Tools: The EM spectrum, Telescopes. Resolution and sensitivity of various direct measurements (time, angle, flux at various wavelengths, velocities). Important spectral lines. Inferring distances and masses, abundances, and energetics.
Objects: Solar system, stars, clusters. The Milky Way.Interstellar matter (cold clouds, molecular clouds, HII regions, supernova remnants). Groups of galaxies. Large scale structure. CMBR.
Physical processes and models: Newtonian gravity and binary orbits. Estimates of pressures and temperatures. Physical conditions in planets, the sun and stars. Mass-radius relation for cold objects. Basic dynamics of star clusters and galaxies. Newtonian cosmology. A physical introduction to relativistic gravity and its applications to the universe and compact objects.
Microscopic radiation processes for atoms, molecules and free electrons. Optically thick and thin regimes. Formation of line / continuum spectra in various objects (stellar atmospheres, interstellar clouds, high energy electrons).
Nuclear and particle processes: Stellar nucleosynthesis and energy generation. Cosmic ray processes and particle acceleration. Early universe and light element production. Other proposed particle processes (baryogenesis, dark matter candidates).
Recommended Reading
F.H.Shu, PhysicalUniverse:AnIntroductiontoAstronomy, University Science Books (1982).
K.D.Abhyankar, Astrophysics:StarsandGalaxies, Tata McGraw Hill (2002).
S.A. Gregory and M.Zeilik, IntroductoryAstronomyandAstrophysics, 04th edition, Brooks Cole (1997).
A.Unsold, B.Baschek and W.D.Brewer, TheNewCosmos:AnIntroductiontoAstronomyandAstrophysics, 05th edition, Springer (2005).
T.P.Snow, Thedynamicuniverse:AnintroductiontoAstronomy, West publishing company (1991).
