GALAXIES

Prerequisites: one year of calculus-based general physics. Galaxies fill the universe with structure. They are bound objects that harbor stars, gas, dust and dark matter. This course will discuss the content and structure of galaxies. It will start with the Milky Way, a rotating spiral galaxy, with a particular emphasis on the properties of the interstellar medium. Dwarf galaxies, the building blocks of larger galaxies, will subsequently be discussed, followed by spiral, elliptical and irregular galaxies. The formation and evolution of these different galaxy types will be an important focus of the course, as well as the environment in which the galaxies reside. We will intersperse reviews of current papers on galaxies throughout the semester.