Syllabus
Generated course specification; local policies remain to be completed.
Status: Approved for review release · not yet approved for instructional use
Applies numerical methods to astronomical problems including N-body integration, hydrodynamics concepts, radiative transfer approximations, Monte Carlo methods, parameter estimation, and reproducible simulation workflows.
Planning Documents
Schedule
Fourteen-week schedule with mapped labs and problem sets.
References
Per-dataset provenance levels and source records included.
Lecture Materials
- Lecture 01: Computational Experiments and Floating-Point Arithmetic — slides · Lecture 01: Computational Experiments and Floating-Point Arithmetic — notes
- Lecture 02: Initial-Value Problems and Error Control — slides · Lecture 02: Initial-Value Problems and Error Control — notes
- Lecture 03: Kepler Orbits with REBOUND — slides · Lecture 03: Kepler Orbits with REBOUND — notes
- Lecture 04: N-Body Systems, Invariants, and Close Encounters — slides · Lecture 04: N-Body Systems, Invariants, and Close Encounters — notes
- Lecture 05: Conservation Laws and Hydrodynamics Concepts — slides · Lecture 05: Conservation Laws and Hydrodynamics Concepts — notes
- Lecture 06: Finite-Volume Resolution and Shock Tests — slides · Lecture 06: Finite-Volume Resolution and Shock Tests — notes
- Lecture 07: Radiative Transfer as a Numerical Problem — slides · Lecture 07: Radiative Transfer as a Numerical Problem — notes
- Lecture 08: Radiative-Transfer Approximations and Validation — slides · Lecture 08: Radiative-Transfer Approximations and Validation — notes
- Lecture 09: Monte Carlo Transport and Random Walks — slides · Lecture 09: Monte Carlo Transport and Random Walks — notes
- Lecture 10: Monte Carlo Radiation and Rare Events — slides · Lecture 10: Monte Carlo Radiation and Rare Events — notes
- Lecture 11: Likelihoods, Residuals, and Parameter Estimation — slides · Lecture 11: Likelihoods, Residuals, and Parameter Estimation — notes
- Lecture 12: Bayesian Inference for Astrophysical Models — slides · Lecture 12: Bayesian Inference for Astrophysical Models — notes
- Lecture 13: Reproducible Simulation Workflows — slides · Lecture 13: Reproducible Simulation Workflows — notes
- Lecture 14: Computational Astrophysics Research Synthesis — slides · Lecture 14: Computational Astrophysics Research Synthesis — notes
Labs and Observing
- Lab 01: Floating-Point and ODE Error Audit
- Lab 02: A JPL Earth State in REBOUND
- Lab 03: Three-Body Conservation and Encounter Choice
- Lab 04: Finite-Volume Sod Shock Tube
- Lab 05: Radiative Transfer and Approximation Domain
- Lab 06: Monte Carlo Transmission and Radial-Velocity Inference
- Lab 07: Reproducible Computational Research Audit
Problem Sets
- Problem Set 01: Numerical Foundations and ODE Accuracy · solutions · assessment instructions
- Problem Set 02: Orbital Integration and Ephemeris Validation · solutions · assessment instructions
- Problem Set 03: N-Body Conservation and Close Encounters · solutions · assessment instructions
- Problem Set 04: Hydrodynamics and Resolution · solutions · assessment instructions
- Problem Set 05: Radiative Transfer and Approximation Validity · solutions · assessment instructions
- Problem Set 06: Monte Carlo and Parameter Inference · solutions · assessment instructions
- Problem Set 07: Reproducible Research Audit · solutions · assessment instructions
Source Code and Data
Source
Course-specific scripts, notebooks, and generators.
Data
Course-specific datasets with provenance notes.