Teaching plan for the course unit

General information

Course unit name: Galactic Astronomy

Course unit code: 568426

Academic year: 2019-2020

Coordinator: Francesca Figueras Siñol

Department: Department of Quantum Physics and Astrophysics

Credits: 6

Single program: S

Estimated learning time Total number of hours 150

Face-to-face learning activities 60 - Lecture Face-to-face 52 - Special practices Face-to-face 8 Supervised project 10

Independent learning 80

Competences to be gained during study

— Capacity to acquire basic knowledge of galactic astronomy.

— Capacity to undertake a doctoral thesis related to the field of study.

Learning objectives

Referring to knowledge

— Acquire a basic understanding of the structure, kinematics and dynamics of the Milky Way.

— Advance in the knowledge of processes of formation and evolution of spiral galaxies.

— Become familiar with the physical properties of the interstellar medium and of the stellar components of the Milky Way.

— Understand which observables properties are available to us. Understand the precision in what can be attained today.

— Acquire knowledge of statistical analysis techniques.

Teaching blocks

1. Introduction

1.1. Galaxies and their place in the Universe

1.2. History of galactic astronomy

1.3. Overview of galaxies: current knowledge

2. Astronomical units

2.1. Stellar component

2.2. Interstellar matter

2.3. Catalogues and large surveys

2.4. Interstellar extinction

3. Stellar statistics

3.1. Apparent distribution of stars

3.2. Fundamental equation of stellar statistics

3.3. Luminosity function of stars

3.4. The initial mass function and the star formation rate

3.5. Galaxy models for predicting stellar recounts

4. Kinematics 4.1. Kinematics of stars in the solar neighbourhood

4.2. Large scale kinematics

4.3. Kinematic of external galaxies

5. Fundamental equations of stellar dynamics

5.1. Poisson’s equation

5.2. Boltzmann equations without collisions

6. The orbits of the stars in the galactic potential

6.1. Integrals of motion

6.2. Energy and angular momentum: Lindblad’s diagram

6.3. The orbital structure in spherical, asymmetrical and non-asymmetric potentials

6.4. Force and movement perpendicular to the galactic disc

7. Collisions and encounters of star systems

7.1. Dynamic friction and some examples

7.2. Encounters in stellar discs: heating of the disc

7.3. Fusions and tidal effects

8. Introduction to the chemical evolution of galaxies

8.1. Observational evidence

8.2. Gas surface density, rate of supernova explosions, enrichment

8.3. Basic elements of a chemical evolution model: star birth rate and rate of fall of matter

8.4. Some simplified models

9. Formation and evolution of galaxies

9.1. Global properties of galactic subsystems at the cosmological scale: key point in the

training process

9.2. Galaxy formation models

9.3. Large-scale star formation

Teaching methods and general organization

— Lectures. — Presentation of assignments by students to the rest of the class.

Official assessment of learning outcomes

Assignments proposed to students (optional) and oral presentation (15 minutes) in front of the class.

Examination-based assessment

Single assessment consists of a written examination to assess student progress.

Repeat assessment criteria

Repeat assessment takes place in June and consists of a written examination to assess the improvement in student progress. The final grade includes proposed assignments (optional) and oral presentations carried out by students throughout the course (20% of the final grade).

Reading and study resources

Consulteu la disponibilitat a CERCABIB

Book

BINNEY, JAMES, 1950- ; MERRIFIELD, MICHAEL..

Galactic astronomy. Princeton : Princeton University

Press, cop. 1998

BINNEY, JAMES, 1950- ; TREMAINE, SCOTT, 1950-.

Galactic dynamics. (2nd ed. Princeton : Princeton

University Press, 2008

GREEN, ROBIN M. (ROBIN MICHAEL), 1937-. Spherical astronomy.

Cambridge [etc]: Cambridge University Press, 1985

JASCHEK, CARLOS ; JASCHEK, MERCEDES. The classification of stars. Cambridge :

Cambrdige University Press, 1987

MIHALAS, DIMITRI, 1939-. ; BINNEY, J.AMES, 1950-.

Galactic astronomy: structre and kinematics. 2nd ed.

San Francisco : Freeman, cop. 1981

SCHEFFLER, HELMUT ; ELSÄSSER, HANS, 1929-.

Physics of the galaxy and interstellar matter.

Berlin : Springer, 1988

TRUMPLER, ROBERT J. ; WEAVER, HAROLD F.

Statistical astronomy. Mineola : Dover, 1953

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