Master - Fakultät für Physik und Astronomie
Master - Fakultät für Physik und Astronomie
Master - Fakultät für Physik und Astronomie
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Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg 9<br />
Department of Physics and Astronomy<br />
Code: MKTP2<br />
Course Title: Theoretical Astrophysics<br />
Programme: <strong>Master</strong> of Science (Physics)<br />
Type: Lecture with exercises<br />
Credit Points: 8<br />
Workload: 240 h<br />
Teaching Hours:<br />
6/week<br />
Mode:<br />
WPM<br />
Term:<br />
WS<br />
Module Parts:<br />
• Lecture on Theoretical Astrophysics (4 hours/week)<br />
• Exercise with homework (2 hours/week)<br />
Module Contents:<br />
• Radiative processes (9): Macroscopic radiation measurements; emission, absorption and<br />
scattering, radiative transfer; Bremsstrahlung and synchrotron radiation; ionization and<br />
recombination; spectra<br />
• Hydrodynamics (9): Basics and equations of motion; ideal and viscous fluids and currents;<br />
so<strong>und</strong> waves, supersonic currents and shock waves; instabilities, convection and<br />
turbulence<br />
• Plasma physics (6): Basics of collision less plasmas; dielectric tensor; dispersion relation,<br />
longitudinal waves and Landau damping; magneto-hydrodynamic equations; waves in<br />
magnetized plasmas; hydrodynamic waves<br />
• Stellar dynamics (6): Relaxation; Jeans equations and Jeans theorem; tensor-virial<br />
theorem; equilibrium and stability of self-gravitating systems; dynamical friction; Fokker-<br />
Planck approximation<br />
Objective: Introduction to the fields of theoretical physics, which are of special importance<br />
for theoretical astrophysics, and which are not covered by the course lectures of theoretical<br />
physics; target audience are students with special interest in astronomy and astrophysics or<br />
in theoretical physics<br />
Necessary/useful Knowledge: Content of PTP1, PTP2, PTP3, PTP4, WPAstro<br />
Recommended Literature: To be announced by lecturer<br />
Specialties: Exercises with homework<br />
Form of Testing and Examination: Usually a 2-3 hours written examination.<br />
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