ASTR 6000 -- Astrophysics Seminar (The First Stars)

PROFESSOR:  Michael Shull

TIME AND PLACE: Thursday 4:00 - 5:00 pm, DUANE E-126. You can check the list below for the schedule of topics and assigned discussion leaders.  

COURSE HOME PAGE:  http://origins.colorado.edu/~mshull/first-stars/  

GOALS OF THIS COURSE: This seminar is intended primarily for APS and Physics graduate students, and is tied to the graduate Astrophysics courses this term: ASTR 5770 (Cosmology) and/or ASTR 5700 (Stellar Structure & Evolution). The seminar provides an opportunity for graduate students to explore one area of current research in depth, by reading and discussing review articles and research papers.

READINGS:   In this seminar, we will read and discuss classical and current research papers on the subject of the First Stars and their impact on the universe at large: intergalactic medium (IGM), reionization, chemical evolution, metal-poor Galactic halo stars, cosmological gamma-ray bursts, high-redshift galaxies, feedback to galaxy formation. Some recent review papers and research papers include:

For those of you who wish to read about Cosmology in more detail, here is a useful link to a Cosmology Tutorial, a Web-Tutorial, written by Ned Wright of UCLA, complete with Frequently Asked Questions, News of the Universe, even sections on "Cosmology and Religion" and "Cosmology and Art".

PREREQUISITES: Undergraduate degree in Physics (especially classical mechanics, modern physics, statistical and thermal physics, electromagnetic theory) or permission of the instructor  

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS REQUIRED:  Math and physical concepts in the early universe at an advanced level.