The Physics of Galaxies, 10 credits (hp), Spring 2015
 

 

Literature:

Peter Schneider, 2015, “Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology”,  Springer, ISBN 978-3-642-54082-0 (hardback) or 978-3-642-54083-7 (eBook)

 

Contents:

Extragalactic astronomy, with emphasis on the properties, evolution and origin of galaxies.

 

Prerequisites:

Knowledge corresponding to a Bachelor's degree in physics, or similar. In addition, basic knowledge about spectra, stellar physics, galaxies and cosmology corresponding to the course Astrophysics I is required.

 

Examination:

Seminars, literature report, hand-in exercises, laboratory exercise

 

Teachers:

Erik Zackrisson, erik.zackrisson(at)physics.uu.se

Beatriz Villarroel, beatriz.villarroel(at)physics.uu.se

 

Time:

April-June 2015

 


If you are interested in participating, please notify Erik Zackrisson as soon as possible!

 

Schedule
Recent changes are marked in red

Date

Time

Room

Lecture/
Exercise session/
Seminar

Topics

To read

To turn in/prepare

April 14

15-17

12167

Lecture 1

Course introduction
Historical background
The extragalactic distance scale

Galaxy classification

1—1.4,

3—3.1.2,
3.9—3.9.6

 

 

 

 

April 17

10-12

11167

Lecture 2

The Milky Way
The Local Group

2.1—2.4.2,

6.1—6.1.3

 

 

April 21

10-12

12167

Lecture 3

Dark matter in galaxies

2.4.3, 3.3.4, 4.4.6,
7.6—7.6.3, 7.8,
8.2.2—8.2.3

 

April 24

10-12

12167

Lecture 4

Disk galaxies

Elliptical galaxies

3.2—3.4.5

 

 

April 28

13-15

11167

Lecture 5

Star formation
Population synthesis
Galaxy spectra

The interstellar medium
Chemical evolution

The galaxy luminosity function

3.5-3.5.6,
3.7,
3.8—3.8.3, 3.10—3.10.2

May 5

15-17

12167

Exercise session I

Group exercise

Study solution set I carefully

Bring pen, paper, calculator (or computer)

May 7

13-15

11167

Lecture 6

Black holes

Active galactic nuclei

Introduction to the laboratory exercise

5—5.7

May 8

10-12

11167

Seminar I

 

 

See instructions for seminar I

May 19

10-12

11167

Lecture 7

Galaxy groups
Galaxy clusters

Gravitational lensing

6—6.8,

3.11—3.11.4,
7.7—7.7.4,
8.4, 9.2.3

May 19

15-16

Siegbahnsalen

Andrea Ghez: Our Galactic Center

Ångström lecture 2015

 

 

May 21

10-12

11167

Lecture 8

The high-redshift Universe

Cosmic reionization

The first stars and galaxies

8.5—8.5.3,
9—9.7,
10-10.7.2,
11—11.2

May 22

13-15

11167

Exercise session II

Group exercise

Study solution set II carefully

Bring pen, paper, calculator (or computer)

May 26

15-17

13167

Seminar II

 

 

See instructions for seminar II

May 31

Please submit via email (preferably in pdf format)

 

Literature exercise: written report

June 4

10-12

12167

Literature exercise – oral presentations

 

 

Presentation

June 9

 

 

 

 

 

Laboratory report

June 12

 

 

 

 

 

Hand-in exercises

           


Examination

·     Two exercise sessions

·     Hand-in exercises

·     Two seminars

·     One laboratory exercise

·     Written essay (minimum 3 pages) + oral presentation (10 minutes)

 

 

 Course material

·     Exercise sets with solutions: I, II

·     Hand-in exercises

·     Seminar instructions: I, II

·     Instructions for the laboratory exercise

·     Lecture notes
  grayscale: L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7, L8

  colour, full-size: L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7, L8

·     Assessment criteria


Errata

·     May 5: The pdf with assessment criteria failed to mention that a passing grade on the hand-in exercises was required to pass the course.

·     May 7: A sign error in eq. 6 in the solution to exercise 1 was discovered, with numerical effects throughout the exercise in the case of non-zero V-band extinction

·     May 21: Various typos in the solutions to exercise set II fixed