ASTR 4
Black Holes and Cosmic Catastrophes
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Essentially nonmathematical course for general UCLA students that discusses black holes and related cosmic catastrophes. White dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes are compact objects formed in violent events that terminate lives of stars and are associated with some of most energetic and explosive phenomena in astronomy: planetary nebulae and novae (white dwarfs), supernovae, pulsars, galactic X-ray sources, and gamma ray bursts. Supermassive black holes form in nucleus of young galaxies, and gravitational accretion of matter onto black holes powers most energetic objects in universe--quasars. Universe was born in ultimate cosmic explosion--Big Bang--that may have derived its energy from quantum mechanical vacuum. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
Most Helpful Review
If you want a class where you can simply show up to the midterms and final, take astro 4. It was a class of about 80 and only about 15 people showed up to lectures regularly. The professor puts all of his notes on the internet, including past midterms. If you do decide to go the lectures, be prepared to fall asleep. He's a good guy, but he lectures as if his students are all expert astrophysicists. It's almost like he's speaking in a foreign language. The easiest way to do well is to go to your discussions and have the TA put everything in English. Midterms are easy (most of it is right off the old midterms that he puts on the internet), but there are 3 of them, including a final. It's an easy class to pass and a relatively easy B. If you want the A, you have to keep up with the reading and actually put effort into the class.
If you want a class where you can simply show up to the midterms and final, take astro 4. It was a class of about 80 and only about 15 people showed up to lectures regularly. The professor puts all of his notes on the internet, including past midterms. If you do decide to go the lectures, be prepared to fall asleep. He's a good guy, but he lectures as if his students are all expert astrophysicists. It's almost like he's speaking in a foreign language. The easiest way to do well is to go to your discussions and have the TA put everything in English. Midterms are easy (most of it is right off the old midterms that he puts on the internet), but there are 3 of them, including a final. It's an easy class to pass and a relatively easy B. If you want the A, you have to keep up with the reading and actually put effort into the class.