NFYK14022U Making of Galaxies and chemical evolution

Volume 2014/2015
Content

The course will cover the most important ideas in the field of galaxy formation and chemical enrichment. We will discuss primordial density fluctuations, linear and nonlinear growth of pertubations, violent relaxation, reionization of the intergalactic medium, observations of high-redshift galaxies, damped Lyman-alpha absorbers, and finally chemical enrichment probed by quasar absorption lines systems, gamma-ray bursts and old stars in nearby stellar systems.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge:
The students will after the course have acquired knowledge about 

  • the most likely origin of primordial density fluctuations
  • how linear pertubations grow during the radiation, matter and dark energy dominated phases of the cosmic history
  • a simple top-hat model for the non-linear phase of galaxy formation
  • methods by which to observationally detect high-redshift galaxies and their limitations and biases.
  • the evidence we have for the cosmic chemical enrichment history based on quasar absorption systems, gamma-ray burst absorbers and old stars in near-by stellar systems.

Skills:
The students will after the course have acquired the following skills:

  • Account for the most likely origin of primordial density fluctuations
  • the ability to derive from first principles how linear pertubations grow during the radiation, matter and dark energy dominated phases of the cosmic history.
  • the ability to select high-redshift galaxy candidates from multicolor datasets
  • the ability to determine redshifts from absorption spectra of high-redshift quasars and gamma-ray bursts
  • the ability to estimate chemical abundances from spectra of high-redshift quasars and gamma-ray bursts

Competences:
This course provides the students with competences to further pursue research within this field, e.g. through an M.Sc. project.

Houjon Mo, Frank van den Bosch: Galaxy Formation and Evolution. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 978-0-521-85793-2

equivalent to the content of the first four astronomy specialization courses in the B.Sc.
lectures, exercises, student presentations
the course is offered every second year.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exercises
  • 40
  • Lectures
  • 40
  • Preparation
  • 126
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Continuous assessment
To pass the course active participation (minimum 80%) is a requirement. As a minimum the student has to lead one session of one hour duration and go through a least one of the chosen articles.
Marking scale
passed/not passed
Censorship form
No external censorship
Exam period
one internal examiner
Criteria for exam assesment

To pass the course active participation (minimum 80%) is a requirement. As a minimum the student has to lead one session of one hour duration and go through a least one of the chosen articles.