PHYSICS 2530 - Astrophysics II
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2018
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code PHYSICS 2530 Course Astrophysics II Coordinating Unit School of Physical Sciences Term Semester 2 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 7 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Prerequisites PHYSICS 1100 or PHYSICS 1101, PHYSICS 1200 or PHYSICS 1201, MATHS 1012 - Other students may apply to Head of Physics for exemption Incompatible PHYSICS 2536 Assessment Practical work, marked tutorials, essay, written exam Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Professor Gavin Rowell
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
- identify the requirements and limitations of instrumentation for modern astrophysical observations;
- apply physics principles to the interpretation of a broad range of astrophysical observations;
- explain the basic issues involved in present day astrophysical investigations;
- demonstrate an understanding of our present picture of the cosmos on a large scale.
University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Deep discipline knowledge
- informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
- acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
- accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
1-4 Critical thinking and problem solving
- steeped in research methods and rigor
- based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
- demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
2-4 Teamwork and communication skills
- developed from, with, and via the SGDE
- honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
- encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
1-4 Career and leadership readiness
- technology savvy
- professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
- forward thinking and well informed
- tested and validated by work based experiences
2 Intercultural and ethical competency
- adept at operating in other cultures
- comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
- able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
- demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
1 Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
- open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
- able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
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Learning Resources
Recommended Resources
K Zeilik, M. A. and Gregory (1999) S.A. Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics 4th Edition (Thomson)
Carroll, B.W. and Ostlie, D.A. (2007) Introduction to Modern Astrophysics 2nd Edition (Benjamin Cummings)
Online Learning
MyUni: Teaching materials and course documentation will be posted on the MyUni website ().
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Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
This course will be delivered by the following means:
- Lectures 24 x 50-minute sessions with two sessions per week
- Tutorials 10 x 50-minute sessions with one session per week
- Practicals 11 x 3-hour sessions with one session per week (+some night time work)
Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision).
Learning Activities Summary
The course content will include the following:
Coursework Content
- Heliospheric processes, solar magnetic fields and the solar wind.
- Thermal emission
- Spectral line formation and interpretation
- Galactic Properties: magnetic fields and the interstellar medium
- Stellar energy generation
- Helioseismology/Astroseismology
- Stellar evolution to white dwarfs and neutron stars
- Photon detection and telescopes
Practical Content
Topics will be discussed at the practical sessions and a general list will be given in the course overview.
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Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment task Type of assessment Percentage of total assessment for grading purposes Hurdle (Yes/No) Outcomes being assessed Assignments Summative 6% - 10% No 1 – 4 Tutorial preparation Summative 12% - 20% No 1 – 4 Practical work Formative & Summative 30% No 1 – 4 Final exam Summative 40% - 52% Yes (40%) 1 – 4 Assessment Related Requirements
To obtain a grade of Pass or better in this course, a student must attend the examination and achieve at least 40% in the final exam, attend at least 5 practicals sessions during the semester, and contribute to the practical reports.
Assessment Detail
Assignments
This assessment activity comprises one discussion paper answering several questions and one essay. The essay should be of approximately 1,000 words in length. Marks will be given for science content. References and the source of web information must be included. The essay will be due in early October (6-10% of the final grade). Poor performance in essay may be partly redeemed in the final exam.Tutorial preparation
To maximise the benefit of tutorials, students are required to submit their answers before or at the tutorial. Assessment is based on effort rather than correctness; this task has a formative and summative role. Tutorials intend to complement the lecture material through showing the present view of the subject matter (including relevant observational techniques) and indicating the limits of our present knowledge. Tutorials are an integral part of the learning process and will be marked 12 20% of the final grade. Poor performance in tutorial preparation may be partly redeemed in the final exam.Practical
Practical work will be 30% of the final grade.Final exam
This summative assessment activity comprehensively addresses the learning objectives for Astrophysics (40-52% of the final grade).Submission
Submission of Assigned Work
Coversheets must be completed and attached to all submitted work. Coversheets can be obtained from the School Office (room G33 Physics) or from MyUNI. Work should be submitted via the assignment drop box at the School Office.Extensions for Assessment Tasks
Extensions of deadlines for assessment tasks may be allowed for reasonable causes. Such situations would include compassionate and medical grounds of the severity that would justify the awarding of a replacement examination. Evidence for the grounds must be provided when an extension is requested. Students are required to apply for an extension to the Course Coordinator before the assessment task is due. Extensions will not be provided on the grounds of poor prioritising of time. The assessment extension application form can be obtained from:Late submission of assessments
If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days or more late without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the mark.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.
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