Undergraduate Course: Introductory Astrophysics (PHYS08050)
Course Outline
| School | School of Physics and Astronomy | 
College | College of Science and Engineering | 
 
| Course type | Standard | 
Availability | Available to all students | 
 
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) | 
Credits | 20 | 
 
| Home subject area | Undergraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy) | 
Other subject area | None | 
   
| Course website | 
None | 
Taught in Gaelic? | No | 
 
| Course description | This is an applied physics course focusing on the practical application of physics to understand a range of different astronomy observations. The emphasis will be on astrophysics problem solving. 
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites | 
 | 
Co-requisites |  | 
 
| Prohibited Combinations |  | 
Other requirements |  None | 
 
| Additional Costs |  None | 
 
 
Information for Visiting Students 
| Pre-requisites | None | 
 
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes | 
 
 
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2014/15  Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1) 
  
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Learn enabled:  Yes | 
Quota:  150 | 
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Web Timetable  | 
	
Web Timetable | 
	| Class Delivery Information | 
	Each week there are 2x90 minute lectures, and one teaching studio problem solving workshop and an assessed online multi-choice quiz. | 
 
 
| Course Start Date | 
12/01/2015 | 
 
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) | 
 
 Total Hours:
200
(
 Lecture Hours 31,
 Seminar/Tutorial Hours 3,
 Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 8,
Online Activities 9,
 Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
 Formative Assessment Hours 2,
 Summative Assessment Hours 2,
 Revision Session Hours 2,
 Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
137 )
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| Additional Notes | 
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| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) | 
 
  Written Exam
67 %,
Coursework
33 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Exam Information | 
 
    | Exam Diet | 
    Paper Name | 
    Hours & Minutes | 
    
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| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) |  | 2:00 |  |  | Resit Exam Diet (August) |  | 2:00 |  |  
 
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes 
| Problem Solving Skills | 
 
 
Assessment Information 
2/3 Examination 
1/6 Coursework Assignment 
1/6 Tutorial / Workshop Problems and Online Quizzes |  
 
Special Arrangements 
| None |   
 
Additional Information 
| Academic description | 
Not entered | 
 
| Syllabus | 
1. Stars (14 hours of lectures) 
- Light and Gravity  
- Spectra, Blackbody radiation, Newton's Laws 
- Birth to Death  
- HR diagram, Main Sequence Stellar Structure, Stellar Evolution, Star Death 
 
2. Galaxies (11 hours of lectures) 
- Milky Way and beyond  
- Galactic structure, galaxy morphology/formation, AGN and Black Holes 
 
3. Cosmology (6 hours of lectures) 
- Big Bang and Inflation, CMB, Nucleosynthesis, Dark Matter and Dark Energy 
 
4. Revision (3 hours workshop) 
- Mock exam and feedback 
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| Transferable skills | 
Not entered | 
 
| Reading list | 
A course book will be provided that contains all the information that we want you to understand by the end of the course. | 
 
| Study Abroad | 
Not entered | 
 
| Study Pattern | 
Not entered | 
 
| Keywords | InAst | 
 
 
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Dr Catherine Heymans 
Tel: 0131 668 8301 
Email: heymans@roe.ac.uk | 
Course secretary | Miss Paula Wilkie 
Tel: (0131) 668 8403 
Email: Paula.Wilkie@ed.ac.uk | 
   
 
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© Copyright 2014 The University of Edinburgh -  29 August 2014 4:37 am 
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