FY537: Fundamental Astronomy

The Study Board for Science

Teaching language: Danish
EKA: N500047102
Assessment: Second examiner: External
Grading: 7-point grading scale
Offered in: Odense
Offered in: Spring
Level: Bachelor

STADS ID (UVA): N500047101
ECTS value: 10

Date of Approval: 19-10-2020


Duration: 1 semester

Version: Archive

Comment



Entry requirements

Ingen

Academic preconditions

The course requires thermodynamics and mathematics from the first year of physical education or equivalent, while relevant nuclear physics, nuclear physics, particle physics etc. will be introduced along the way.

Course introduction

At the end of the course, the student will have basic knowledge of the physics of stars, planetary systems, galaxies and the universe as a whole. The course contains basic concepts of the Solar System, star formation and evolution, galaxies and cosmology as well as modern astrophysics observation techniques.
Emphasis is on students obtaining a basic understanding of the most fundamental physics (e.g. gravity, electromagnetic radiation, energy production by nuclear fusion, etc.) shaping the most central phenomena of astrophysics, i.e. the Sun, the Solar System, other stars, galaxies and the universe as a whole.

In relation to the competence profile of the degree, the course explicitly focuses on:
  • Providing competence and ability to apply qualitative and quantitative models of astrophysical phenomena and processes, as well as discuss their validity.
  • Provide skills in analyzing astrophysical problems based on different representations of data and discussing possible solutions.
  • Provide knowledge of how astrophysical data is collected, processed and interpreted from different data sources and the results conveyed.

The course is the first course in the astronomy specialization where also FY535 Astrophysics and Introduction to Cosmology, FY812 General relativity and cosmology, as well as the FY825 Galactic dynamics and dark matter and the observation course in astronomy are included.

Expected learning outcome

The learning objectives of the course is that the student demonstrates the ability to:
  • Explain the structure of the Solar System and its components.
  • Explain the similarities and differences between the Solar System and planetary systems around other stars.
  • Explain stellar properties and key elements of star formation and stellar evolution.
  • Explain the overall structure and dynamics of the Milky Way and other galaxies.
  • Explain modern cosmological models and evidence that support the Big Bang theory.

Content

The following main topics are contained in the course, the Solar System, Stellar evolution, galaxies, cosmology and observational methods in astrophysics.

Literature

See itslearning for syllabus lists and additional literature references.

Examination regulations

Exam element a)

Timing

Spring

Tests

Written mandatory assignments and oral exam

EKA

N500047102

Assessment

Second examiner: External

Grading

7-point grading scale

Identification

Student Identification Card

Language

Normally, the same as teaching language

Duration

Oral examination - 30 minutes

Examination aids

To be announced during the course

ECTS value

10

Additional information

5 written compulsory assignments handed in during the course which constitute 50% of the total assessment and an oral exam (50%).

The examination form for re-examination may be different from the exam form at the regular exam.

Indicative number of lessons

86 hours per semester

Teaching Method

At the faculty of science, teaching is organized after the three-phase model ie. intro, training and study phase.

  • Intro phase: 54 hours
  • Skills training phase: 32 hours, thereof eksaminatorier 24 hours and lab. exercises 8 hours

Study phase activities: Lectures, tutorials, computer and laboratory exercises. The course will contain some short project where students will be expected to use computers. MATLAB or similar are suitable for solving the projects.

The class consists of weekly lectures and bi-weekly tutorials. The students apply the knowledge gained in the lectures within the 2 weeks to prepare solutions for problems provided via blackboard. The calculations and more details about the topics are discussed by all students and the teacher in the tutorials. The class focuses strongly on state-of-the-art experiments in addition to solid theoretical foundation.

Teacher responsible

Name E-mail Department
Martin S. Sloth sloth@cp3.sdu.dk CP³-Origins

Additional teachers

Name E-mail Department City
Roman Gold gold@sdu.dk CP³-Origins

Timetable

Administrative Unit

Fysik, kemi og Farmaci

Team at Educational Law & Registration

NAT

Offered in

Odense

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