- Docente: Andrea Cimatti
- Credits: 8
- SSD: FIS/05
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: In-person learning (entirely or partially)
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Astronomy (cod. 8004)
Learning outcomes
The aim of the course is to provide the fundamental knowledge of
the Earth, the Solar System, the Stars and the Galaxy, as well as
the indispensable notions to describe the orbital motions (the
two-body problem) and the astronomical observations, such as the
determination of the position of cosmic objects, their distance and
the measurement of the emitted radiation.
Course contents
- Fundamentals of spherical trigonometry. Astronomical coordinate
systems. Apparent motions of celestial bodies. Perturbations of
coordinates. Time and its measurement. Constellations.
- The motion of celestial bodies. The two-body problem. Kepler's
laws. Introduction to the N-body problem.
- The Earth. Climatic zones, seasons, eclipses, and tides.
- The Solar System. The Moon. The motion of planets. Inner planets.
Outer planets. Minor bodies. Origin of Solar System.
- Astronomical observations. The electromagnetic spectrum. Effects
of terrestrial atmosphere. Types of terrestrial and space
telescopes. Types of astronomical instruments and relative
data.
- Radiation from astronomical objects. Definitions. Luminosity.
Flux. Surface brightness. Spectra. Apparent and absolute
magnitudes. Color indices. Extinction.
- Introduction to the black body radiation. Planck's law. Wien's
law. Stefan-Boltzmann' s law.
- Introduction to atomic processes. Atomic structure. Electronic
transitions. Spectral lines. Outline of thermodynamics.
- The spectral classification of stars. The Hertzsprung-Russell
diagram.
- The Sun. Structure. Outline of production and transfer of energy.
Influence of the Sun on Earth.
- Binary stars. Classification. Mass estimate. The mass -
luminosity relation.
- The evolutionary meaning of the H-R diagram.
- Variable stars.
- Stellar clusters and populations.
- Extrasolar planets.
- The interstellar medium. Atomic and molecular gas. Chemical
enrichment. Gravitational collapse and star formation.
- Cosmic rays.
- Our Galaxy. Structure and components. Rotation curve. Dark
matter. The Local Group.
- The cosmic distance ladder.
- Basics of astrobiology
Readings/Bibliography
Karttunen H. et al., "Fundamental Astronomy", Springer
Verlag.
The slides showed during the course will be made available in order
to follow the presented topics.
Teaching methods
Oral lectures.
Assessment methods
Oral exam.
Teaching tools
Traditional blackboard. Projector for computer presentations.
Office hours
See the website of Andrea Cimatti