PEP 351 Introduction to Planetary Science
This course introduces basic concepts of planetary science through the development of simple physical models. The first part of the course studies the planetary formation and related problems - evolution of the planet-satellite systems, orbital stability and impact events. The second part studies planets as equilibrium systems - topics include planetary atmospheres, climate cycles, seismic activity, and magnetism. The course concludes with the topics of current interest such as global warming, extra-solar planets, and planetary habitability.