David Spergel 113 Peyton Hall 8-3589 dns@astro.princeton.edu
Student email exploder: FRS120_S2011@Princeton.EDU
MW 3:00-4:20 PM Blair Tower
Over the past two decades, astronomers have
discovered more than 1000 planets around nearby stars. Most of these planets
have been discovered in the past two years! In this seminar, we will explore
how these planets are being discovered, the prospects for characterizing these
planets, and explore the properties of these new worlds. The goal of the course
is to introduce students to the new field of exoplanets
and to use exoplanets as an opportunity to learn
Òback of the envelopeÓ physics and astronomy.
o James
Kasting, How to Find a Habitable Planet (HP)
o L.
Weinstein and J.A. Adam, Guesstimation (G)
o Neil
F Comins, What if the Earth had Two Moons? (E2M)
o Useful
websites:
o http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/
o http://www.astrobiology.com/extrasolar.html
o http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/
o http://www.princeton.edu/astrobiology/
o
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/finding-life-beyond-earth.html
o Class Participation 15%
o Final Paper + Presentation 35%
o First Paper + Presentation: 20%
o Homeworks: 30%
o First paper + presentation: prepare a ten minute presentation to the NAS decadal survey 2020 review advocating a new mission to characterize extrasolar planets; and write a five page supporting paper describing the mission and its scientific capabilities.
o Final paper + presentation: Invent a planet and write a 10 page paper describing its properties and habitability.
o Problem sets (first problem set available after first lecture)
o Attendance
o Feb 6: Introductions; Overview of Extrasolar Planets; Introduction to Estimation
o Reading: Guestimation (G) Chapter 1-3; How to Find a Habitable Planet (HP), Chapter 1
o Feb 8 KeplerÕs Laws; Radial Velocity Searches for Planets
o Reading: G: Chapter 6; HP: Chapter 11
o Feb 13 General Relativity and the Search for Planets
o Reading: HP Chapter 13
o Feb 15 Imaging Extrasolar Planets
o HP Chapter 14 + 15
o Feb 20 Planetary Transits I: Gaspar Bakos
o Reading HP Chapter 12
o Homework 1 Due
o Feb 22 NO CLASS
o Feb 24 Planetary Transits II: (Walkowicz Guest Lecturer)
o Feb 27 Planetary Atmospheres
o HP Chapter 14 + 15
o Feb 29 Stars I
o Homework 2 Due
o Mar 5 Stars II
o G Chap 8 +9
o Mar 7 Formation History of the Earth and the Solar System
o HP: Chap 2
o E2M: Chap 3
o Homework 3 Due
o Mar 12 Tides and Moons
o E2M: Chapter 1+2
o Mar14History of EarthÕs Climate
o HP Chap 3 + 4
o G Chap 10
o Mar 19/21 Midterm Break
o Mar 26 Student Presentations I: Topics and Sign-Up
o Mar 28 Student Presentations II Topics and Sign-Up
APRIL 2:
Midterm Papers Due
o Apr 2 Planetary Atmospheres
o HP Chap 5
o E2M: Chap 4
o Apr 4: Kasdin Lab Tour E-Quad J223 [NOTE LOCATION]
o Apr 9 Venus & Europa
o HP Chap 7
o Apr 11 Mars
o HP Chap 6
o Advanced reading on Early Mars
o Apr 16: Dave Spiegel (Guest Lecturer): Modelling Atmosphere of Extrasolar Planets
o Apr 18 Habitable Zones (Michael Strauss: Guest Lecturer)
o HP Chap 8 + 9
o Apr 23 Origin of Life + Other Biologies
o Apr 25 Later Stages of Evolution
o Apr 30: Extremophiles
o May 2: History of the Universe (and a little detour on Comets)
o E2M Chap 5
o May 7 Student Presentations I and Sign-Up
o May 9 Student Presentations II
o May 10 Trip to Goddard Space Flight Center
o May 14 Final Paper Due