Introduction to Composite Materials, Classification, reinforcement; Polymer matrix composites, Thermoplastic and thermosetting resins, Common matrix reinforcement system; Concept of A stage, B stage and C stage resins; Particulate and fibre filled composites, Short fibre composites, Theories of stress transfer; Continuous fibre composites, Failure mechanism and strength, Halpin-Tsai equations, Prediction of Poisson’s ratio, Various failure modes; Specialty composites, Composites for satellites and advanced launch vehicles, Design considerations, PMC- for structural composites, Nanocomposite

Introduction to materials processing; Polymer processing - rheology of polymeric materials, Compounding and processing of plastics and rubbers,fibre spinning and manufacturing processes.

CCD characterisation, Orbit maker and Virtual Obser vatory, Night sky observations (Polar alignment of an astronomical telescope, Estimating atmospheric extinction in different colours (filters), measuring period of binary, imaging star clusters with various filters and plotting on H-R diagram, Distance determination to Cepheid variable s based on their light curves, Classification of stars based on their spectra and the use of spec tral classification in deriving distances to stars, etc)

Principles of Relativity: Overview of Special Relativity - spacetime interval and Lorentz metric- four vectors - Introduction to general relativity (GR) - equivalence principle - notions of curvature - gravitation as a manifestation of the curvature of spacetime - gravitational redshift and clock corrections - orbits in strong gravity, light bending and gravitational lensing - concept of horizon and ergosphere, hydrostatic equilibrium in GR - gravitational radiation.

Classification of galaxies – contents and dimensions – collisionless stellar dynamics – relaxation time, dynamical friction, violent relaxation – galactic potential and orbits – spiral density wave and Lindblad resonance – rotation curves – Tully-Fisher relation – Central Black Holes and fundamental plane relationship – Mass and Luminosity function – Press Schechter formalism –Star formation history and chemical evolution – active galaxies and activity duty cycle – galaxies at high redshift - clusters and groups – evidence of dark matter

Mechanical, Thermal and Nuclear time scales – Hydrostatic equilibrium (Newtonian and Relativistic) – Polytropic Equation of State – Lane Emden Equation – Degenerte matter Equation of State – White Dwafs and Chandrasekhar limit – Virial Theorem - Radiative Equilibrium – Schwarzschild convection criterion – nuclear energy generation – stages of nuclear burning – full set of stellar structure equations – example solutions – HR diagram and the main sequence – Schonberg-Chandrasekhar limit – post- main sequence evolution – Hayashi tracks – Horizontal branch – giant and asymptotic giant branches