From Stars to Black Holes
Overview
To introduce students to the mathematical and physical basis that underlies modern stellar astrophysics. Students will build on their foundation of conceptual astronomy to gain a deeper understanding of key areas in stellar astrophysics. In particular the student will be introduced to the study of the physical basis underlying stars including stellar structure, radiation processes, star formation and evolution models, stellar evolutionary end-points (i.e. neutron stars and pulsars) and the physics of black holes.
Requisites
PHY10001 Energy and Motion
AND
150 credit points
Assumed Knowledge
A foundation of conceptual astronomy
02-November-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Describe the physical and mathematical basis of stellar structure
- Demonstrate an understanding of stellar life cycles from birth to death
- Communicate topics in modern astronomy research to a non-technical audience
- Apply computational methods to analyse astrophysical data
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Lecture | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| On-campus Class | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| On-campus Lab | 2.00 | 6 weeks | 12 |
| Online Learning activities | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 7.50 | 12 weeks | 90 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Individual | 15 - 25% | 1,2 |
| Examination | Individual | 40 - 50% | 1,2 |
| Laboratory Report | Individual | 10 - 20% | 1,2,3,4 |
| Online Quizzes | Individual | 5 - 15% | 1,2 |
| Tutorial Exercises | Group | 5 - 10% | 1,2,3 |
Hurdle
As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass a unit and meet all ULOs to a minimum standard, an undergraduate student must have achieved:
(i) an aggregate mark of 50% or more, and(ii) at least 40% in the final exam.Students who do not successfully achieve hurdle requirement (ii) will receive a maximum of 45% as the total mark for the unit.
Content
- Star formation – interstellar medium, protostars, pre-main-sequence evolution
- Stellar atmospheres, stellar opacity, radiative transfer
- Stellar interiors – hydrostatic equilibrium, energy transport
- Physics of spectroscopy – absorption and emission lines
- Stellar evolution – low and high-mass evolution
- Variability – pulsation, helioseismology
- Stellar remnants – white dwarfs, degenerate matter, neutron stars, pulsars
- Black holes, introduction to the general theory of relativity
- Spacetime, geodesics, metrics, event horizon, Hawking radiation
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.