Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2021-2022 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

AST 3130 - Binary and Variable Stars (3)


When Offered: Spring. Odd-numbered years
An introduction to the nature of binary stars and stars that are intrinsically variable.  The work on binaries will emphasize eclipsing binaries, and the student will use light curve synthesis programs to model the astrophysical properties of the member stars. Various classes of variable stars will be studied, including their observational properties and how they fit into our understanding of stellar evolution as well as their application as standard candles for determining distances to clusters and galaxies.
Prerequisite: AST 1002 .