PHYS 4070 - Extragalactic Astrophysics

This course will introduce undergraduate students to the study of galaxies, one of the most active fields of research in astrophysics. The course is intended for students following the astrophysics emphasis or getting an astronomy minor. The course will focus on understanding both the contents of galaxies and the tools we sue to understand their formation and evolution. It will cover galaxies near and far, from the Milky Way to the most distant galaxies visible to us. Topics will include galaxy structure, galaxy dynamics, stellar populations, the measurement of distances, gas and star formation in galaxies, the mass spectrum of galaxies, and evidence of dark matter.