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2005/06 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

PHYS3280 Star and Planet Formation

10 creditsClass Size: 123

Module manager: Dr R D Oudmaijer
Email: r.d.oudmaijer@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2005/06

This module is not approved as an Elective

Objectives

By the end of this module students should be able to:
- describe the sites of star formation;
- explain the physical processes occurring during the collapse of a gas cloud to form a star;
- recognise and describe the observational evidence for disks, jets and outflows from young stars;
- elucidate the routes to planet formation from circumstellar disks;
- appraise the limits of current knowledge in this field.

Skills outcomes
The ability to solve physical problems using mathematics.The ability to solve physical problems using mathematics.


Syllabus

SITES OF STAR FORMATION: The cool interstellar medium (ISM), typical gas cloud parameters, heating and cooling processes, interstellar dust.
GRAVITATIONAL COLLAPSE: Gravitational collapse of a cloud, fragmentation, cloud support.
DISK FORMATION: The effects of rotation and magnetic fields, accretion disks, observations of disks.
OUTFLOWS: Bipolar outflows from young stars, jets and Herbig-Haro objects. Wind driving and collimation mechanisms.
STAR FORMING REGIONS: IR emission and evolution.
PLANET FORMATION: Formation of planetesimals, extra-solar planets.

Teaching methods

Lectures: 20 x 1 hour;


Discussion classes: 2 x 1 hour.

Private study

Reading: 78 hours.

Methods of assessment

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

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 19/02/2007

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