ASTRO 6516 - Galactic Structure and Stellar Dynamics

Spring. 4 credits. Student option grading.

D. Chernoff, D. Riechers.

Introduction to the study of the structure of galaxies via the laws of modern physics.

Topics include the observed kinematics and spatial distribution of stars in the vicinity of the Sun, shapes and properties of stellar orbits, the gravitational N-body problem, collisional relaxation in stellar systems, spiral structure, galaxy classification and evolution, and cosmological results in galaxy formation.