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Rice Course Schedule, Spring 2000
Space Physics and Astronomy (SPAC)

Rice Course Schedule as of 03/24/2000. This schedule is maintained by the Office of the Registrar (reg@rice.edu).

Additional information about Rice courses is available on the Rice Academic Information page.
See also: Building Codes | Registration Information

NOTE: Course web pages are available for some SPAC courses.


SPAC   100 SEMINAR                                  Credits 1.00  Spring 2000
Introduction to concepts and methods used to investigate the solar
system, the Milky Way, and the universe as a whole.  Intended for
students interested in majoring in space physics and astronomy.
Class discussions based on readings at the level of Scientific American
and Sky and Telescope.  Term paper required.
Coreq- Phys 101 or 112.
001 T       10:50AM-11:50AM HB*227   Cloutier, Paul                 *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   201 STARS,GALAXIES, & THE UNIVERSE           Credits 3.00  Spring 2000
           * RESTRICTED DISTRIBUTION COURSE: GROUP III
An introductory course for students in academic programs. The formation,
evolution, and death of stars; the composition and evolution of
galaxies; the structure and evolution of the universe.
001 TTH     01:00PM-02:15PM HB*227   Smith, Ian                     *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   202 EXPLORATION OF SOLAR SYSTEM              Credits 3.00  Spring 2000
           * RESTRICTED DISTRIBUTION COURSE: GROUP III
An introductory course for students in academic programs, surveying
the sun, planetary motions, interplanetary fields and plasmas, the
planets, their satellites and rings, and comets. The purposes and
methods of manned and unmanned solar system exploration are also
discussed.
001 MWF     10:00AM-10:50AM HB*227   Freeman, John                  *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   203 ATMOSPHERE, WEATHER & CLIMATE            Credits 3.00  Spring 2000
           * RESTRICTED DISTRIBUTION COURSE: GROUP III
This course emphasizes the fundamental science of the atmospheric
system.  Among the subjects to be covered quantitatively are climate
changes, solar radiation and the Earth's energy budget, atmospheric
motions and circulation, clouds and storms, and atmospheric
environmental concerns.
001 MWF     09:00AM-09:50AM HB*227   Garner, Trevor                 *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   230 ASTRONOMY LAB                            Credits 3.00  Spring 2000
Same as Spac 330.
001 W       07:00PM-08:00PM          Hartigan, Patrick              *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   360 GALAXIES AND COSMOLOGY                   Credits 3.00  Spring 2000
Morphology, kinematics and dynamics of galaxies; interstellar matter.
Peculiar and interacting systems, and galaxy clusters.  Active galactic
nuclei.  Large-scale structures in the universe; cosmological models.
Prereq- Spac 250 and Phys 301, or consent of instructor.
001 TTH     02:30PM-03:50PM HB*427   Dufour, Reginald               *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   400 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SEMINAR           Credits 1.00  Spring 2000
Undergraduate level of Spac 500.
001 TBA     TBA                      Chan, Anthony                  *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   430 TEACHING ASTRONOMY                       Credits 3.00  Spring 2000
Methods and facilities of observational astronomy for public education.
Students will help train beginners in the use of telescopes, and carry
out a modest observational program of their own. The course requires one
public talk to a non-technical audience, internship work a George
Observatory and Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Prereq- SPAC 230, SPAC 350, or 360 (or by permission).
001 TBA     TBA                      Hartigan, Patrick              *CURRENT ENR: 0
001                                  Sumners, Carolyn               *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   480 INTRODUCTION TO PLASMA PHYSICS           Credits 3.00  Spring 2000
Fundamental processes in cosmic and laboratory plasmas:  Gas dynamics,
kinetic theory, magnetohydrodynamics, waves and shocks, individual
particle drifts, collisions and electrical conductivities, geometric and
distribution instabilities.
Prereq- Phys 302 or equivalent.
001 TTH     10:50AM-12:05PM HB*423   Chan, Anthony                  *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   500 GRADUATE SEMINAR                         Credits 1.00  Spring 2000
A presentation of current research programs in the department.
001 M       12:00PM-12:50PM HB*227   Reiff, Patricia                *CURRENT ENR: 0
001                                  Chan, Anthony                  *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   532 CLASSICAL ELECTRODYNAMICS                Credits 3.00  Spring 2000
Special relativity; covariant formulation of electrodynamics; wave
phenomena and charged-particle radiation.
Also offered as Phys 532.
001 MWF     11:00AM-11:50AM HB*427   Wolf, Richard                  *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   541 RADIATIVE PROCESSES                      Credits 3.00  Spring 2000
Development of classical and quantum electrodynamics to radiation
phenomena in astrophysics.
Prereq- Spac 532, Phys 521 or equivalent.
001 TTH     09:25AM-10:40AM HB*453   Liang, Edison                  *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   552 ASTROPHYSICS II: GALAXIES & COSMOLOGY    Credits 3.00  Spring 2000
The physics of interstellar matter; structure of the Milky Way and
other, normal galaxies; physical cosmology and high-redshift phenomena.
001 MWF     10:00AM-10:50AM HB*427   O'Dell, C.                     *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   565 COMPACT OBJECTS                          Credits 3.00  Spring 2000
Selected topics involving white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes and
their environments, e.g., pulsars, supernova remnants, and accretion
disks.
001 TTH     01:00PM-02:15PM HB*423   Michel, F.                     *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   700 TEACHING PRACTICUM                       Credits 1.00  Spring 2000
001 TBA     TBA                      TBA                            *CURRENT ENR: 0

SPAC   800 GRADUATE RESEARCH                        Credits 1.00  Spring 2000
001 TBA     TBA                      TBA                            *CURRENT ENR: 0



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-- Course schedule information provided by reg@rice.edu. Web version administered by riceinfo@rice.edu. Updated: Fri Mar 24 16:33:28 2000

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