Course syllabus adopted 2021-02-26 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).
Overview
- Swedish nameStjärnornas fysik
- CodeRRY145
- Credits7.5 Credits
- OwnerMPPHS
- Education cycleSecond-cycle
- Main field of studyElectrical Engineering, Engineering Physics
- DepartmentSPACE, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT
- GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail
Course round 1
- Teaching language English
- Application code 85144
- Maximum participants25 (at least 10% of the seats are reserved for exchange students)
- Block schedule
- Open for exchange studentsYes
Credit distribution
Module | Sp1 | Sp2 | Sp3 | Sp4 | Summer | Not Sp | Examination dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0114 Written and oral assignments 1.5 c Grading: UG | 1.5 c | ||||||
| 0214 Examination 6 c Grading: TH | 6 c |
In programmes
Examiner
Elvire De Beck- Associate Professor, Astronomy and Plasma Physics, Space, Earth and Environment
Eligibility
General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.
Specific entry requirements
English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.
Course specific prerequisites
Mathematics 30 c (including multivariable calculus), basic physics (including mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum physics).Aim
Stars are central objects within astronomy: they are interesting objects in their own right, and they are important components of galaxies whose dynamics and history can be studied through observations of stars. In addition, essentially all of the elements in our universe have their origin inside stars. Stars are complex systems. The theory of stellar structure and evolution rests on many parts of physics: mechanics, hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, statistical physics, the most extreme examples of condensed matter physics, nuclear physics, atomic physics, and radiative transfer and spectroscopy. The course will provide a deep understanding of the workings of stars, and it will provide an excellent example of how applied physics is used to describe a complex phenomenon.Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)
- describe what can be learned about stars and their evolution from observations
- write the equations of stellar structure and explain them
- derive the characteristic timescales of stellar evolution, and the characteristic temperatures, densities, and pressures in stellar interiors
- describe radiative transport in stellar interiors
- describe convection in a star and list the consequences of it for stellar evolution; derive under which conditions a star is convective
- describe stellar atmospheres and how radiative transfer models are used to explain their properties
- explain the base for the spectral- and luminosity classification of stars
- describe the nuclear processes taking place in stellar interiors
- derive temperature dependences of different nuclear burning processes, and the energy released
- use a stellar evolutionary model to derive stellar characteristics
- describe the evolutionary tracks for stars of different masses
- analyze observational characteristics in terms of stellar physics
- explain the role of stars in the chemical evolution of the universe
- describe the end stages of stellar evolution: white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes
Content
Observable properties of stars. Stellar atmospheres and radiative transfer. Equations of state. Degenerate matter. Radiative and convective energy transport. Nuclear reactions. Differential equations of stellar structure and their boundary conditions. Numerical models. Protostars and star formation. Stellar evolution. The Main Sequence. Stability and pulsations. Chemical evolution on the Main Sequence. Post-Main-Sequence evolution. Mass loss, winds, and explosions. Binary stars. Stellar rotation. Endpoints of stellar evolution: white dwarfs, neutron stars, pulsars, and black holes.A computer code for constructing stellar models will be available.
Organisation
The course consists of lectures and exercises.Literature
Lecture NotesExamination including compulsory elements
Written and/or oral examination, and a written and/or oral assignment.The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.