Rice Course Schedule, Spring 2000
Space Physics and Astronomy (SPAC)
Rice Course Schedule as of 01/03/2000.
This schedule is maintained by the Office of the Registrar
(reg@rice.edu).
NOTE: Course web pages are available for some SPAC courses.
SPAC 201 STARS,GALAXIES, & THE UNIVERSE Credits 3.00 Spring 00
* RESTRICTED DISTRIBUTION COURSE: GROUP III
An introductory course for students in academic programs. The formation,
evolution, and death of stars; the composition and evolution of galaxies; the
structure and evolution of the universe.
001 TBA - TTH 01:00PM - 02:15PM Staff Enr: 0 Max: NA
002 TBA TBA Enr: 0 Max: NA
SPAC 202 THE SOLAR SYSTEM Credits 3.00 Spring 00
* RESTRICTED DISTRIBUTION COURSE: GROUP III
An introductory course for students in academic programs, surveying the sun,
planetary motions, interplanetary fields and plasmas, the planets, their
satellites and rings, and comets. The purposes and methods of manned and
unmanned solar system exploration are also discussed.
001 TBA - MWF 10:00AM - 10:50AM Freeman, John W. Enr: 0 Max: NA
SPAC 203 ATMOSPHERE, WEATHER & CLIMATE Credits 3.00 Spring 00
* RESTRICTED DISTRIBUTION COURSE: GROUP III
This course emphasizes the fundamental science of the atmospheric system.
Among the subjects to be covered quantitatively are climate changes, solar
radiation and the Earth's energy budget, atmospheric motions and circulation,
clouds and storms, and atmospheric environmental concerns.
001 TBA - MWF 09:00AM - 09:50AM Staff Enr: 0 Max:
SPAC 205 FROM SPACE AND TIME TO SPACE-TIME: UNDER Credits 3.00 Spring 00
* DISTRIBUTION COURSE: GROUP III
Introduces non-science students to major transformation in our views of space
and time precipitated by Einstein's special theory of relativity (SR). We will
build a space-time framework and then use it to introduce the essential results
of SR. We will also discuss the historical circumstances and philosophical and
cultural implications surrounding the invention of SR.
001 TBA TBA Enr: 0 Max: 30
SPAC 230 ASTRONOMY LAB Credits 3.00 Spring 00
no description
001 TBA - W 07:00PM - 08:00PM Hartigan, Patrick M. Enr: 0 Max:
SPAC 250 INTRODUCTION TO ASTROPHYSICS Credits 3.00 Spring 00
Celestial mechanics; photometric concepts and radiation transfer; structure and
evolution of stars, including supernovae and stellar remnants (black holes and
neutron stars). Topics such as planetary astronomy and solar system formation
may also be explored. This course together with Spac 360 forms a coherent
survey of modern astrophysics. It is intended for students who have had at
least two semesters each of physics and calculus.
001 TBA TBA Enr: 0 Max:
SPAC 350 INTRODUCTION TO ASTROPHYSICS Credits 3.00 Spring 00
An introduction to celestial mechanics, radiative transfer, stellar structure,
stellar evolution, and stellar remnants (including blach holes and neurton
stars.) Aspects of planetary science and solar system formation may be
explored. Together, Spac 350 and Spac 360 provide a comphrehensive survey of
modern astrophysics needed for senior research and graduate study in astronomy.
Either Spac 350 or 360 may be taken first. Prereq- Math 211; co-req Phys 202 or
Chem 312.
001 TBA TBA Enr: 0 Max:
SPAC 360 GALAXIES AND COSMOLOGY Credits 3.00 Spring 00
Morphology, kinematics and dynamics of galaxies; interstellar matter. Peculiar
and interacting systems, and galaxy clusters. Active galactic nuclei.
Large-scale structures in the universe; cosmological models.
Prereq- Spac 250 and Phys 301, or consent of instructor.
