PHYS 8801: Nuclear Physics I: Nuclear Astrophysics

Alexander Heger

Last Update on Tuesday, 07-Feb-2012 04:58:06 AEDT

News

20120206 - HW + Notes

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Class notes/slides

Papers

Class Calendar

Office Hours

Mondays 14:00-15:00, 342F
and by appointment (you can always come by when I am in)

Class date, time, and location

09:00 - 10:00 A.M. Tuesdays
09:15 - 10:45 A.M. Thursdays

(Jan 17, 2012 - May 3, 2012)

Phys 157, 116 Church ST SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA

+44° 58' 30.85", -93° 14' 5.16"

Quiz

No Quiz.

Homework

Problems sets every one-two weeks, due times TBD

Class Project

• 25 min presentation toward end of semester
• 1 project report, due end of class (approx 10-20 page)
  (first one-page outline due one week after Spring Break)

Class Project using a stellar evolution code

I would like for students to be able to run their own simulations of stellar evolution - follow a star's life from birth to death. This will require some computer/computing knowledge, UNIX (Linux, MacOS), FORTRAN, graphics software (like Python/matplotlib). The project should use the MESA stellar evolution code.

Possible project

• Evolution of the Sun - dependence on initial composition
• Evolution of the Sun - dependence on nuclear reaction rates
• Massive Stars - dependence on helium burning nuclear reaction rates
• Massive stars - dependence on initial composition
• Massive stars - dependence on mass loss
• Massive stars - dependence on "mixing"
• helium stars (may be a challenge to set these up)

You are welcome to suggest own topics, but need to discuss with me.

Syllabus