Alberta University - Astro 101: Black Holes
- Offered byCoursera
- Public/Government Institute
Astro 101: Black Holes at Coursera Overview
Duration | 18 hours |
Total fee | Free |
Mode of learning | Online |
Difficulty level | Beginner |
Official Website | Explore Free Course  |
Credential | Certificate |
Astro 101: Black Holes at Coursera Highlights
- Shareable Certificate Earn a Certificate upon completion
- 100% online Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
- Flexible deadlines Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
- Beginner Level
- Approx. 18 hours to complete
- English Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish
Astro 101: Black Holes at Coursera Course details
- What is a black hole? Do they really exist? How do they form? How are they related
- to stars? What would happen if you fell into one? How do you see a black hole if they
- emit no light? What?s the difference between a black hole and a really dark star?
- Could a particle accelerator create a black hole? Can a black hole also be a worm
- hole or a time machine?
- In Astro 101: Black Holes, you will explore the concepts behind black holes. Using the theme of black holes, you will learn the basic ideas of astronomy, relativity, and quantum physics.
- After completing this course, you will be able to:
- ? Describe the essential properties of black holes.
- ? Explain recent black hole research using plain language and appropriate analogies.
- ? Compare black holes in popular culture to modern physics to distinguish science fact from science fiction.
- ? Describe the application of fundamental physical concepts including gravity, special and general relativity, and quantum mechanics to reported scientific observations.
- ? Recognize different types of stars and distinguish which stars can potentially become black holes.
- ? Differentiate types of black holes and classify each type as observed or theoretical.
- ? Characterize formation theories associated with each type of black hole.
- ? Identify different ways of detecting black holes, and appropriate technologies associated with each detection method.
- ? Summarize the puzzles facing black hole researchers in modern science.
Astro 101: Black Holes at Coursera Curriculum
Introduction to Black Holes
01.01 ? Introduction to Black Holes
01.02 ? Black Holes in Pop Culture
01.03 ? Connecting Gravity and Light
01.04 ? Getting on the Same Wavelength
01.05 ? Working with Light
01.06 ? Doppler Shift
01.07 ? Newtonian Gravity
01.08 ? Escape Velocity
01.09 ? Dark Stars
01.10 ? What is a Black Hole?
01.11 ? Summary: Black Hole Basics
How are black holes depicted in Japanese manga? Interview with Dr. Mimi Okabe
Meet Your Instructors
Welcome to Week 1
Explore Escape Velocity
Interactive Learning Objects
Module 1: Introduction to Black Holes
Life and Death of a Star
02.01 ? Introduction: Life and Death of a Star
02.02 ? The Stellar Nursery
Where are the Sun's siblings? Interview with Dr. Erik Rosolowsky, Professor at the University of Alberta
02.03 ? Now That's a Stellar Sequence!
02.04 ? Energy Production in Stars
02.05 ? Energy Loss from Stars
02.06 ? The Sun's Light and Life on Earth
What is a Super-Earth? Interview with Dr. Kelsey Hoffman, researcher at the SETI Institute
02.07 ? End of a Star's Life
02.08 ? Life After the Death of Low Mass Stars
02.09 ? Life After the Death of High Mass Stars
02.10 ? Summary: The Circle of Life
Module 2: Life & Death of a Star
The Structure of Spacetime
03.01 ? Introduction: The Structure of Spacetime
03.02 ? Fishing in Spacetime
03.03 ? Introducing Special Relativity Theory
03.04 ? Spacetime
Could there be extra dimensions? Interview with Dr. Douglas Gingrich, Professor at the University of Alberta
03.05 A - Events and Simultaneity
03.05 B - Time Dilation and Length Contraction
03.05 C - The Twins Paradox
03.06 ? The Equivalence Principle
How do black holes fall? Interview with Dr. Jeremy Heyl, Professor at the University of British Columbia.
03.07 ? Curved Spacetime
The history of the earliest test of general relativity. Interview with Dr. Robert Smith, Professor of History at the University of Alberta.
03.08 ? Summary: Living Relativistically
Explore Special Relativity
Module 3: The Structure of Spacetime
Sizing Up Black Holes
04.01 ? Introduction: Sizing up Black Holes
04.02 ? May the Schwarz(schild) Be With You
04.03 ? Dancing with the Stars
04.04 ? The Big Black Hole Weigh-in
Is there a limit to the size of a black hole? Interview with Dr. Gregory Sivakoff, Professor at the University of Alberta
04.05 ? Stellar Mass Black Holes
04.06 ? Supermassive Black Holes
How do supermassive black holes form? Interview with Dr. Daryl Haggard, Professor at McGill University
04.07 ? Intermediate Mass Black Holes
04.08 ? SUPERtiny Black Holes
04.09 ? Summary: Preparing to Explore
Module 4: Sizing Up Black Holes
Approaching a Black Hole
05.01 ? Journey into a Black Hole
05.02 ? Jets
What is important about a black hole's jet? Interview with Dr. Bryan Gaensler, Director of the Dunlap Observatory at the University of Toronto
05.03 ? Black Hole Companions
How can a star be like a vampire? Interview with Dr. Craig Heinke, Professor at the University of Alberta
05.04 ? Sipping on Star Soup
05.05 ? Have a Corona!
