2024 Faculty Courses School of Science Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences

Introduction to Earth and Planetary Sciences

Academic unit or major: Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences
Instructor(s): Taishi Nakamoto
Class Format: Lecture (Face-to-face)
Media-enhanced courses: -
Day of week/Period (Classrooms): 7-8 Tue / 7-8 Fri
Class: -
Course Code: EPS.A202
Number of credits: 200
Course offered: 2024
Offered quarter: 2Q
Syllabus updated: Mar 17, 2025
Language: Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

To understand the basics of planetary sciences: structure and properties of our Solar System, stars, and planets, as well as the formation and evolution of planetary systems. Also, some relations with other classes provided in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences are introduced.

Course description and aims

To understand basics of planetary sciences.

Keywords

Planetary Science, Astronomy, Astrophysics

Competencies

Specialist skills
Intercultural skills
Communication skills
Critical thinking skills
Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Lectures.
Contents and the order of contents listed in the plan may change due to the progress of the class.

Course schedule/Objectives

	Course schedule	Objectives
Class 1	Introduction: What are planets?	To understand planets.
Class 2	Motion of Planets (1): Kepler's Law and the Two-Body Problem	To understand the Kepler's law and the two-body problem.
Class 3	Motion of Planets (2): Multi-Body System and Our Solar System	To understand the multi-body system and our solar system.
Class 4	Internal Structure of Objects (1): Hydrostatic Equilibrium	To think about the internal structure of astronomical objects, we understand the hydrostatic equilibrium.
Class 5	Internal Structure of Objects (2): Sun and Solid Planets	We think of the internal structure of the Sun and solid planets.
Class 6	Internal Structure of Objects (3): Nucleosynthesis and Stability of the Sun	We think about the stability of the Sun and the origin of elements by nucleosynthesis.
Class 7	Solar System Small Bodies (1): Asteroids, Comets, and Meteorites	To understand basic properties of asteroids, comets, and meteorites.
Class 8	Solar System Small Bodies (2): Age of Solar System	To understand the radiometric dating and the age of our solar system.
Class 9	Solar System Small Bodies (3): Melting of meteorite parent bodies	To think of the internal melting of meteorite parent bodies.
Class 10	Formation of the Solar Systems (1): Star Formation	To understand the formation of star.
Class 11	Formation of the Solar Systems (2): Formation and Evolution of Protoplanetary Disks	To think about the formation and evolution processes of protoplanetary disks.
Class 12	Formation of the Solar Systems (3): From small dust particles to planetesimals.	To understand processes from small dust particles to planetesimals.
Class 13	Formation of the Solar Systems (4): Thermal processes acting on small dust particles.	To think about thermal processes acting small dust particles.
Class 14	Formation of the Solar Systems (5): Formation of planetary systems.	To understand formation processes of planetary systems.

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

None

Reference books, course materials, etc.

All materials used in the class can be found in OCW-i.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Report assignments: 100%.
Note: Some of the report assignments will be easy and collected in the classroom as a confirmation of student attendance.

Related courses

EPS.B203 ： Mechanics (EPS course)
EPS.B212 ： Electromagnetism (EPS course)
EPS.B202 ： Thermodynamics (EPS course)
LAS.A101 ： Earth and Space Sciences A
LAS.A102 ： Earth and Space Sciences B
LAS.A110 ： Earth and Space Sciences, Laboratory and Field Studies (geophysics)
LAS.A111 ： Earth and Space Sciences, Laboratory and Field Studies (earth materials)
LAS.A112 ： Earth and Space Sciences, Laboratory and Field Studies (astronomy)
EPS.A333 ： Planetary Astronomy

Prerequisites

None