PH32015: Galaxies and introduction to cosmology
[Page last updated: 23 April 2025]
| Academic Year: | 2025/26 |
| Owning Department/School: | Department of Physics |
| Credits: | 5 [equivalent to 10 CATS credits] |
| Notional Study Hours: | 100 |
| Level: | Honours (FHEQ level 6) |
| Period: |
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| Assessment Summary: | EXOB 100% |
| Assessment Detail: |
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| Supplementary Assessment: |
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| Requisites: | Before or while taking this module you must ( take PH22006 AND take AT LEAST 1 MODULE FROM {PH22009, PH32018} ) OR ( take AT LEAST 1 MODULE FROM {PH20013, PH20060} AND take AT LEAST 1 MODULE FROM {PH20014, PH20061} AND take AT LEAST 1 MODULE FROM {PH20016, PH32018} AND take AT LEAST 1 MODULE FROM {PH20029, PH20067} ) |
| Learning Outcomes: |
After taking this unit the student should be able to:
explain the main developments in our understanding of our place in the universe;
describe the geometrical arguments and observations that indicate differential rotation in the Milky Way Galaxy (MWG);
describe the taxonomy of galactic morphology and give plausibility arguments to explain the spread of morphological types;
discuss evidence for the existence of Dark Matter based on observations of galaxy rotation curves;
explain mathematically how we can estimate the masses of individual galaxies and clusters of galaxies;
describe simple models for the chemical evolution of galaxies;
explain the basic physics of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN);
describe evidence for the presence of supermassive black holes and their relation to galaxies;
describe how galaxies map out the large scale structure of the universe;
derive a mathematical model of the universe based on Newtonian physics;
explain mathematically the key concepts of relativistic cosmological models;
show how Dark Matter may be used to explain the beginnings of structure formation in the universe;
discuss modern observational results and the concordance model of cosmology. |
| Synopsis: | You will explore our place in the Universe, starting with the observational evidence that distant nebulae are island universes or galaxies separated by vast tracts of empty space. By combining observational data with simple mathematical models you will develop a picture of our own galaxy, and the distribution, morphology, formation and evolution of galaxies in general. You will also develop your understanding of the concordance model of cosmology. |
| Content: | Galactic astrophysics (3 hours): Historical Overview. The cosmic distance ladder. Our Milky Way Galaxy: structure & components, galactic rotation.
Galaxies in situ (4 hours): The masses of galaxies. Galaxy classification. Galaxy dynamics. Dark matter in galaxies. Star formation and chemical evolution.
Galaxies and their environment (4 hours): Interactions. Environmental dependence of galaxy demographics. Galaxy clusters. The intergalactic medium.
Active Galactic Nuclei (4 hours): Classification of AGNs. Black hole physics. Evidence for supermassive black holes. Galaxy-black hole co-evolution.
Cosmology (4 hours): Newtonian cosmology - Hubble's Law; the cosmic scale factor. Relativistic cosmology - Friedmann models. Observational cosmology - cosmological parameter and how they are constrained (SN Ia, cosmic microwave background, Large Scale Structure); dark energy and the accelerating Universe; the concordance model of cosmology.
Galaxy formation in a ΛCDM cosmology (3 hours): A brief cosmic history. Galaxy formation models. |
| Course availability: |
PH32015 is Compulsory on the following courses:Department of Physics
PH32015 is Optional on the following courses:Department of Physics
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Notes:
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