Class Timings: Thursdays, 3:00-3:50 PM

Location: 732 One Park Place

There will be no meeting during the first week of the semester because of the American Astronomical Society in Washington, DC.
The first class (on 17 Jan) will be an organizational meeting involving only students formally enrolled in the class.
Presentations for the semester will be assigned at that time, though a volunteer for the first talk (on 24 Jan)
is requested at the time this syllabus is distributed.
The second and subsequent seminars will be open to all astronomy students, faculty and staff.

As an extension of the theme of ``astronomy without light'' established in
the fall, one set of seminars this spring will be on astronomy with the most powerful light, i.e.,

GAMMA-RAY ASTRONOMY

We shall discuss what we might learn (and are learning) about the high-energy universe using detectors sensitive to gamma-rays.
Each student will give one presentation in this area. At least one talk will focus on recent and current gamma-ray detectors
and at least two will cover various aspects of gamma-ray astronomy and astrophysics, in particular,
gamma-ray bursts and gamma-rays from active galactic nuclei.

The other main focus will be the traditional

PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH

by graduate students. Each student officially enrolled in the course will give a 40-45
minute talk on a research project s/he: has already completed before coming to GSU;
is currently working on; is expecting to begin shortly.
Thus each enrolled student can anticipate giving two presentations during the course of the semester.
Faculty members may also give lectures concerning aspects of their current research.

Assuming the class has an official enrollment of four people (currently three have pre-registered) the
following dates will be those on which students will give presentations:
Jan. 24, Feb. 7, Feb. 21, Mar. 14, Mar. 21, Apr. 4, Apr. 11, Apr. 25.

Faculty and staff are requested to volunteer to give exciting presentations on their research
on the following dates: Jan. 31, Feb. 14, Feb. 28, Mar. 28 and Apr. 18.

GRADING

Grades will be predominantly (80%) based upon the presentations given by individual students.
The scientific content, logical organization, clarity and professionalism of the presentation will
all be considered. The remaining 20% of the grade will be based upon the student's participation in the other seminars.
Attendance, questions asked of peers and thoroughness of written
evaluations of peer presentations will be the factors determining this portion of the grade.