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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 />

2012.1/v2

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