Space Science & Stellar Astrophysics (PHYS2082)

Course overview

This course develops a broad understanding of the physical processes taking place in stars and solar systems. Topics include the orbits of planets and binary stars, the classification of stars, stellar atmospheres, star formation, supernovae, white dwarf stars and neutron stars. There is particular emphasis on the scientific techniques used to explore solar systems.

The course covers the physical processes responsible for the formation and evolution of the solar systems and stars in our Galaxy. A major theme of the course are two research-style projects where students will investigate the chance of life in a distant solar system. This course focuses on developing a quantitative understanding of the physical processes involved and is aimed at students in Science and Engineering. For the course website please log in to the UQ Blackboard system at http://blackboard.elearning.uq.edu.au/

Course requirements

Assumed background

No formal background in astrophysics is required, but students are assumed to have a basic first-year physics and mathematics background. The physics skills needed include basic dynamics, Newtonﾒs laws and pressure (PHYS1001 or PHYS1171). Mathematics skills needed include basic calculus: differentiation and integration of simple functions (MATH1051).

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

PHYS1001 or PHYS1171

Recommended prerequisites

We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:

PHYS1002

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

PHYS2080 or PHYS3180

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

All classes will be conducted on campus. Consult your personal timetable for times and locations. Students are expected to attend these sessions in person unless they have a valid reason for being unable to attend (such as illness).

You should attend all "lecture" (L) and "contact" (C) hours on the timetable.

Please note the dates (a detailed timetable is on Blackboard) on which each of the Mystery Planet projects are started as it is especially important to attend these sessions.

Aims and outcomes

The aim of the course is to develop a detailed understanding of the physical processes responsible for the fundamental properties of stars and solar systems. This will be demonstrated by the ability to describe the processes and solve numerical problems based on the following material.

Note: the physics concept objectives (in part 1) are cross-referenced to section numbers from the second edition of the textbook.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

In-class Tests

• Hurdle

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

30%

Due date

Test 1: 23/08/2024

Test 2: 13/09/2024

Test 3: 11/10/2024

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Your hand written solutions should be submitted at the end of the lab session

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

If you miss one of the tests due to extenuating circumstances, a catch-up test will be scheduled for the end of semester. See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension and deferred examination information relating to this assessment item.

Mystery Planet Part 1

Mode

Written

Category

Project

Weight

15%

Due date

19/09/2024 12:00 pm

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submit an electronic copy of your text on the UQ Blackboard website for the course.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension and deferred examination information relating to this assessment item.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item then the listed penalty will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.

Mystery Planet Part 2

Mode

Oral

Category

Project

Weight

15%

Due date

25/10/2024 5:00 pm

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submit an electronic recording of your presentation on the UQ Blackboard website for the course.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension and deferred examination information relating to this assessment item.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item then the listed penalty will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.

Reading quizzes

• Hurdle

Mode

Written

Category

Quiz

Weight

Must answer 75% of all questions

Due date

Due Monday 9am in Weeks 2 to 13

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

Final Exam

• Hurdle
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

40%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension and deferred examination information relating to this assessment item.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Students must satisfy the following conditions to pass (grade 4 or higher) the course:

1. Score 40%ﾠor higher in the final exam
2. Satisfactorily complete at least 75 per cent of all pre-lecture reading quizzes

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is not available for some items in this course.

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course. 

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met. 

The supplementary assessment for failure to score 40% of the maximum possible marks in the final exam will be a 2-hour examination similar in style to the end-of-semester examination. You will need to score at least 50% of the marks on that exam in order to receive a passing grade for the course.

The supplementary assessment for failure to satisfy the reading quiz hurdle is to write a 4000-4500 word essay summarising the major concepts of Learning Objectives. The essay must demonstrate a basic understanding of the concepts in a complete, succinct manner. You will need to score at least 50% of the marks on that essay in order to receive a passing grade for the course. The essay must be submitted electronically via Blackboard by 5pm on the last Friday of semester. Failure to submit this essay on time results in the failure of the course with a grade that is no higher than 2.