05.06 ? What is Accretion?
How do black holes grow? Interview with Dr. Robert Thacker, Professor at St. Mary's University
05.07 ? Spinning Through the Disc
05.08 ? Innermost Stable Circular Orbit
05.09 ? Summary: Teetering on the Edge
Module 5: Approaching a Black Hole
Crossing the Event Horizon
06.01 ? Introduction: Across the Event Horizon
06.02 ? The Event Horizon
06.03 ? The Singularity
What happens at the singularity of a black hole? Interview with Dr. Valeri Frolov, Professor at the University of Alberta
06.04 ? Spinning Black Holes
How can you determine if a black hole is spinning? Interview with Dr. Fiona Harrison, Professor at Caltech University
06.05 ? Wormholes
06.06 - Summary: Crossing the Event Horizon
Visit a Black Hole
Module 6: Crossing the Event Horizon
Inside a Black Hole
07.01 ? Black Holes: The Final Frontier
07.02 ? Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
07.03 ? Hawking Radiation
What is Hawking Radiation? Interview with Dr. Don Page, Professor at the University of Alberta
07.04 ? Information in a Black Hole
What is quantum information? Interview with Dr. Lindsay LeBlanc, Professor at the University of Alberta
07.05 ? Black Hole Thermodynamics
How do you cool a gas with lasers? Interview with Dr. Lindsay LeBlanc, Professor at the University of Alberta
07.06 ? Lifespan of a Black Hole
How could you create a black hole in the Large Hadron Collider? Interview with Dr. Doug Gingrich, Professor at the University of Alberta
07.07 ? Summary: Inside a Black Hole
Module 7: Inside a Black Hole
Hunting for Black Holes
08.01 ? Introduction: Hiding in Plain Sight
08.02 ? Telescopes
Why are X-ray telescopes useful for studying black holes? Interview with Dr. Daryl Haggard, Professor at McGill University
08.03 ? Chopping Up Rainbows
08.04 ? Advanced Illumination
08.05 ? Black Hole Discs
08.06 ? Staring into the Hot Mess
08.07 ? Beam Me Up!
What types of jets could a black hole have? Interview with Dr. Gregory Sivakoff, Professor at the University of Alberta
08.08 ? Summary: Hunting for Black Holes
Module 8: Hunting for Black Holes
Our Eyes in the Skies
09.01 ? Introduction: Turn To Face The Strange
09.02 ? To Feed Or Not To Feed
09.03 ? Companion Stars in Black Hole Binaries
What is a black hole outburst? Interview with Dr. Aarran Shaw, Astronomer at the University of Alberta
09.04 ? The Alternative Diets of Supermassive Black Holes
09.05 ? The Special Case of SGR A*
Why is Sagittarius A* important? Interview with Dr. Fiona Harrison, Professor at Caltech University
09.06 ? The Hermits of the Black Hole Family
What does microlensing have in common with exoplanet searches? Interview with Dr. Kelsey Hoffman, Researcher at the SETI Institute
09.07 ? It's On... Now What?
09.08 ? Impact of Black Holes on Galaxies
What is the impact of a supermassive black hole on a galaxy? Interview with Dr. Sarah Gallagher, Professor at Western University
09.09 Seeking Out the Elusive
Can intermediate mass black holes be found in globular clusters? Interview with Dr. Craig Heinke
09.10 ? Summary: Our Eyes in the Sky
Module 9: Our Eyes in the Sky
Riding the Gravity Wave
10.01 ? Introduction: Seeing with Gravity
10.02 ? Gravitational Lensing
10.02 B. Gravitational Lensing: The Black Hole in M87
10.03 ? Gravitational Radiation
How do binary pairs of black holes form? Interview with Dr. Tyrone Woods, Researchers at Monash University
10.04 ? Binaries and Gravitational Waves
Where does the gold in your ring come from? Interview with Dr. Rodrigo Fernandez, Professor at the University of Alberta
10.05 ? Gravitational Telescopes
10.06 ? Pulsar Timing Arrays
What is a pulsar timing array? Interview with Dr. Ingrid Stairs, Professor at the University of British Columbia
How does a neutron star's vibrations affect binary inspiral? Interview with Dr. Jocelyn Read, Professor at California State Fullerton
10.07 ? Summary: The Final Countdown
Acknowledgements
Module 10: Riding the Gravity Wave
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