Astrophysics Course

Lesson 1 • Gravity and Orbital Mechanics

Presents Newtonian gravity, Kepler's laws, and orbital dynamics. These principles underpin stellar, planetary, and galactic dynamics covered later.

Lesson 2 • Scales and Units in Astrophysics

Introduces cosmic distance scales, mass scales, and time scales. Anchors all subsequent quantitative work in consistent astrophysical units.

Lesson 3 • Observational Tools and Telescopes

Surveys optical, radio, and space-based telescopes and their operating principles. Grounds learners in how astrophysical data are actually collected.

Lesson 4 • Spectroscopy and Atomic Physics

Explains atomic energy levels, spectral lines, and the Doppler effect. Provides the diagnostic tools for measuring composition, temperature, and motion.

Lesson 1 • Stellar Interiors and Energy Transport

Analyses pressure balance, nuclear burning zones, and energy transport mechanisms. Explains why stars maintain stable luminosities for billions of years.

Lesson 2 • The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

Introduces the HR diagram as a classification and evolutionary tool. Learners learn to read stellar populations and evolutionary tracks from diagram features.

Lesson 3 • Late Stellar Evolution and Endpoints

Traces post-main-sequence evolution through red giants, planetary nebulae, and supernovae. Connects stellar mass to the type of compact remnant produced.

Lesson 4 • Binary Stars and Mass Transfer

Examines how binary interactions alter stellar evolution through mass exchange and common-envelope phases. Introduces novae and Type Ia supernova progenitors.

Lesson 1 • White Dwarfs and Electron Degeneracy

Explains degenerate electron pressure, mass-radius relations, and cooling sequences. Establishes the physics of the simplest compact remnant.

Lesson 2 • Accretion and X-Ray Binaries

Analyses accretion disk structure, luminosity limits, and X-ray binary classification. Links compact object physics to observed high-energy transients.

Lesson 3 • Gravitational Waves and Multi-Messenger Events

Explains gravitational wave generation, detector principles, and binary merger signals. Introduces multi-messenger astrophysics through neutron star merger observations.

Lesson 4 • Black Hole Physics and Spacetime

Introduces Schwarzschild and Kerr metrics, event horizons, and geodesics. Provides the relativistic framework for interpreting black hole observations.

Lesson 1 • Molecular Clouds and Star-Forming Regions

Analyses molecular cloud structure, turbulence, and the conditions triggering gravitational collapse. Bridges ISM physics to the stellar formation process.

Lesson 2 • Stellar Feedback and Chemical Enrichment

Examines how stellar winds, supernovae, and radiation reshape the ISM and inject metals. Establishes the feedback loop driving galactic chemical evolution.

Lesson 3 • Dust Grains and Interstellar Extinction

Examines dust grain composition, size distribution, and extinction curves. Shows how dust affects photometric measurements and star formation environments.

Lesson 4 • Phases and Components of the ISM

Identifies the cold neutral, warm ionised, and hot coronal phases of the ISM. Establishes pressure balance and thermal equilibrium as organising principles.

Lesson 1 • Astrobiology and Habitability

Evaluates the physical and chemical conditions required for life and their astrophysical context. Connects planetary science to the search for biosignatures.

Lesson 2 • Exoplanet Characterisation and Demographics

Examines mass-radius relations, atmospheric spectroscopy, and population statistics. Connects individual planet measurements to broader formation theories.

Lesson 3 • Solar System Formation and Architecture

Presents the nebular hypothesis, planetesimal accretion, and giant planet migration. Provides the baseline for comparing exoplanetary system architectures.

Lesson 4 • Planetary Interiors and Atmospheres

Analyses internal structure, heat flow, and atmospheric composition of solar system bodies. Builds physical intuition for interpreting exoplanet bulk properties.

Lesson 1 • Galaxy Scaling Relations and Surveys

Presents Tully-Fisher, Faber-Jackson, and fundamental plane relations as distance and mass indicators. Introduces large photometric and spectroscopic survey strategies.

Lesson 2 • Galaxy Classification and Morphology

Introduces the Hubble sequence, elliptical, spiral, and irregular galaxy types. Establishes morphological vocabulary for all subsequent galaxy analysis.

Lesson 3 • Stellar Populations and Chemical Evolution

Distinguishes Population I, II, and III stars and traces metallicity gradients. Links stellar archaeology to the star formation history of galaxies.

Lesson 4 • Galactic Dynamics and Rotation Curves

Analyses stellar orbits, velocity dispersions, and rotation curve measurements. Introduces dark matter as the explanation for flat rotation curves.

Lesson 5 • Active Galactic Nuclei and Feedback

Covers AGN classification, unified models, and the role of black hole feedback in quenching star formation. Connects compact object physics to galaxy-scale evolution.

Lesson 1 • Large-Scale Structure and Galaxy Surveys

Analyses cosmic web formation, baryon acoustic oscillations, and power spectrum measurements. Connects linear perturbation theory to observed galaxy clustering.

Lesson 2 • Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and the CMB

Traces element production in the first minutes and the formation of the cosmic microwave background. Connects early-universe physics to present-day observational tests.

Lesson 3 • Friedmann Equations and Cosmic Dynamics

Presents the Friedmann equations governing scale factor evolution and introduces density parameters. Learners solve expansion histories for matter-, radiation-, and dark-energy-dominated universes.

Lesson 4 • Dark Matter and Dark Energy

Evaluates evidence for dark matter from rotation curves, lensing, and CMB, and for dark energy from supernova surveys. Introduces candidate models for each component.

Lesson 5 • Expanding Universe and Hubble's Law

Derives Hubble's law from recession velocities and introduces the Hubble constant. Establishes cosmic expansion as the foundation of all cosmological models.

Lesson 1 • Reionisation and the First Stars

Traces the epoch of reionisation from Population III star formation to quasar-driven ionisation fronts. Connects early-universe cosmology to the first luminous structures.

Lesson 2 • Cosmic Ray Physics and High-Energy Particles

Analyses cosmic ray composition, energy spectrum, and acceleration mechanisms. Links particle astrophysics to supernova remnants, AGN jets, and neutrino observations.

Lesson 3 • Open Problems and Future Observatories

Surveys unresolved questions in astrophysics and the facilities designed to address them. Learners evaluate how next-generation instruments will transform each subfield.

Lesson 4 • Supermassive Black Holes and Quasar Evolution

Examines the growth history of supermassive black holes and their co-evolution with host galaxies. Connects AGN physics from Chapter 6 to cosmological timescales.