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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Physics and Astronomy : Undergraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Undergraduate Course: Astrophysics (PHYS10102)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Physics and Astronomy CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis 20pt, Level 10 course is a core course for all Astrophysics students in S1 of Senior Honours. It is designed to be accessible to students in all other degree programmes within the School of Physics & Astronomy. With content similar to the previous Astrophysics 3 course, and working from the premise of no prior astrophysics experience/knowledge, students are introduced to the key concepts of observational astronomy, the basic properties of stars and their evolution, the interactions of stars with their galactic surroundings and the resulting ionized interstellar medium. The second half of the course considers the properties of galaxies, starting with our own Milky Way, then external galaxies, active galactic nuclei, dynamics of star clusters, the galaxy luminosity function, and galactic clustering.

The course is self-contained, but is also intended to link naturally with the 10pt, level 10 course in Cosmology which follows in semester 2. Taken together, these two courses should provide students with a solid, balanced, physics-based understanding of the structure of our Universe, and our place within space and time.


Course description Not entered
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: ( Modern Physics (PHYS08045) OR Classical and Modern Physics (PHYS08044)) AND Thermal Physics (PHYS09061)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
*Apply knowledge of core concepts in physics to astrophysical properties of stars and galaxies;

*Formulate solutions to problems in astrophysics involving new concepts with limited guidance;

*Demonstrate knowledge of the frontiers of the discipline, for example, through cases where current theories fail to explain a set of observational data;

*Locate and make use of detailed information on current topics in astrophysics in the primary research literature;

*Summarise current thinking in astrophysics in a variety of written and oral forms, both alone and in collaboration with others.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsAst
Contacts
Course organiserDr Ken Rice
Tel: (0131) 668 8384
Email: wkmr@roe.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Alex Delaney
Tel:
Email: adelane3@ed.ac.uk
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