2005/06 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

PHYS3270 Winds, Bubbles and Explosions in Galaxies

10 creditsClass Size: 80

Module manager: Professor J E Dyson
Email: j.e.dyson@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2005/06

Pre-requisites

PHYS1170, PHYS1180 and PHYS2150 provide useful background but are not compulsory

This module is not approved as an Elective

Objectives

At the end of this module you should be able to:
- describe the observation features of the range of activity in galaxies from our own Milky Way to Acrive Galaxies and their Nuclei
- explain the essential physics relating to how stellar winds and supernovae explosions affect their environment
- describe the current understanding of the broad and narrow line regions of active galaxies and starburst galaxies
- elucidate the current models for explaining the relativistic jets involving accretion onto supermassive black holes.
- use basic physics to illustrate the energetics of these phenomena.

Skills outcomes
Use of physics in exotic circumstances.
The use of a very wide range of physics in a specific problem.
The demonstration that a specific area of physics, namely hydrodynamics, has an enormous range of applicability.Use of physics in exotic circumstances.
The use of a very wide range of physics in a specific problem.
The demonstration that a specific area of physics, namely hydrodynamics, has an enormous range of applicability.

Syllabus

1. Overview. Injection of energy & momentum. Physical state of gas in the galaxy.
2. Physical Processes. Introduction to gas dynamics. Shock fronts. The Rankine-Hugoniot conditions. Physics of shock and radiatively excited gases. Cooling processes. The interstellar cooling curve. Effects of cooling behind shock fronts.
3. Explosions. The Sedov phase of supernova remnant evolution. Transition to the momentum conserving phase. The range of supernova remnants in interstellar gas.
4. Wind driven bubbles. Supersonic winds from point sources. The two-shock flow pattern. Energy driven bubbles blown by single stars.
5. Galactic scale effects of winds and explosions. Effects of groups of stars. Winds blowing into stratified media. The galactic disc-halo connection. Super bubbles and blow out.
6. Effects in external galaxies. Giant extra-galactic HII regions. Starburst galaxies. Superwinds.
7. Activity in the nuclei of distant galaxies. Observational characteristics of Seyfert galaxies, QSOs and BL Lac objects. The structure and dynamics of the broad and narrow line emission regions. Black hole-accretion disc models for the nuclei of active galaxies. Fuelling the central engine. Jets and superluminal motion. The interaction of jets with the intergalactic medium. Unified models of AGN.

Teaching methods

Lectures: Up to 22 x 1 hour.

Private study

Examples: 15 hours;
Reading: 63 hours.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

3 problem sets and soluitions that are not assessed.

Methods of assessment

1 x 2 hour written examination at the end of the semester: 100%.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 19/04/2005

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