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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2011/2012
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Physics and Astronomy : Undergraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Undergraduate Course: Astrophysics 3 (VS2) (PHYS10076)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Physics and Astronomy CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Course typeStandard AvailabilityPart-year visiting students only
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) Credits10
Home subject areaUndergraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy) Other subject areaNone
Course website None Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionThe course provides a broad introduction to the extragalactic universe. Topics include the properties of our own Milky Way Galaxy, the basic properties and evolution of other normal and active galaxies, basic stellar dynamics and the large scale structure and evolution of the Universe.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Year 2 Physics and Mathematics
Additional Costs None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus?Yes
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2011/12 Semester 2, Part-year visiting students only (VV1) WebCT enabled:  No Quota:  None
Location Activity Description Weeks Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
OtherLecture1-11 12:10 - 13:00
OtherLecture1-11 12:10 - 13:00
King's BuildingsTutorial3,5,7,9,11 14:00 - 15:50
First Class Week 1, Tuesday, 12:10 - 13:00, Zone: Other. ROE Lecture Theatre
Additional information Workshop/tutorial sessions, as arranged.
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours:Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)2:00
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, it is intended that the student will be able to :

1) Describe in quantitative detail the morphology, content, structure and dynamics of the Milky Way and external galaxies.
2) Derive the basic formulae used to determine the velocity structure of the Milky Way, and to quantitatively describe the internal dynamics of stellar systems in general.
3) Explain how the masses of galaxies are deduced and how the distances to galaxies are established via the cosmological distance ladder.
4) Understand the physics of active galactic nuclei and be able to calculate order-of-magnitude estimates for key physical quantities.
5) Provide a quantitative description of the galaxy population at large, including galaxy number counts, luminosity functions, and clustering.
6) Describe in quantitative detail the evidence for an expanding and evolving Universe. Be able to derive and solve the basic equations describing the dynamics of the expansion.
Assessment Information
Degree Examination, 100%
Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus The Milky Way Galaxy
Normal Galaxies
Stellar Dynamics
Active Galaxies
The Distance Scale
The Galaxy Distribution
The Universe

Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Not entered
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Not entered
KeywordsAs3V2
Contacts
Course organiserDr Philip Best
Tel:
Email: pnb@roe.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Paula Wilkie
Tel: (0131) 668 8403
Email: paw@roe.ac.uk
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© Copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh - 16 January 2012 6:41 am