A tour of the mysteries and inner workings of our solar system. What are planets made of? Why do they orbit the sun the way they do? How do planets form, and what are they made of? Why do some bizarre moons have oceans, volcanoes, and ice floes? What makes the Earth hospitable for life? Is the Earth a common type of planet or some cosmic quirk? This course will introduce basic physics, chemistry, and math to understand planets, moons, rings, comets, asteroids, atmospheres, and oceans. Understanding other worlds will help us save our own planet and help us understand our place in the universe. This course is web-based.

Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D. (and other doctoral degrees). May not be used for unit or residence requirement for the doctoral degree.

A small-size undergraduate seminar exploring one astronomical topic in depth. Students are responsible for much of the presentation.

This course requires four to six experiments such as the following: accurate position and brightness measurements of stars; laboratory exploration of the characteristics of two-dimensional charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and infrared detectors; measurement of the distance, reddening, and age of a star cluster; measurement of the Stokes parameters and linear polarization of diffuse synchrotron and reflection nebulae; measurement of the period and pulse shape of the Crab pulsar using Fourier techniques. Professional telescopes will be used such as those at Leuschner Observatory and Lick Observatory. There is a emphasis on error analysis, software development in the IDL language, and high-quality written reports.

This course is for undergraduate or graduate students interested in improving their ability to communicate their scientific knowledge to the public and more specifically to K-12 students. The course combines lectures in science education and teaching methodology and pedagogy with six weeks of supervised teaching in local K-12 schools. The students will use materials developed from the Lawrence Hall of Science and other sources and will develop a demonstration of their own. They will receive feedback on their presentations. There will be some general discussion of the state and methods of science education.

A description of modern astronomy with emphasis on the structure and evolution of stars, galaxies, and the Universe. Additional topics optionally discussed include quasars, pulsars, black holes, and extraterrestrial communication, etc. Individual instructor's synopses available from the department.

The physical foundations of planetary sciences. Topics include planetary interiors and surfaces, planetary atmospheres and magnetospheres, and smaller bodies in our solar system. The physical processes at work are developed in some detail, and an evolutionary picture for our solar system, and each class of objects, is developed. Some discussion of other (potential) planetary systems is also included.

Basic physics of high energy radiation processes in an astrophysics environment. Cosmic ray production and propagation. Applications selected from pulsars, x-ray sources, supernovae, interstellar medium, extragalactic radio sources, quasars, and big-bang cosmologies.

The Berkeley Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small-seminar setting. Berkeley Seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester.

Applications of magnetohydrodynamics and plasma physics to astrophysical problems. Topics emphasized will be the physics of collisionless shock waves, both non-relativistic and relativistic, with application to supernova remnants, nebulae, and jets driven by outflows from compact objects, galaxy clusters, and cosmic rays. Reconnection, including structure and instability of current sheets, with application to flaring behavior in the Earth's magnetosphere, the Sun, and compact objects. Turbulence in magnetized plasmas, including intermittency and current sheet formation, with application to the solar wind, accretion disks, and molecular clouds.