ASTR 304 - Extreme Astrophysics: Black Holes, Neutron Stars and Gamma-Ray Bursts

Instructor: Jeremy Heyl

Black holes and neutron stars harbor the most extreme conditions in the universe and fuel the biggest explosions in the universe, gamma-ray bursts. I will cover the basic physics and astrophysics of these objects by studying the primary literature. The course will culminate in a short presentation by each of the students on an astrophysical topic of her choosing. The presentation topics will not be restricted to black holes, neutron stars and gamma-ray bursts (after all most of astrophysics is pretty extreme).

Topics we will cover include:

• The nuclear equation of state
• The structure of relativistic stars
• The Schwarzschild and Kerr Metrics
• Accretion onto neutron stars and black holes
• Gamma-ray burst central engines
• Relativistic jets and gamma-ray burst afterglows

I will base the grades on the short weekly problem sets, class participation and the presentations.