ASTR 507. Planetary Sciences

Course Description
A survey course in planetary science intended for graduate students or
senior undergraduates in any of Astronomy, EOS, Physics, or Chemistry.
Students will likely be primarily beginning their studies in planetary
science. 

Rationale:
Planetary science is an intrinsically multi-disciplinary pursuit which 
requires students from widely-varying backgrounds in astronomy, physics, 
geophysics, geology, chemistry, and atmospheric sciences to have some 
fundamental knowledge base in other fields in order to make meaningful 
contributions to the topic.  This course is intended to provide such a 
background, targeted primarily at graduate students in several 
UBC departments, and may be taught by research faculty in PHAS, 
EOSC, and CHEM.  Honours undegraduate students in their final year
may request permissiont to take this course (permission of their
department will be required).

The course will introduce students through formal instruction and through 
exposure to research papers in the topics of: solar system formation and 
structure, climate variations, meteoritics, isotopic cosmochemistry, 
solid-body geophysics, cratering processes, tides, and planetary formation 
models.  Some research papers will form the starting off point for 
certain lectures in class.

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Course Format:
Lecture. 2 or 3 hours per week. No laboratory. 1-4 instructors (depending 
on year course is taught). 

TEXTBOOK:
Planetary Sciences.  2nd EDITION.
I. de Pater and J. Lissauer (2010, Cambridge university press)

Additional bibliography:
- Solar System Evolution: A new perspective. 2nd edition.
  Stuart R. Taylor (2001, Cambridge university press)
- Radiogenic Isotope Geology. A. Dickin (1995, Cambridge university press)
- Impact Cratering. H. J. Melosh (1989, Oxford University Press)
- Geochemistry. F. Albarede (Cambride Univ. Press)
- Meteorites and their Parent Planets, 2nd Ed. (H. McSween Jr, 1999, Cambridge)


RESEARCH JOURNALS used (for current topics and recent reviews):
Astronomical Journal, Earth and Planetary Science Letters,  Icarus
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Meteoritics and Planetary Science.