Unit name | The Physics of Gas and Plasma in the Universe |
---|---|
Unit code | PHYSM3409 |
Credit points | 10 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1A (weeks 1 - 6) |
Unit director | Professor. Ben Maughan |
Open unit status | Not open |
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Second year Classical Physics units. |
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
School/department | School of Physics |
Faculty | Faculty of Science |
The vast majority of the baryonic Universe is in the form of gas and plasma existing in a diverse range of conditions. This course uses these astrophysical contexts as a backdrop against which to examine a broad range of physical processes that are important to understanding the behaviour of gases and plasmas. We will review important gas and plasma concepts, and then consider topics including: the Solar Wind and its impact on the Earth; accretion disks around compact objects; the interstellar medium in the Galaxy including excitation, ionisation and energy transport mechanisms, with applications to neutral hydrogen, HII regions, supernova remnants and ionization fronts; galactic winds and their effect on galaxy evolution; the plasma atmospheres of clusters of galaxies, including their heating and cooling mechanisms, the feedback between the member galaxies and this plasma, the production of radio halos.
Aims:
To describe and explain the varied processes which are key to gas phase astrophysics and plasma astrophysics. These processes include collisions, ionisation, sound waves, shocks, and viscosity. To develop and use a mathematical description of these processes, including the equations of compressible fluid flow, Bernoulli’s theorem, Rankine-Hugoniot shock jump conditions, spherical inflows and outflows, viscous flows, ionisation fronts, supersonic expansion, and radiative cooling of gas. To apply these mathematical techniques to solve a range of physical problems in different contexts, including supersonic flows, the Solar wind, accretion disks, H II regions, supernova remnants and galaxy clusters. To provide an appreciation of the ubiquitous presence of gases and plasmas throughout the Universe, from the near-Earth environment, to the diffuse intergalactic medium in clusters of galaxies, as well as their importance for energetic processes in the Universe.
Students should be able to describe the main processes which control the gas phase and plasma content of the universe, on a range of scales from the near-Earth influences of the Solar Wind, to the production of radio halos in the intracluster plasma in clusters of galaxies. They should be able to discuss the different phases of the interstellar medium of our own and other galaxies, and be able to make calculations on the behaviour and development of, for instance, ionization fronts and galactic winds.
The unit will be taught through a combination of
Formative feedback is provided through problems classes.
Written timed, examination (100%)
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PHYSM3409).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.