Course syllabus

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RRY145 / ASM520 Stellar physics lp3 VT21 (7.5 hp)

Course is offered by the department of Space, Earth and Environment

Contact details

Lecturer:
Elvire De Beck, elvire.debeck@chalmers.se, tel. 031-772 5545

Teacher:
Holly Andrews, holly.andrews@chalmers.se

Examiner: 
Wouter Vlemmings, wouter.vlemmings@chalmers.se, tel. 031-772 5509 (OSO) / 6354 (Johanneberg)

Re-Exam

The exam will open in the 'Assignments' section Re-Exam at 08:30 on Thursday Aug 26th. It will close for uploads 13:00 sharp.

Aim of the course

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.

Schedule

TimeEdit

Course literature

  • Lectures
    • Slides posted here, in Files
  • Exercises
    • Posted here, in Files
    • Schedule for the exercises is given here.
  • Research project
  • There is no dedicated course literature. Several relevant books exist, such as: An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics, Francis LeBlanc, Wiley (2010). This is available on-line as an e-book at Chalmers Library.

 

Course design

General information about the course can be found at Chalmers Student Portal:

https://www.student.chalmers.se/sp/course?course_id=24525

The course consists of lectures, exercise classes and a research project, followed by a written and oral examination.

The lectures will cover the following topics, although one topic is not necessarily one lecture:

  1. Background
  2. Equations of structure
  3. Equations of state
  4. Thermodynamics (brief)
  5. Polytropic models
  6. Nuclear reaction rates
  7. Nuclear processes
  8. Energy conservation
  9. Energy transport – radiation
  10. Opacity
  11. Energy transport – conduction
  12. Energy transport – convection (very brief)
  13. Stellar atmospheres
  14. Star formation
  15. Main-sequence evolution
  16. Solar neutrinos
  17. Post-main-sequence evolution
  18. Final stages
  19. Stellar nucleosynthesis

The exercise classes and discussion sessions are intended to help you prepare for the examination.

The research project will be introduced in a dedicated lecture. The project is a mandatory part of the course and will be evaluated separately. It will not be possible to pass the course without carrying out the project.

 

Student representatives

The course will be evaluated using the standard procedure at Chalmers
(see http://www.chalmers.se/insidan/SV/utbildning-och-forskning/grundutbildning/undervisningsstod-for/kursutvarderingar)

Student representatives will be appointed in the beginning of the course. There will be a short meeting between teachers and student representatives in the middle of the course. There will be a questionnaire and a meeting after the course. More details will be posted on Canvas.

Student representatives for this course are listed below, with their contact details.

MPPHS marbre@student.chalmers.se Markus Bredberg
MPPHS frij@student.chalmers.se Frida Johansson
MPPHS diasthmikos.kaoumpohs@gmail.com Christos-Dimitrios Kogias
MPPHS ludli@student.chalmers.se Ludvig Lindblad
MPCAS robeling@student.chalmers.se Nils-Martin Robeling

 

 

Changes made since the last occasion

The research project has been adjusted to improve active learning. The project will be carried out as a group work and presented in a seminar setting before the final examination. The outcome of the project relies on discussion between peers, presentation, and reflection.

All classes will be held on Zoom during VT21/LP3.

 

Learning objectives and syllabus

After completion of this 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

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen.

Study plan

Examination form

  • Research project work (report deadline 7/3, presentations during week 10, reflection deadline 14/3).
    The research project work counts for 1,5hp of the total 7,5hp course credits.
  • Written and oral examination (18/3)
    The final examination counts for 6hp of the total 7,5hp course credits.

Course summary:

Date Details Due