Physics 470 Advanced Topics Solar and Global Evolution

Winter 2008 Special Problems Courses – 2 units each

BIO200-400, CHEM200-400, PHYS200-400, or GEOL200-400

Five billion years of physical, chemical, and biological evolution have shaped the properties and processes of the Earth.

Students may do library research (books, journals, websites), original thinking, and/or data analysis.

Instructor Bob Field, adjunct physics professor and research scholar in residence

Introduction to Astrobiology

Students will study a new book (2006), Astrobiology: a brief introduction by UCSB biochemistry professor Kevin Plaxco and Michael Gross.

Prokaryote and Eukaryote Evolution

Students will study the structure and evolution of prokaryotes, eukaryotes, biologically important molecules, and/or metabolic processes. Emphasis is on molecular clocks and fossil records.

Biochemical and Geochemical Evolution

Students will study biochemical, geochemical, and/or biogeochemical properties and processes in Hadean, Archaean, Proterozoic, and/or Phanerozoic Era environments.

Five Billion Years of Globally Important Events

Students will identify and sequence globally important physical, chemical, and/or biological events and processes in the five billion year history of the solid Earth, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and/or biosphere (molecules, cells, organisms, and ecosystems) with emphasis on Pre-Cambrian eras.

Astrophysical and Geophysical Structure and Evolution

Students will study the structure and flows of energy and matter in the Sun, solid Earth, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and/or biosphere.

GEOL400 Global Evolution

Five billion years of physical, chemical, and biological evolution have shaped the

properties and processes of the solid Earth, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.

suitable for upper division undergraduate and graduate students in science and engineering

2 units - GEOL 400 Special Problems Proposed Syllabus
Global Evolution - Winter 2008 - Wednesdays 10 am - noon
W	9 Jan	Solar System Structure and Flows of Energy and Matter
W	16 Jan	Solar System Formation and Evolution
W	23 Jan	Solid Earth Structure and Flows of Energy and Matter
W	30 Jan	Solid Earth Formation and Evolution
W	6 Feb	Hydrosphere Structure and Flows of Energy and Matter
W	13 Feb	Hydrosphere Formation and Evolution
W	20 Feb	Atmosphere Structure and Flows of Energy and Matter
W	27 Feb	Atmosphere Formation and Evolution
W	5 Mar	Biosphere Structure and Flows of Energy and Matter
W	12 Mar	Biosphere Formation and Evolution

The Sun releases nuclear energy as it fuses simple hydrogen nuclei into more complex helium nuclei. The Earth separates materials by density and other considerations while releasing trapped heat produced when it formed and as large nuclei decay. Oceans redistribute energy absorbed from sunlight as it circulates from the tropical zone to the frigid zones. The atmosphere redistributes energy absorbed directly from sunlight and indirectly from land and sea surfaces as it circulates from the tropical zone to the frigid zones. The biosphere redistributes energy and matter in the oceans, atmosphere, and land by producing large complex molecules, cells, organisms, and ecosystems that interact with sunlight, air, water, and the Earth’s crust. How does a giant cloud of cold dilute gas and dust evolve into astronauts in a spacecraft orbiting a planet orbiting a star?

the above course is derived from a previous course

Fall 2006 Solar and Global Evolution

Physics 470 Advanced Topics Course

Instructor Bob Field, adjunct physics professor

Directed group study of the structure and evolution of the Sun, solid Earth, oceans, atmosphere, and biosphere. Open to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in science, math, and engineering. 3 units. TR 9:40 – 11 am room 38-123.

The course is mostly for physics juniors and seniors but our friends in engineering, chemistry, and math are welcome as well. The course will assume some understanding of the principles of calculus and differential equations, so it is not for everyone. On the other hand, some student projects may not involve too much advanced math and you may work as part of a team in which students contribute according to their own expertise and interests. With this in mind, biology majors and grad students are also welcome if their background is suitable.

drbobsage

Current SAGE Pages

www.calpoly.edu/~rfield/bnatural.ppt

www.calpoly.edu/~rfield/bsun.ppt

www.calpoly.edu/~rfield/polystar1A.xls

www.calpoly.edu/~rfield/bsun.xls

www.calpoly.edu/~rfield/bearth.ppt

www.calpoly.edu/~rfield/bearth.xls

www.calpoly.edu/~rfield/bocean.ppt

www.calpoly.edu/~rfield/bocean.xls

www.calpoly.edu/~rfield/batmosphere.ppt

www.calpoly.edu/~rfield/batmosphere.xls

The structure and evolution of the Sun and the Earth

depend on interactions of energy and matter

The equations of stellar structure are shown in the box. The good news is we won’t try to solve them in class because they can’t be solved analytically. We will try to understand them and I do have an 18000 line Fortran solar evolution code provided by Dr. Joyce Guzik of Los Alamos National Lab that enables us to investigate the Sun.

3 units - Physics 470 Advanced Topics Course Revised Syllabus
Fall 2006 - Solar and Global Evolution - Tuesday Thursday 9:40 - 11 am
T	26-Sep	Sun as Evolving System
R	28-Sep	Sun Structure and Energy Flow
T	3-Oct	Sun Structure and Energy Flow
R	5-Oct	Sun Evolution and Formation
T	10-Oct	Sun summary and discussion
R	12-Oct	Sun Quiz
T	17-Oct	Earth as Evolving System
R	19-Oct	Solid Earth Composition and Structure
T	24-Oct	Solid Earth Energy Flow
R	26-Oct	Solid Earth Evolution
T	31-Oct	Solid Earth Formation
R	2-Nov	Solid Earth summary and discussion
T	7-Nov	Solid Earth Quiz
R	9-Nov	Atmosphere and Ocean Structure
T	14-Nov	Atmosphere and Ocean Energy Flow
R	16-Nov	Atmosphere and Ocean Circulation
T	21-Nov	Atmosphere and Ocean Energy Models
R	23-Nov	Thanksgiving Holiday
T	28-Nov	OASES summary and discussion
R	30-Nov	Atmosphere and Ocean Quiz
T	5-Dec	Biosphere Structure
R	7-Dec	Biosphere: origin and diversity of life
T	12-Dec	Final Exam