| Course | Title | Credits | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS 101 | The Solar System Offered: Spring semesters |
4 cr Undergrad |
A survey of the solar system for non-science majors and introductory astronomy students. Covers the Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids — including the plasma environments of the planets and the role of the solar wind. No mathematics beyond algebra required. Enrollment typically 100–200 students. One of the most popular science courses at BU. |
| AS 202 / AS 202HP | Principles of Astronomy I (and Honors) Offered: Fall semesters |
4 cr Undergrad |
First semester of the introductory astronomy sequence for science majors. Covers astronomical observing and the night sky, optics and telescopes, the birth of modern astronomy, atoms and spectroscopy, planetary motion and orbits, and an overview of the solar system, with use of the observatory. The honors section (AS 202HP) includes additional depth and problem-solving emphasis. Combined enrollment over all offerings: approximately 320 students. |
| AS 414 | Solar and Space Physics Offered: Spring semesters |
4 cr Undergrad |
An upper-division course covering the physics of the Sun, solar wind, Earth’s magnetosphere and ionosphere, aurora, and space weather. Quantitative treatment using calculus and introductory differential equations. Suitable for astronomy and physics seniors. Serves as preparation for graduate-level plasma physics. Enrollment: 10–15 students per offering. |
| Course | Title | Credits | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS 703 | Introduction to Space Physics Offered: annually |
4 cr Graduate |
Core graduate course covering the foundations of space plasma physics: single-particle motion, magnetohydrodynamics, plasma waves, ionospheric physics, the magnetosphere, and geomagnetic activity. Designed for first-year PhD students who have not taken undergraduate plasma physics. Total enrollment across all offerings: 53 students. |
| AS 708 | Cosmic Plasma Physics Offered: every other year |
4 cr Graduate |
Physics of space and astrophysical plasmas: individual particle drifts in fields, electrostatic and electromagnetic waves and instabilities, magnetohydrodynamics, and the kinetic theory of waves, instabilities, and Landau damping. Applications are drawn from ionospheric, solar, and magnetospheric physics, preparing students to read the current plasma physics literature and to design and interpret simulations. |
| AS 783 | Ionospheres Offered: periodically |
4 cr Graduate |
Specialized graduate seminar on the physics of planetary ionospheres. Covers ionization and recombination chemistry, plasma transport, electrodynamics, plasma instabilities and turbulence, and incoherent scatter radar diagnostics. Draws extensively on primary literature and on results from our own research group. Appropriate for PhD students with a plasma physics background. |
| AS 865 | Space Physics Seminar Offered: weekly, Fridays |
2 cr Graduate |
The weekly space physics research seminar, meeting Friday afternoons. Graduate students and advanced undergraduates — together with group members, BU staff, and visiting scientists — present and discuss current research topics in space physics. Students gain practice giving oral presentations on their own work and receive peer and expert feedback. |
| AS 911 | Directed Studies in Astronomy Offered: most terms |
2–4 cr Graduate |
Individual directed research for PhD students working in the group. Students undertake original research projects, write interim reports, and develop the habits of independent scientific inquiry. Designed to support students at all stages of their dissertation work. |
In AS 101 (The Solar System) and AS 202 (Principles of Astronomy) — where many students meet the Sun, the planets, and the space environment for the first time — my goal is to show that astronomy and space science are active, observational sciences built on measurement and physical reasoning, not a catalogue of facts.
In the upper-division AS 414 (Solar and Space Physics), the emphasis shifts to how the Sun drives the space environment around Earth: the solar wind, the magnetosphere, the ionosphere, the aurora, and space weather.
The graduate courses (AS 703, 708, 783) build the quantitative foundations of space physics — charged-particle motion, magnetohydrodynamics, and waves, along with the plasma processes that shape planetary ionospheres, the solar atmosphere, and the heliosphere. A recurring theme is that the same physics reappears across very different settings, which lets a student move comfortably between the ionosphere, the Sun, and beyond.
Throughout, lectures are interactive: I work derivations live at the board, and problem sets ask for synthesis rather than pattern-matching.
I meet regularly with the students and researchers in my group, and we get together as a group to discuss results and papers. New students usually begin with a well-scoped project before taking on the open-ended questions at the center of a dissertation.
Much of the learning happens by building, testing, and using simulation codes, and students present their work at meetings such as AGU, CEDAR, and URSI.
Students interested in enrolling in any of the above courses should contact Prof. Oppenheim before the start of the semester. Course syllabi are available on the BU Learning Management System.
Prospective graduate students should apply through the BU Department of Astronomy PhD program.
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