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Det interstellära mediets fysik MN1,
5 poäng, Ht 2004

Physics of the Interstellar Medium,
5 credit points, Fall 2004


 

Course description

The properties and the distribution of interstellar dust. Formation and destruction of interstellar dust particles. Atomic and molecular phases and thermal conditions of the interstellar gas. H II regions, the Strömgren sphere and its evolution. Mass loss from stars. Shock waves in interstellar gas. Jeans instability, fragmentation, and collapse models.

Beskrivning

Det interstellära stoftets egenskaper och fördelning. Uppkomst och förstörelse av interstellära stoftkorn. Atomära och molekylära faser samt termiska förhållanden hos den interstellära gasen. H II-regioner, Strömgrensfären, och dess utveckling. Massutflöden från stjärnor. Chockvågor i interstellär gas. Jeans-instabilitet, fragmentering och kollapsmodeller.

N.B.: The course will be given in English.

Course work

Schedule

Lectures will take place on Wednesdays, 13:15-15:00, at the Department of Astronomy and Space Physics (Ångström Laboratory), lecture room 63133 (Tammsalen).

Date Class Reading / Due dates
Oct. 20 Lecture 1: Introduction PDF-File + Text  
Oct. 27 Lecture 2: Thermodynamics and radiative transfer applied to the ISM  
Nov. 3 Lecture 3: Interstellar spectral lines DW Chap 2
Nov. 10 Lecture 4: Cooling and heating, molecule formation, interstellar dust DW Chap 3, 4
Nov. 17 Lecture 5: Radiatively excited regions DW Chap 5
  Text transparencies from lectures 2-5  
Nov. 24 Lecture 6: Gas dynamics DW Chap 6
Dec. 1 Lecture 7: Applications of gas dynamics: Evolution of an ionized region (e.g. Rosette nebula), winds from massive stars (e.g. NGC 7635, NGC 1748) DW Chap 7.1, 7.2
Dec. 8 Lecture 8: Applications of gas dynamics: Supernova remnants, Links to movies and images DW Chap 7.3, 7.4, 7.5; Lab report part 1 due
Dec. 15 Lecture 9: Star formation and star-forming regions PDF-file (2MB), gzipped postscript-file (5MB) for printing (e.g. HH-34, Fragmentation) DW Chap 8; Lab report part 2 due
Jan. 12 Presentations Essay due
Friday, Jan. 21 Exam (10.00 - 15.00, Tammsalen)  
 
DW refers to chapter sections in the book by Dyson & Williams listed below. The schedule may be subject to changes.

Literature

Web sites

Staff

  • Lecturer:
  Ulrike Heiter   (Room 63125, tel. 471-5982, ulrike@astro.uu.se)
 

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Uppsala Astronomical Observatory
Department of Astronomy and Space Physics
Uppsala University
Box 515
SE-751 20 Uppsala
SWEDEN