2009 Courses & Clusters

Cluster 6 - Exploring the Cosmos

Instructors:
Tom Renbarger, National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, UCSD Department of Physics
Vesa Junkkarinen, Research Physicist, Center for Astrophysics & Space Science

Description:
The life of stars is the battle of atomic and nuclear physics against the inward pull of gravity. While stars can shine brightly for millions or billions of years, they cannot escape their fate of collapsing into a compact object in the form of a white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole -- the ultimate victory of gravity. In addition to acting in planetary systems and orbiting binary stars, gravity is responsible for binding the galaxies together, shaping their form, and controlling their history. This course focuses on the role of gravity in the astrophysics of planets, stars, black holes and galaxies.

Student projects will focus primarily on solar-related physics and engineering projects, astronomical instrumentation, or the physics of light. Examples include measuring the temperature of the sun, building a reflecting telescope and making observations with it, measuring the speed of light, and working with solar-power devices such as photovoltaic cells and Stirling engines.

Prerequisites:
Algebra II/Trigonometry

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