The Physics of Galaxies, 10 ECTS (hp), Spring 2019
 

 

Literature:

Peter Schneider, 2015, “Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology”,  Springer, ISBN 978-3-642-54082-0 (hardback) or 978-3-642-54083-7 (eBook)
Please note that students of Uppsala University have free access to the eBook version of this title through the Uppsala University Library

 

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 2019

 


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 26

15-17

Å12167

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 27

15-17

Å12167

Lecture 2

The Milky Way
The Local Group

2.1—2.4.2,

6.1—6.1.3

 

 

April 1

13-15

Å4004

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 3

15-17

Å12167

Lecture 4

Disk galaxies

Elliptical galaxies

3.2—3.4.5

 

 

April 5

13-15

Å12167

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 24

13-15

ITC2215

Exercise session I

Group exercise: Fermi problems

No preparation necessary

Bring pen, paper, calculator (and preferably computer)

April 26

15-17

Å12167

Lecture 6

Black holes

Active galactic nuclei

Introduction to the database exercise

3.8-3.8.3

5—5.7

May 6

13-15

Å2004

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 7

13-15

Å12167

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

 

May 9

13-15

Å4006

Exercise session II

Group exercise

Study solution set I carefully

Bring pen, paper, calculator (or computer)

May 13

13-15

Å12167

Seminar I

 

See instructions for seminar I

See instructions for seminar I

May 15

15-17

 

Å12167

Exercise session III

Group exercise

Study solution set II carefully

Bring pen, paper, calculator (or computer)

May 16

13-16

Å11240

Seminar II (group 1)

 

See instructions for seminar II

See instructions for seminar II

May 17

13-16

Å11240

Seminar II (group 2)

 

See instructions for seminar II

See instructions for seminar II

May 17

 

 

Deadline

 

 

Literature exercise: written report

May 20

15-17

Å12167

Seminar III

See instructions for seminar III

See instructions for seminar III

May 22

15-17

Å12167

Seminar IV

 

See instructions for seminar IV

See instructions for seminar IV

May 27

10-12

Å12167

Literature exercise – oral presentations (session 1)

Presentation

May 28

15-17

Å12167

Literature exercise – oral presentations

(session 2)

 

Presentation

June 3

 

 

Deadline

 

 

Database exercise: written report

June 7

 

 

Deadline

 

 

Hand-in exercises

           


Examination

 

·     Three exercise sessions

·     Hand-in exercises

·     Four 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, IV

·     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 the database/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