Astronomy and Astrophysics


Astronomy Department Office
201 Interdisciplinary Sciences Building
(831)459-2844
http://www.astro.ucsc.edu

The science of astronomy has the universe as its domain. Galaxies, stars, planets, and an ever-increasing variety of phenomena observed from ground- and space-based observatories are among the objects of study. Areas of special interest at UC Santa Cruz include cosmology, the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies, high-energy astrophysics, active galaxies, supernovae and nucleo-synthesis, the motions of stars and galaxies, and all aspects of observational optical and infrared astronomy. Astronomers use concepts from and contribute to the development of many other scientific disciplines, including optics, mechanics, relativity, atomic and nuclear physics, applied mathematics, chemistry, geology, and meteorology. The interdisciplinary nature of astronomy, including its historical and philosophical elements, makes its study valuable to those planning careers in a variety of fields.

The Astronomy and Astrophysics Department offers a broad undergraduate curriculum that fulfills the needs of students seeking a general education but also enables students wishing to obtain a minor or major in astrophysics to study the subject in greater depth.The graduate program is intended for those with a professional interest in the subject. The interests of the faculty embrace a wide range of both theoretical and observational aspects of astronomy. Current research and course offerings include the solar system, stellar structure and evolution, stellar spectroscopy, the interstellar medium, galactic structure, active galaxies and quasars, cosmology, general relativity and gravitational radiation, the origin of the elements, infrared and radio astronomy, advanced astronomical instrumentation, astrobiology, high-energy astrophysics, and X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy.

Graduate students have access to state-of-the-art instrument development and data reduction technology, the UCO/Lick Observatory computer network, and an unusually extensive astronomical library at the Lick Observatory headquarters on campus. Graduate students may conduct supervised research with selected telescopic facilities of the Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, 55 miles from Santa Cruz. The 10-meter Keck Telescope in Hawaii, the world’s largest, is administered from the UCSC campus and is used for frontier research by UC astronomers.

The Center for Adaptive Optics (CfAO) is also headquartered at UCSC. Education is central to the CfAO’s mission, and a key element of this is the support provided by the center to graduate students. In addition to research, the center provides interdisciplinary access to a nationwide network of scientists in astronomy and vision science.

Undergraduate Courses

Instruction in astronomy for undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz is designed to meet the needs of several groups of students.

Courses 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 80A, 80B, and 80D, providing a general survey of the universe as now understood from historical and modern observations, are offered for those not specializing in a scientific discipline.

Courses 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, and 18, emphasizing basic physical laws and theories as applied to astronomy, taken together provide a survey of modern astronomy for students with some facility in mathematics. Taken separately, they provide an in-depth introduction to gravitational interaction, stellar evolution, and extragalactic astrophysics. These courses are designed for students intending to major in a scientific subject, although qualified nonscience majors may attend. A good high school background in mathematics and physics is assumed. Prior or concurrent enrollment in a basic calculus course (Mathematics 11A or 19A) and a basic physics course (Physics 5A/L or 6A/L) is helpful but not required.

Finally, a more thorough quantitative treatment of selected topics in astronomy and astrophysics at the upper-division level is provided by courses 112, 113, 117, and 118. Completion of course work in calculus of several variables (Mathematics 22 or 23A-B) and Physics 5B/M or 6B/M and 101A is required for these advanced courses.

Astrophysics Minor

For undergraduate students having a particular interest in the subject, a minor in astronomy and astrophysics is offered. Most students who minor in astronomy and astrophysics are majors in another science, though majors in other fields are also possible. The minor in astronomy and astrophysics requires that students take the Physics 5 or 6 series (with associated laboratories), Physics 101A, a minimum of two courses from the Astronomy 11–18 series, and a minimum of three courses from the Astronomy 112–118 series. A senior thesis on an astronomy-related topic is also encouraged. Interested students should contact the Astronomy Department Office for further information.

Astrophysics Major

The UCSC major in astrophysics is administered by the Physics Department and combines a core physics major with advanced electives in astrophysics, an astrophysics laboratory course, and senior thesis work on a topic in astrophysics. It is a rigorous program designed to prepare students for a broad range of technical careers or for entry into graduate or professional programs. A full description of the major can be found in the physics section of this catalog.

Preparation for Graduate Work in Astrophysics

The UCSC graduate program in astronomy and astrophysics is designed for Ph.D. students seeking a professional career in teaching and research. In view of the thorough preparation in mathematics and physics required for graduate study, most entering astronomy graduate students major in physics or astrophysics as undergraduates.

The suggested minimum requirements for admission to graduate standing at UCSC include the following undergraduate courses:

Basic physics. Mechanics, wave motion, sound, light, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, atomic physics, and quantum mechanics (Physics 5A, 5B, and 5C).

Basic mathematics. Calculus (Mathematics 19A-B and 23A-B or equivalent) and statistics (Mathematics and Statistics 5).

Intermediate-level physics. Mechanics (Physics 105); electricity, magnetism, and optics (Physics 110A-B); mathematical methods in physics (Physics 116A-B-C); nuclear and particle physics (Physics 129); and quantum mechanics (Physics 139A-B).

Intermediate-level mathematics. Linear algebra (Mathematics 21), complex analysis (Mathematics 103), and ordinary and partial differential equations (Mathematics 106A and 106B).

Graduate Program

Instruction and research leading to the Ph.D. degree in astronomy have been under way at UC Santa Cruz since 1967. The interests of the faculty, as outlined above, embrace both theoretical and observational aspects of the field. Graduate instruction is built upon a two-year cycle of 14 one-quarter courses in astronomy and physics that are normally required of all students. Four courses are specifically required (courses 202, 205, 220A, 240A); nine courses are chosen from a list of electives (physics, galaxies, stars, etc.); and one course is a quarter of independent study with a faculty member. In addition, each student in the program must be a teaching assistant for at least one quarter. Students are also encouraged to engage in research projects under the supervision of the faculty during the early part of their graduate career. After passing a departmental preliminary examination on course material and general astronomical knowledge (usually taken by the spring of the second year) and a qualifying exam based on a proposed thesis topic (usually taken before the end of the third year), students pursue independent research leading to the doctoral dissertation.