Astronomy 3X03: Galaxies and Cosmology (2012)

Instructor:     Laura Parker

Office:         ABB-350

Phone:         905 525 9140 x 27348

Email:         lparker@mcmaster.ca


EXAM INFO
Pre-exam office hours in ABB-350:
Tuesday, April 17th 2-4 pm
Thursday April 19th 3:30 - 5 pm

april 20th, BSB 104, 9am, 3 hours
Bring a 1 page formula sheet (1 side, NO WORDS) and the standard McMaster calculator.
The exam will be a mix of definitions (with choice), short answers (with choice) and problems.

PDF version of Course Outline.


Lectures: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday @ 1:30 am in ETB B121

Suggested Texts:
                             An Introduction Modern Astrophysics (Second Edition)
                             Carroll & Ostlie, Pearson Addison Wesley


                             Galaxies in the Universe: an Introduction (Second Edition)

                             Sparke & Gallagher, Cambridge University Press

                             Introduction to Cosmology
                             Ryden, Benjamin Cummings



This course will start 'locally' with a look at the stars and interstellar medium of the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. We will then move outwards and discuss the formation and evolution of galaxies and large scale structure, concluding the course with topics in observational and theoretical cosmology.

Marking Scheme:

Assignments - 25%
Mid-term -     20%
Project-          20%
Final Exam-   35%



The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.

Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by other fraudulent means and can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: "Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty"), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.

It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on the various kinds of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, specifically Appendix 3, located at http://www.mcmaster.ca/senate/academic/ac_integrity.htm

The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:

  1. Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one's own or for which other credit has been obtained. (i.e. You must not take solutions to problems from the web or another external source. In general homework problems are self-contained and only course material should be used to obtain solutions.)
  2. Improper collaboration in group work. (e.g. Discussion of homework problems is ok. However, you may not copy the work of another student.)
  3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.




In this course we might choose to use a web-based service (Turnitin.com) to reveal plagiarism on content submitted on Avenue to Learn. Students will be expected to submit their work electronically so that it can be checked for academic dishonesty. Students who do not wish to submit their work via Avenue to Learn (to be checked by Turnitin.com ) must still submit a copy to the instructor. No penalty will be assigned to a student who does not submit work to Turnitin.com. All submitted work is subject to normal verification that standards of academic integrity have been upheld (e.g., on-line search, etc.). To see the Turnitin.com Policy, please go to www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity