| Unit name | Galaxies 301 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHYS34011 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Bremer |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
120 credit points of physics units at level I/5 in Physics, Physics with Astrophysics, Theoretical Physics, joint honours Mathematics and Physics or Physics and Philosophy. |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Physics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Introduction: discovery of galaxies, distance scales, redshifts and the expansion of the universe. Galaxy types: morphology; infra-red radio and X-ray observations, luminosities, sizes and surface brightness, galaxy environments structure of ellipticals, structure of spirals. Stars in galaxies: stellar types, lifetimes, stellar populations, stellar mass function, evolution. Gas in galaxies: neutral hydrogen, HII regions, molecules, gas distributions, dust, star formation. Galaxy dynamics: rotation and velocity dispersion of ellipticals, virial theorem, Faber-Jackson relation, supermassive black holes, rotation of spirals, rotation of the Galaxy, Tully-Fisher relation, Galactic halo, Galactic Centre, dynamical evolution. Galaxy formation and evolution: galaxies at high redshift - observations, galaxies at high redshift - theory.
Aims:
To provide a description of galaxies and their contents. To introduce the factors involved in galaxy evolution. To discuss the distribution of galaxies in a cosmological context.
Able to appreciate the scale and content of galaxies in the universe and see how observations of them are made. Understand how galaxies behave as dynamical systems and what this indicates about the matter content of the universe. Understand how galaxies may have evolved to their present states and how their distribution bears on the overall structure of the universe.
The unit will be taught through a combination of
Written, timed, open-book examination (100%)