001 TBA - TTH 02:30PM - 03:50PM Dufour, Reginald J. Enr: 0 Max:
SPAC 400 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SEMINAR Credits 1.00 Spring 00
No description.
001 TBA - TBA Chan, Anthony Arthur Enr: 0 Max: NA
SPAC 443 ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE Credits 3.00 Spring 00
This course emphasizes the science of the atmosphere.Subjects studied include:
weather; radiation; climate; atmospheric structure and function; water,
clouds, and precipitation; atmospheric dynamics; storms and special systems.
Also offered as ENVI 443
001 TBA TBA Enr: 0 Max:
SPAC 480 INTRO TO PLASMA PHYSICS Credits 3.00 Spring 00
Fundamental processes in cosmic and laboratory plasmas: Gas dynamics, kinetic
theory, magnetohydrodynamics, waves and shocks, individual particle drifts,
collisions and electrical conductivities, geometric and distribution
instabilities.
Prereq- Phys 302 or equivalent.
001 TBA - TTH 10:50AM - 12:05PM Chan, Anthony Arthur Enr: 0 Max: NA
SPAC 500 GRADUATE SEMINAR Credits 1.00 Spring 00
A presentation of current research programs in the department.
001 TBA - M 12:00PM - 12:50PM Chan, Anthony Arthur Enr: 0 Max: NA
Reiff, Patricia H.
SPAC 512 IONOSPHERIC PHYSICS Credits 3.00 Spring 00
Planetary ionospheres: their aeronomy and structure; the aurora; ionospheric
currents and conductivities.
001 TBA TBA Enr: 0 Max:
SPAC 521 PLASMA KINETIC THEORY Credits 3.00 Spring 00
Plasma kinetic equations (Klimontovich, Liouville, BBGKY, Balescu-Lenard,
Fokker-Planck, Vlasov), Vlasov theory of waves and instabilities, connections
to fluid plasma models.
Prereq- Spac 480, 515, 532.
Also offered as PHYS 521
001 TBA TBA Enr: 0 Max:
SPAC 532 CLASSICAL ELECTRODYNAMICS Credits 3.00 Spring 00
Special relativity; covariant formulation of electrodynamics; wave phenomena
and charged-particle radiation.
Also offered as PHYS 532
001 TBA - MWF 11:00AM - 11:50AM Wolf, Richard A. Enr: 0 Max: NA
SPAC 541 QUANTUM PROCESSES IN ASTROPHYS Credits 3.00 Spring 00
Development of classical and quantum electrodynamics to radiation phenomena in
astrophysics.
Prereq- Spac 532, Phys 521 or equivalent.
001 TBA - TTH 09:25AM - 10:40AM Liang, Edison P. Enr: 0 Max: NA
SPAC 552 ASTROPHYSICS II: GALAXIES & COSMOLOGY Credits 3.00 Spring 00
The physics of interstellar matter; structure of the Milky Way and other,
normal galaxies; physical cosmology and high-redshift phenomena.
001 TBA - MWF 10:00AM - 10:50AM O'Dell, Charles Robert Enr: 0 Max: NA
SPAC 561 GENERAL RELATIVITY Credits 3.00 Spring 00
Einstein's theory of gravitation; gravity waves, relativistic cosmological
models.
Prereq- Spac 532.
001 TBA TBA Enr: 0 Max:
SPAC 565 COMPACT OBJECTS Credits 3.00 Spring 00
Selected topics involving white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes and their
environments, e.g., pulsars, supernova remnants, and accretion disks.
001 TBA - TTH 01:00AM - 02:15PM Michel, F. Curtis Enr: 0 Max: NA
SPAC 603 SPEC TOPICS: VENUS & MARS Credits 3.00 Spring 00
No description
001 TBA TBA Enr: 0 Max:
SPAC 700 TEACHING PRACTICUM Credits Spring 00
No description
001 TBA Staff Enr: 0 Max: NA
SPAC 800 GRADUATE RESEARCH Credits Spring 00
No description
001 TBA Staff Enr: 0 Max: NA
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