The goal of this course is to provide an introduction into the physics of stellar atmospheres and the formation of stellar spectra, including physical processes which determine the structure of stellar atmospheres (density and temperature stratification) and allow to determine fundamental stellar properties (effective temperature, gravity, luminosity, chemical composition). Knowledge of this field is crucial for understanding exoplanets (through transmission spectroscopy or the characterization of host stars), stellar evolution (from birth to death), the structure and evolution of galaxies (through the spectral diagnostics of their stellar populations) and the ionization of the interstellar medium in galaxies of the local and the high red-shift universe (through UV photons emerging from the atmospheres of massive stars).
The physics of stellar atmospheres and radiative transfer are complex and combine elements of atomic physics, plasma physics, hydrodynamics, thermodynamics and statistics with transport theory. The ambition of this course is to understand the basic principles, but simultaneously to appreciate the complexity of modern stellar atmosphere modeling. The bulk material of this course was originally developed by Rolf Kudritzki, with modifications since 2018 by Dan Huber.
The course will cover 10 topics as outlined in the provisory schedule available here. Lecture slides for each topic will be posted on a Google Drive (link below), typically at the end of each week. The course will be accompanied by homework. Some of the homework will include a significant amount of coding, so some programming experience is strongly recommended.
Time: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12-1:15pm
Location: This Zoom Room until further notice.
Instructor: Dan Huber (huberd@hawaii.edu), IfA C109-B
Office hours: by arrangement
Course Schedule:
Week 10 (Mar 15+17): No Class (Spring Break)
Google Drive with Course Material:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uo4Vvvoer_1ePVtsYeyUfWOMK13Wvx1G?usp=sharing
Grading Policy (provisory): The final grade will be weighted by homework (50%), final exam (30%) and in-class participation (20%). Homework handed in within 1 week after the due date will receive 50% credit.
The physics of stellar atmospheres and radiative transfer are complex and combine elements of atomic physics, plasma physics, hydrodynamics, thermodynamics and statistics with transport theory. The ambition of this course is to understand the basic principles, but simultaneously to appreciate the complexity of modern stellar atmosphere modeling. The bulk material of this course was originally developed by Rolf Kudritzki, with modifications since 2018 by Dan Huber.
The course will cover 10 topics as outlined in the provisory schedule available here. Lecture slides for each topic will be posted on a Google Drive (link below), typically at the end of each week. The course will be accompanied by homework. Some of the homework will include a significant amount of coding, so some programming experience is strongly recommended.
Time: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12-1:15pm
Location: This Zoom Room until further notice.
Instructor: Dan Huber (huberd@hawaii.edu), IfA C109-B
Office hours: by arrangement
Course Schedule:
Week 10 (Mar 15+17): No Class (Spring Break)
Google Drive with Course Material:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uo4Vvvoer_1ePVtsYeyUfWOMK13Wvx1G?usp=sharing
Grading Policy (provisory): The final grade will be weighted by homework (50%), final exam (30%) and in-class participation (20%). Homework handed in within 1 week after the due date will receive 50% credit.