All effects of Nature are only mathematical consequences of a small number of immutable laws.
- P. S. Laplace
GE/AY 133 Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems
This class is part of the planetary science core curriculum and broadly covers aspects of astrophysical disk theory, planet formation theory, and early solar system evolution.
Professors: Konstantin Batygin
Required Text: Astrophysics of Planet Formation (2010/2020) by P. Armitage
currently offered: fall 2021
GE/AY 137 - Planetary Physics
This elective class presents a rigorous account of orbital dynamics of planetary systems, Hamiltonian perturbation theory, as well as aspects of chaos theory and tidal theory.
Professor: Konstantin Batygin
Required Text: Solar System Dynamics (1999) by C. Murray & S. Dermott and
Modern Celestial Mechanics: (2002) by A. Morbidelli (pdf here)
next offered: winter 2022
GE/AY 198 - Extrasolar Planets
This elective seminar-style class presents an overview of the current state-of-the-art in exoplanet detection methods, observations, and their theoretical interpretations.
Professor: Konstantin Batygin, Dimitri Mawet, Andrew Howard
Required Text: Exoplanets (2010) ed. by S. Seager
next offered: spring 2020