ASTR 545-M01
Stellar Spectroscopy
Course Syllabus
Fall 2018

Mon & Wed 11:00 am -12:15 pm
Astronomy Bldg, Rm 119

PROFESSOR

Dr. Christopher W. Churchill
Office hours: M & W 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Office: Rm 105 Astronomy

Preferred order of contact is
1. "walk in" to Professor's office (open door policy)
2. Canvas message
3. email


SCOPE OF COURSE

This graduate level course concentrates on three general areas of astronomy: (1) the gaseous and radiative physical processes in stellar atmospheres, (2) line formation and continuum opacities in stellar atmospheres, and (3) stellar spectroscopy.

The goals are for the student to develop a comprehensive understanding of the physics that give rise to the overall continuum shape, atoms/ions giving rise to absorption lines, and the behavior of absorption lines and ionization "breaks" in stellar spectra. Since the spectra are dominated by the region of the star where the optical depth approaches unity, the course will focus on the physics in this region of stars, i.e. the atmosphere and photosphere.

The course materials and management of the course will be exclusively on Canvas. The course is divided into Modules (there is a tab on the left column in Canvas). These modules are also listed on the Home page on Canvas. Under each module the lecture notes are provided, as well as any other augmenting or supplementary materials. Also, the Homework assignments are contained within each module. On Canvas, the course schedule is under the tab "Syllabus". This page contains the dates, times, and material of the lectures and assignments.

Topics Covered
The Modules to be covered are:

1. Introduction
2. HR Diagram
3. Spectral Classification
4. Photometric Systems
5. Line Formation
6. Line Broadening
7. Continuum Opacities
8. Ideal Gas with Radiation
9. Excitation and Ionization Equilibrium
10. Radiative Transfer
11. Stellar Hydrodynamics
12. Model Stellar Atmospheres
13. Hydrogenic Atoms
14. Multi-Electron Atoms
15. Periodic Table and Spectra
16. Spectrograph Design
17. Spectra - Counts and Flux Calibration


COURSE SPECIFICS

Credit
This is a three (3.0) credit course. Your grade will depend upon your homework scores and exam scores.

Lectures
The lectures are designed to introduce and explain scientific concepts, to stimulate interest in the reading material (and you should read, read read), to expand on the reading material. You are encouraged to ask questions during the lectures!

Required Notes and Recommended Texts
There is no required text, but you must print out the class notes prior to each lecture. The class notes are more comprehensive than the material that will be conveyed in the lecture; this is for the benefit of the student to have at their disposal additional background information that will help to develop deeper understanding. The Professor will not provide reminders to print lecture note; it is expected that the student will self-manage the printing and use of the notes. Below are some highly recommended books to supplement the notes.

The Observation and Analysis of Stellar Photospheres (3rd ed.) by D. F. Gray.
An excellent text on stellar spectra and photospheres. Some derivations, but always at a light level.

Stellar Spectral Classification (1st ed.) by Richard O. Gray & Christopher J. Corbally.
A book that is excellent for the detailed understanding of spectral classification and the subtle variations of spectral lines in various classes of stars. A great reference for your library. The excellent glossary of this book is something you should refer to throughout the course.

The Fundamentals of Stellar Astrophysics by G. W. Collins.
This is also an on-line book with PDF free downloads. Especially check out chapters 9, 10, 12, 13, & 14. This is a very clearly written book that emphasizes conceptual understanding and presents only the most important equations.

Interpreting Astronomical Spectra by D. Emerson.
This is probably the best book you could own for understanding how to analyze spectra from any and all astronomical sources. This book is a general source - it is long on explanation and all the relevant equations are presented for a wide range of physical conditions (including much emphasis on stellar).

Stellar Atmospheres by D. Mihalas.
This is a very theoretical book, but has extended discussions that aid in building physical intuition. This is an advance graduate level textbook. There is a great deal of mathematical treatment, but the author does an excellent job of explaining the context and meaning of the expressions. If you study out of this book it will be very rewarding in the long run. Especially focused on this class material is Chapters 1-5.

Introduction to Stellar Atmospheres by E. Novotny.
This is an excellent book that is easily accessible and clear. It is really an advance undergraduate book. It is very helpful for the stellar atmosphere modeling.

The Solar Atmosphere by H. Zirin.
This is an older book, but very clear. The treatment is amongst the clearest I have seen. I recommend chapters 4, 5, and 10.

ACCESS TO RECOMMENDED READING BOOKS: all books will be in the Professor's office on 2 hour reserve (enough time for you to photocopy the relevant portions of the text). I will have check out/in sheets for each book. I strongly encourage you to peruse these books and photocopy material to add to your notebook for the class. Even if you do not read the material during the course of this semester, the notes will be a valuable addition to your notes for future reference!

Attendance
Mandatory of course.

Behavior in Class
No cell phones. No eating. Drink is acceptable. Laptops may be used for note taking purposes only. If you use a laptop, it will be expected that you will not distract or interfere with the activity of other students.

