General Information

Compact objects (neutron stars, black holes and white dwarfs) are the endpoints of stellar evolution. They are responsible for some of the most exotic phenomena in the universe such as supernovae, magnetars, gamma-ray bursts, neutron star and black hole mergers. Supermassive black holes also lie at the heart of the violent processes in active galactic nuclei. The study of compact objects allows one to probe physics under extreme conditions (high densities, strong magnetic fields, and gravity). This course surveys the astrophysics of compact stars and related subjects. Emphasis is on the application of diverse theoretical physics tools to various observations of compact stars. There are no astronomy or general relativity prerequisites.

Prerequisites

senior level physics at upper-division undergraduate level

Topics Covered

Workload

1 pset every 1.5 weeks (deadlines vary), 10 hours per pset [Spring 2025]

General Advice

  • A lot of the homework problems can be found in the textbook if you look hard enough. [Spring 2025]

Testimonials

This class covers some very interesting topics like white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. It also utilizes approximation a lot. It is very heavy on physics, and knowing some stat mech or having some astro background can be helpful. While the professor emphasizes that prerequisite knowledge of general relativity isn’t required, it would have been helpful for a small portion of the class. Overall, the topics are interesting but the problem sets are very challenging. Also, while the class was supposed to be Tuesday and Thursdays, the professor planned on being out after Spring Break so he held “make up” classes on Friday which might be annoying for some. Rating: 3/5. [Spring 2025]

Past Offerings

Semester Professor Median Grade Course Page
Spring 2025 Dong Lai N/A PHYS6525_SP25.pdf