Not all students who aspired to become astrophysicists or study astrophysics just for the joy of it might have been able to do so for several reasons. Mentioned below are some courses which will facilitate all the learning required to begin a career in astrophysics. Through these courses, students will understand the origin of the universe, mysteries of exoplanets and bizarre objects like neutron stars and black holes.
Introduction to Astrophysics
Introduction to Astrophysics, as the name suggests, is an introductory course provided by EPFLx that will help students understand the basics of astrophysics using simple mathematical developments. Over seven weeks, students will learn how gravity influences celestial bodies, interactions between matter and radiation, formation and evolution of stars along with the basics of cosmology. Among several other topics that will be covered in this course, a few of them are the virial theorem, Doppler Effect, tidal forces, and Interstellar Medium. Students will do well in the course if they have a grasp over trigonometry, Derivatives and Taylor expansions, Integral Calculus and 1st order differential equations.
XSeries Program in Astrophysics
This self-paced program is comprised of 4 high-quality courses, three of which are mentioned below. This course which will be taught by prestigious leaders, prize-winning researchers and Noble Prize winners is provided by ANUx and can be completed in nine months. In this program, students will explore the mysteries of modern astrophysics, novae, and black holes, the mysteries of exoplanets along with the origin, nature and fate of the universe. Each of these courses can be taken individually in any order. This program is especially beneficial for someone who wants to begin their studies in astrophysics or astronomy.
Astrophysics: The Violent Universe
This course is one of the four courses by ANUx which makes up the Australian National University’s first-year astrophysics program. It is also one of the courses that comprise the Astrophysics XSeries. It is not necessary to complete the other courses to have a better understanding of this one. On completion of this nine-week course, students will have an understanding of white dwarfs, neutron stars, novae, supernovae and hypernovae using principles of quantum mechanics and relativity. High school level math and physics are the only prerequisites for this course.
Astrophysics: Exploring Exoplanets
This intermediate course is the second of the four courses by ANUx which makes up the Australian National University’s first-year astrophysics program. This course is also one of the courses of the Astrophysics XSeries and can be completed in nine weeks. Students will learn how scientists use different methods to study exoplanets and analyze their results. Students will also learn how scientists approach and tackle difficult problems. Reasonable knowledge of high school math and physics will help students understand the course well.
Astrophysics: Cosmology
Astrophysics: Cosmology is also one of the four courses by ANUx which makes up the Australian National University’s first-year astrophysics program and is also a part of Astrophysics XSeries. Spread over ten weeks, this course will help students investigate the origin, nature and fate of the universe. This course will cover the latest developments in this field and explain the observations with the help of experts in the field. Like the course mentioned above, students will require high school level math and physics to get the most out of the course.
The language of instruction for all these courses is English. Students can audit these courses for free but to earn a certificate a fee may be required. Students can also avail financial aid from the respective providers if they qualify.