The Mystery Planet report and presentations of this course are exempted from supplementary assessment.

Additional assessment information

Students will use Turnitin for the submission of the MP1 project report. Students will be given the chance to submit a draft for plagiarism checking prior to submission of their final report.

All work submitted for assessment may be subjected to a plagiarism detection process. If this process is used, then copies of this work would be retained and used as source material for conducting future plagiarism checks.

Examples of plagiarism include:

• Direct copying of paragraphs, sentences, a single sentence or significant parts of a sentence;
• Direct copying of paragraphs, sentences, a single sentence or significant parts of a sentence with an end reference but without quotation marks around the copied text;
• Copying ideas, concepts, research results, computer codes, statistical tables, designs, images, sounds or text or any combination of these;
• Paraphrasing, summarising or simply rearranging another person's words, ideas, etc without changing the basic structure and/or meaning of the text;
• Offering an idea or interpretation that is not one's own without identifying whose idea or interpretation it is;
• A 'cut and paste' of statements from multiple sources;
• Presenting as independent, work done in collaboration with others;
• Copying or adapting another student's original work into a submitted assessment item.

Plagiarism will be prosecuted in accordance with university policy.

Artificial Intelligence

The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Applications for Extensions to Assessment Due Dates

Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ – applying for an extension. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with extension requests, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons, may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Requests for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through your my.UQ portal and you must provide documentation of your circumstances, as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed. Your application must be submitted on or before the assessment item's due date and time.
• Applications for extension can take time to be processed so you should continue to work on your assessment item while awaiting a decision. We recommend that you submit any completed work by the due date, and this will be marked if your application is not approved. Should your application be approved, then you will be able to resubmit by the agreed revised due date.
• If an extension is approved, you will be notified via your my.UQ portal and the new date and time for submission provided. It is important that you check the revised date as it may differ from the date that you requested.
• If the basis of the application is a medical condition, applications should be accompanied by a medical certificate dated prior to the assignment due date. If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a written statement (Word document) outlining why you cannot provide the documentation. You must then upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.
• If an extension is being sought on the basis of exceptional circumstances, it must be accompanied by supporting documentation (eg. Statutory declaration).
• For extensions based on a SAP you may be granted a maximum of 7 days (if no earlier maximum timeframe applies). See the Extension or Deferral availability section of each assessment for details. Your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, additional extension requests for the assessment item will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.
• An extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered, must not exceed four weeks in total. If you are incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, you are advised to apply for Removal of Course.
• If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 14 days, you are advised to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester. You might be eligible to withdraw without academic penalty - seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.
• Students may be asked to submit evidence of work completed to date. Lack of adequate progress on your assessment item may result in an extension being denied.
• There are no provisions for exemption from an assessment item within UQ rules. If you are unable to submit an assessment piece then, under special circumstances, you may be granted an exemption, but may be required to submit alternative assessment to ensure all learning outcomes are met.

Applications to defer an exam

In certain circumstances you can apply to take a deferred examination for in-semester and end-of-semester exams. You'll need to demonstrate through supporting documentation how unavoidable circumstances prevented you from sitting your exam. If you can’t, you can apply for a one-off discretionary deferred exam.

Deferred Exam requests are submitted online via mySi-net. Requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with deferred examinations, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Applications can be submitted no later than 5 calendar days after the date of the original exam.
• There are no provisions to defer a deferred exam. You need to be available to sit your deferred examination.
• Your deferred examination request(s) must have a status of "submitted" in mySI-net to be assessed.
• All applications for deferred in-semester examinations are assessed by the relevant school. Applications for deferred end-of-semester examinations are assessed by the Academic Services Division.
• You’ll receive an email to your student email account when the status of your application is updated.
• If you have a medical condition, mental health condition or disability and require alternative arrangements for your deferred exam you’ll need to complete the online alternative exam arrangements through my.UQ. This is in addition to your deferred examinations request. You need to submit this request on the same day as your request for a deferred exam or supplementary assessment. Contact Student Services if you need assistance completing your alternative exam arrangements request.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.