Astronomy 3 - Nature of Universe

Institution:

University of California-Los Angeles

Subject:

Description:

Lecture, three hours; discussion, two hours. Not open to students with credit for or currently enrolled in course 81 or 82 or former course 3H. No special mathematical preparation required beyond that necessary for admission to UCLA in freshman standing. Course for general UCLA students, normally not intending to major in physical sciences, on development of ideas in astronomy and what has been learned of nature of universe, including recent discoveries and developments. P/NP or letter grading. 4. Black Holes and Cosmic Catastrophes. (4) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Essentially nonmathematical course for general UCLA students that discusses black holes and related cosmic catastrophes. White dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes are compact objects formed in violent events that terminate lives of stars and are associated with some of most energetic and explosive phenomena in astronomy: planetary nebulae and novae (white dwarfs), supernovae, pulsars, galactic X-ray sources, and gamma ray bursts. Supermassive black holes form in nucleus of young galaxies, and gravitational accretion of matter onto black holes powers most energetic objects in universe - quasars. Universe was born in ultimate cosmic explosion - Big Bang - that mayhave derived its energy from quantum mechanical vacuum. P/NP or letter grading. 5. Life in Universe. (4) Lecture, four hours; discussion, one hour. Preparation: prior introduction to astronomy. Life on Earth and prospects for life elsewhere in context of evolution of universe from simple to complex. Course material primarily from astronomy and biology but includes some chemistry, geology, and physics. Selected topics treated in some depth, but with little or no formal mathematics. P/NP or letter grading.

Credits:

5.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.ucla.edu/

Phone Number:

(310) 825-4321

Regional Accreditation:

Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Quarter

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