PHY6003 Planetary Systems

How did our Solar system form?  What physical processes determine the composition and architecture of a planetary system?  For millennia, humans have looked at the sky and wondered whether our world was unique.  In this course, we will quantitatively explore the detailed properties and formation history of our Solar system planets and small bodies.  We will then continue our trek through the stars by applying our understanding to the thousands of planets now known to orbit nearby stars.  The second part of the course will delve into the endless forms most beautiful that have been, and are being, discovered by astronomers today.  Students will prepare a final research paper analysing observational data of exoplanetary systems.  This capstone project will also develop the skills necessary to undertake independent astrophysical research.  

We will explore the following topics:

1. Key concepts in Planetary Systems  (10%)

2. Quantitative methods in Planetary Systems (10%)

3. Presenting scientific results from planetary studies (10%)

4. Comparing theory and observations in Planetary Systems (10%)

5. Communicating Planetary Systems (10%)

6. Physical Processes in the Solar System (10%)

7. The Terrestrial Planets (10%)

8. The Jovian Worlds (10%)

9. Minor Bodies of the Solar System (10%)

10. The Formation of Planetary Systems (10%)