Basic Astronomy: Mass, length and timescales, Celestial coordinates, Magnitudes, Astronomy at different wavelengths, Radiative Transfer: Equations of radiative transfer, Optical depth, Opacity, Local thermodynamic equilibrium, Spectral line formation , Stellar Structure and Evolution: Hydrostatic equilibrium, Virial theorem, Energy transport, Convective Instability, HR Diagram, Stellar evolution, Eddington luminosity limit, Nucleosynthesis: Nuclear reaction and elemental burning in stellar interiors, Solar neutrino problem, Stellar Collapse: Degeneracy pressure, Chandrasekhar mass limit, White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars and Pulsars as physical extremes of nature, Stellar Dynamics: Virial theorem for dynamics, Collisional relaxation, Incompatibility of thermodynamics equilibrium and self-gravity, Bolztmann equation, Jeans equation, Plasma Astrophysics: Basic fluid and plasma equations, Jeans instability, Magnetohydrodynamics and dynamo theory, Cosmology: Spacetime fabric of the Universe, Thermal history of the Universe, Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation, Friedman-Robertson-Walker metric, Gravitational redshift, Cosmological constant. Black Hole: Schwarzschild metric, Singularities and the concept of a horizon, |