The Physics of Galaxies
Syllabus, Master's level, 1FA260
- Code
- 1FA260
- Education cycle
- Second cycle
- Main field(s) of study and in-depth level
- Physics A1N
- Grading system
- Fail (U), Pass (3), Pass with credit (4), Pass with distinction (5)
- Finalised by
- The Faculty Board of Science and Technology, 12 March 2015
- Responsible department
- Department of Physics and Astronomy
Entry requirements
120 credits including 30 credits in mathematics and 60 credits in physics, including Astrophysics I.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, the student is expected to be able to:
- Account for the formation, evolution and spatial distribution of galaxies
- Account for the stellar, gas, dust and dark matter content of galaxies
- Account for the physics of active galactic nuclei and supermassive black holes
- Account for observational methods relevant for the study of galaxies at different epochs in the history of the Universe
- Perform calculations in the field of extragalactic astronomy
- Identify, summarise and present the content of research papers relevant for some subfield of extragalactic astronomy
- Analyse observational extragalactic data and formulate conclusions based on these
- Propose strategies for observations and theoretical models that may lead to new insight about unsolved problems in extragalactic astronomy
Content
The Milky Way system and the Local Group. Galaxy clusters and large-scale structure. Stars, gas and dust in galaxies of different types. Galaxy dynamics. Dark matter in galaxies. Supermassive black holes and active galactic nuclei. The intergalactic medium and the reionisation of the Universe. Gravitational lensing. The formation of stars and galaxies at high redshifts.
Instruction
Lectures, exercise sessions, seminars and a laboratory exercise.
Assessment
Seminars (2.5 credits), hand-in exercises (2.5 credits), laboratory exercise (2.5 credits) and written and oral presentation of a literature assignment (2.5 credits).