The Physics of Galaxies, 10 ECTS (hp), Spring 2017
 

 

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

 

Teacher:

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

 

Time:

March-June 2017

 


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

 

Schedule

Recent changes are marked in red
Sessions for which attendance is mandatory are marked in blue

Date

Time

Room

Lecture/
Exercise session/
Seminar

Topics

To read

To turn in/prepare

March 23

13-15

Å80109

Lecture 1

Course introduction
Historical background
The extragalactic distance scale

Galaxy classification

1—1.4,

3—3.1.2,
3.9—3.9.6

 

 

 

 

March 28

13-15

Å2004

Lecture 2

The Milky Way
The Local Group

2.1—2.4.2,

6.1—6.1.3

 

 

March 30

15-17

Å2003

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 7

15-17

Å11167

Lecture 4

Disk galaxies

Elliptical galaxies

3.2—3.4.5

 

 

April 19

10-12

Å11167

Lecture 5

Star formation
Population synthesis
Galaxy spectra

The interstellar medium
The cosmic star formation rate history

3.5-3.5.6,
3.7,
3.10—3.10.2,

9.6—9.6.2

April 20

13-15

Å12167

Exercise session I

Group exercise: Fermi problems

No preparation necessary

Bring pen, paper, calculator (and preferably computer)

April 21

13-15

Å80109

Lecture 6

Black holes

Active galactic nuclei

Introduction to the laboratory exercise

3.8-3.8.3

5—5.7

April 25

15-17

Å80109

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

April 26

10-12

Å13167

Lecture 8

The high-redshift Universe

Cosmic reionization

The first stars and galaxies

8.5—8.5.3,
9—9.5,
10-10.7.2,
11—11.2

 

April 27

13-15

Å80109

Exercise session II

Group exercise

Study solution set I carefully

Bring pen, paper, calculator (or computer)

May 4

15-17

Å11167

Seminar I

Group exercise

 

 

May 17

10-12

Å12167

Moved to May 24!

May 22

13-15

Å12167

Seminar II

 

See instructions for seminar II

See instructions for seminar II

May 24

 

 

Deadline

 

 

Literature exercise: written report

May 24

10-12

Å12167

Exercise session III

Group exercise

Study solution set II carefully

Bring pen, paper, calculator (or computer)

May 29

10-12

Å12167

Seminar III

 See instructions for seminar III

See instructions for seminar III

May 30

15-17

Å12167

Literature exercise – oral presentations

 

 

Presentation

June 7

 

 

Deadline

 

 

Database exercise: written report

June 14

 

 

Deadline

 

 

Hand-in exercises

           


Examination

 

·     Three exercise sessions

·     Hand-in exercises

·     Three seminars

·     One database 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, III

·     Instructions for database 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

 

How to hand in reports

·     The written reports for the literature exercise and thedatabase/computer exercise should be submitted to the URKUND system (a plagiarism detector used by Uppsala University), rather than to me directly. You do this by submitting your report as an attachment in pdf format to: erik.zackrisson.uu[at]analys.urkund.se            
You can read more about URKUND here.

 


Errata

·     None so far