Homework Assignments
Homework problems will range from qualitative answers to problem solving and/or mathematical derivations, to computational. Computer programming will be used extensively to solve several problems throughout the semester. Homework responses are to be uploaded on Canvas; however, when codes are to be handed in, they can be printed out and delivered by hand to the Professor.

The Homework schedule is on Canvas. The professor may or may not remind students of the schedule and due dates; it is expected that the student will self-manage the homework for themselves.

Instructions: Start each new problems at the top of a new page and clearly label the problem by its number. Do NOT hand in any scratch work or scratched out work. All mathematical steps should be shown clearly and logically, and you are highly encouraged to provide written explanations in your work as necessary to clarify mathematical steps. If a hard copy of your codes is required to be handed in, each code must be clearly labeled for the problem number for which is was applied. Codes should be clearly commented as to the calculations performed. The Professor reserves the right to downgrade your work they cannot understand your codes!

Exams
There will be two exams (one mid-term and one final) covering the lecture material, the assigned readings, and homework problems. They will both be Take Home Open Book Exams. Further Details will be provided in class.

Semester Project
At the end of the semester, you will hand in a semester project that will require extensive coding. The projects the student may choose from are

1. Solve the Grey Atmosphere problem for a stellar atmosphere.
2. Perform least-squares chi-square Voigt Profile fitting to absorption lines.
3. Compute the continuum stars of various Spectral and Luminosity Classes.
It will be DUE: Friday Nov. 30, 2018. All of the physics required for this project will be covered in lecture. Many of the subroutine and much of the code that will be incorporated will be developed in a step by step process via the homework assignments. Details on the Semester Projects will be provided no later than November 1. The student may of course discuss their chosen project with the Professor at any time during the semester and may begin progress on the project at any time during the semester.

Collaboration
Collaboration is encouraged because that is how real research and real learning take place. As such, collaboration is allowed on the homework assignments and for the semester project, but not on exams. However, the level of collaboration is limited to discussions between other students currently in the course only. All work presented on any assignment must be the original work of the individual; thus, write up your solutions in private. It is acceptable to discuss a derivation and work through they key sticky parts or discuss the main concepts of a given problem in a group, but it is not acceptable to produce the full derivation in the group and then each member go off and write it up as their own work. As for programming problems, it is not acceptable to copy the essence of a another student's subroutine in a larger code. It is fully acceptable to discuss the methodology and logic of the subroutine, but not directly copy the essence of each others codes. Any form of collaboration with or viewing or copying materials of "upper class" students who have taken ASTR 545 in previous years is strictly forbidden.

Grading
Grading will be based upon the following,

Office Hours
You are encouraged to come to the Professor's office hours for help with the course material. If you cannot make the appointed times, please make an appointment (office hours are given above). Other than that, the Professor has an "open door" policy.

Communication
Official communication for this course will be through Canvas messaging and Announcements. Be sure you have your notifications for Announcements set appropriately.

Drop Policy
If your name appears on the BANNER grading sheet at the end of the semester and you are eligible for a letter grade, one must be provided. If you desire an "I" (incomplete) the Professor will need this in writing (email or Canvas message will suffice) prior to the last day of classes.


ACADEMIC CONDUCT

All New Mexico State University policies regarding ethics and honorable behavior apply to this course. For details, please see the NMSU Student Code of Conduct. The NMSU Student Code of Conduct will be applied as policy in this course.

Discrimination Policy and Inclusive Environment
The following is a statement on discrimination is taken from Gerard Nevarez of the Office of Institutional Equity/EEO. "New Mexico State University (NMSU) is dedicated to providing equal opportunities in areas of employment and academics without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, serious medical condition, sex, sexual orientation, spousal affiliation, or protected veteran status as outlined in federal and state anti-discrimination statutes. As a federal contractor, NMSU’s affirmative action program also supports this effort. Further, NMSU is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination and harassment on the basis of a person’s age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, serious medical condition, sex, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, or spousal affiliation. Where a violation of policy is found to have occurred, NMSU will act to stop the conduct, to prevent its recurrence, to remedy its effects, and to discipline those responsible in accordance with the NMSU Policy Manual and/or NMSU Student Code of Conduct." For more information visit the Academic Misconduct Page within the NMSU student handbook.

In this class, we will also be dedicated to these ideas and expect that all students in this class will act in accordance to create a work and learning environment free of discrimination and harassment.

Plagiarism/Cheating Policy
Plagiarism includes, but is not necessarily limited to, "submitting examinations, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, undocumented quotations, computer-processed materials, or other material as one's own work when such work has been prepared in part or in full by another person or copied from another person." Both intentional and unintentional plagiarism is considered academic misconduct . Since it is not possible to ascertain whether your work has been copied from another, or whether you copied from another, BOTH individuals who are judged to be copying or having being copied from, either fully or partially, will be contacted directly- the situation will be discussed and, if necessary documented. The Professor reserves the right to pass any information forward to the appropriate authorities.