Astronomy 537 Galaxies and their Evolution (CN TBD) Syllabus: Spring 2026

Course Credits: 3

Course Description and Goals: About galaxies

Pre-Requisites: ASTR 421

Instructor: Prof. Greg Taylor; gbtaylor@unm.edu; web page leo.phys.unm.edu/~gbtaylor

Course Text: Galaxies in the Universe, Sparke and Gallagher, 2nd edition

Class Time: Mondays and Wednesdays 8:30 - 9:45am Class Location: PAIS 1160. This is an in-person class.

Office Hours: Monday 10am-11am, Thursday 9am-10am. Room 3236 in PAIS, or by appointment. For quick questions catch me before or after class.

Homework: sporadic homework? paper reviews? teaching presentation? worksheets?

Lectures: I will present lectures in powerpoint, with occasional derivations. These lectures and the syllabus can be found at the class web page http://leo.phys.unm.edu/~gbtaylor/astr537/ that you are reading now. Students are expected to read selected papers and lead a discussion of them in class. Some material drawn from my own research, or current events, may not be covered in the book. We will also practice problem-solving using worksheets. I will ask questions from time to time during lecture. Your participation in responding, and in asking questions of your own, is strongly encouraged.

Grades: There will be two midterms, each worth 25%, worksheets worth 10%, paper discussions worth 20% and a teaching exercise worth 20%. Please take note of the dates of the exams in the syllabus. Make-up exams will only be given if arrangements are made in advance of the exam date. On tests and worksheets please attempt every problem and show your work as I do give partial credit.

Accommodation Statement: In accordance with University Policy 2310 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor's attention, as he/she are not legally permitted to inquire. Students who may require assistance in emergency evacuations should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow. Contact Accessibility Resource Center at 277-3506 for additional information.

Schedule of Topics and Reading Assignments
Date Topic Reading Homework
21 Jan Our Milky Way Galaxy I Chap. 1
26 Jan Our Milky Way Galaxy II Chap. 1
28 Jan Neutral Hydrogen in the MW Chap. 2
2 Feb Dust and Molecules in the MW Chap. 2 Paper#1
4 Feb Orbits of Stars in the MW Chap. 3
9 Feb High velocity clouds in the MW Chap. 3 Paper#2
11 Feb The Local Group Chap. 4
16 Feb Dwarf Galaxies Chap. 4 Paper #3
18 Feb Spiral Galaxies Chap. 5
23 Feb Elliptical Galaxies Chap. 6 Paper #4
25 Feb Black Holes and Feedback Chap. 6
2 Mar Galaxy Groups and Clusters Chap. 7 Paper #5
4 Mar Exam #1 Chap. 1-7
9 Mar Galaxy Formation Chap. 8
11 Mar Guest lecture TBD Chap. 8
14-22 Mar Spring Break
23 Mar cD Galaxies Chap. 8
25 Mar Large Scale Structure Chap. 8
30 Mar Epoch of Reionization Chap. 8Paper #6
1 Apr Active Galaxies I Chap. 9
6 Apr Active Galaxies II Chap. 9 Paper #7
8 Apr Quasars Chap. 9
13 Apr Lyman-alpha Forest Chap. 9 Paper #8
15 Apr Extragalactic backgrounds Chap. 9
20 Apr Gamma-ray Bursts Chap. 9 Paper #9
22 Apr SGRs, Magnetars and FRBs Chap. 9
27 Apr Exam#2
29 Apr Teaching Exercise
4 May Teaching Exercise
6 May Teaching Exercise



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