as impacts and tides.
3 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term.

9602. Galactic Astronomy

"Topics include Stellar Dynamics, Galactic structure, Dark Matter, Interstellar Medium, Spiral Structure, Fluid Mechanics, and Instabilities."
3 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term.  www.astro.uwo.ca/~basu/teach/ast9602

9603. Star Formation

This course will focus on the processes involved in the different stages leading to the formation of stars within our Galaxy.  The basic physics and chemistry of the interstellar medium and the current models for low and high mass star formation will be discussed. Special attention will be paid to the observational evidence that support these models or point to their shortcomings.
3 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term.

9604a/b.  Galactic and Extragalactic IR Astronomy

Techniques and methods of infrared astronomy, including imaging, spectroscopy and interferometry with ground- and space-based instrumentation. Application to research in star formation, the interstellar medium, nearby galaxies, and the high-redshift universe.
3 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term.

9605. Computational Astrophysics

A project-based course consisting of several computationally-intensive projects suggested by faculty members. Possible project topics include orbital dynamics, radiative transfer, magnetohydrodynamics, and plasma astrophysics. The course gives individual faculty members an opportunity to provide instruction specific to the needs of their students. The astrophysics behind each project topic will be stressed.
3 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term.

9606. Radiative Processes in Astrophysics

This course will include the following topics: the fundamentals of radiative transfer, atomic structure, radiative transitions, radiation from moving charges, bremsstrahlung, synchrotron radiation, and Compton scattering.
3 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term.

9607. Cosmology

Topics include relativistic cosmological models; background radiation; cosmological implications of nucleosynthesis; baryogenesis; inflation; structure formation; quasars; intergalactic medium; dark matter and energy.
3 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term.

9610. Introduction to Modern Astrophysics

This course is an intensive introduction to modern astrophysics. It is expected that all entering Astronomy MSc students will take A9610 in their first term of study (if offered). Topics include: time and coordinate systems; orbits; spectra and radiative processes; the Sun, stars, and stellar evolution; the interstellar medium; the Milky Way and external galaxies; the high-Z universe and cosmology. This course is a pre-requisite for all other astronomy graduate courses (except where noted).
3 lecture hours / week; half course; one term; team taught

9620.  Classical Electrodynamics

Topics include Maxwell's equations, wave propagation, radiating systems (multipole expansion, Lienard-Wiechart potentials), covariant formulation of electromagnetism. The material covered allows for the discussion and analysis of important examples directly related to important physical phenomena such as Faraday rotation, plasma physics, magnetohydrodynamics, and synchrotron and bremsstralung radiation.
3 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term.

9701. Molecular Symmetry and Spectroscopy

This course is intended to provide the student with a thorough introduction to molecular spectroscopy. The emphasis will be on understanding molecules and their spectra by making use of their symmetry (more precisely the symmetry of the Hamiltonian) for problem solving. The necessary tools will be developed to explain the electronic, vibrational, and rotational spectroscopy of simple molecules. We will concentrate on situations involving interactions between gas phase molecules and weak electromagnetic radiation.
3 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term.

9702.  Stellar Atmospheres

3 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term.

9720. Special Topics

Half course; one term.

 

Star Formation in Nearby Galaxies. The physical conditions and process of star formation in external galaxies, viewed from a multi-wavelength perspective. The relation of star formation to galaxy morphology; star formation indicators and the Kennicutt-Schmidt law.

Reading course; half course, one term (offered Summer Term 2008)

9801. Mars

From its Interior to its Moons. This course aims to examine the physical features of Mars. It will cover the following topics:

1. Mars' core and magnetism based on geochemistry and geodynamics 2. The mantle and crust of Mars based on meteorite petrology and geochemistry 3. The crust of Mars based on volcanology and geomorphology 4. Water on Mars' based on petrology, geomorphology, aqueous geochemistry and salts 5. Weather and climate history on Mars based on remote sensing 6. Mars exploration including findings based on recent missions using remote sensing and geochemical analysis 7. Potential for life on Mars based on geomicrobiology constraints. 8. Mars' moons: Phobos and Deimos.

2 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term. Presentation assignments in the form of one-page abstracts, final exam.

9802. Water in the Solar System

3 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term.

9803.  Planetary Image Interpretation (now renumbered Planetary Science 9762)

3 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term.

9601.  Planetary Image Interpretation (Combined with GL 9557)

3 lecture hours/week. Half course; one term.

This course will introduce students to the processes and products of impact cratering on Earth and throughout the Solar System, including:

1. impact cratering processes;
2. the threat;
3. the products of impact cratering;
4. the effects of impact cratering – destructive and beneficial;
5. techniques and research methods;
6. comparative case studies of various impact structures.

This course will feature weekly lectures, student presentations, hands-on laboratories, and a field trip to the Sudbury impact structure.