| CODE | PHY3289 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Advanced Astrophysics and Cosmology | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Physics | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit provides an overview of astrophysical cosmology with emphasis on the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation, galaxies and related phenomena at high redshift, and cosmic structure formation. The study-unit will cover galaxy formation and evolution, provide an introduction to galactic dynamics and discuss techniques in observational astrophysics. Additional topics include cosmic inflation, nucleosynthesis and baryosynthesis, gamma-ray bursts and solar system formation. Study-Unit Aims: - Provide the student with a solid grounding in core concepts in astrophysics and cosmology; - Draw on a number of topics from physics to convey the big picture of our modern understanding of the universe; - Serve as broad preparation for graduate studies in related topics. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - describe the history of the universe from the big bang to the present; - describe the components that make up the energy density of the universe; - describe how thermal equilibrium in the universe is achieved; work out the size of the universe and how it is evolving; - describe how perturbations in the universe lead to the formation of structure we observe in the universe today; - understand galaxy formation from field theory and fluctuations; understand the basic principles of galaxy evolution and stellar formation and evolution; understand basic concepts in galactic dynamics; describe solar system formation; - understand the dynamics and observational properties of barred galaxies, as well as their effects on the supermassive black holes, bulges, disks, halos, etc. - describe probes of cosmology and how they are used in conjunction with cosmological models; learn principles of astronomical data reduction. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - calculate the expansion rate and the age of the universe; - calculate the geometry of the universe; - derive equations of motion for stars in a disk galaxy; - use Python to analyse N-body simulations. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Peacock, J., Cosmological Physics, Cambridge University Press, 1999. - Liddle, A., An Introduction to Modern Cosmology, Wiley, 2003. - Binney, J. and S. Tremaine, Galactic Dynamics, Princeton University Press, 1987. - Lyth, D., Cosmology for Physicists, CRC Press, 2016. |
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| RULES/CONDITIONS | In TAKING THIS UNIT YOU CANNOT TAKE PHY3281 | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Project | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Joseph Caruana Victor Debattista |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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