ECTS credits ECTS credits: 4.5
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Student's work ECTS: 74.2 Hours of tutorials: 2.25 Expository Class: 18 Interactive Classroom: 18 Total: 112.45
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary Degree Subject RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Applied Mathematics, Particle Physics
Areas: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics, Theoretical Physics
Center Faculty of Physics
Call: Second Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable
To familiarise the student with the composition, scales and structure of the observable universe and with the observational techniques in astrophysics, the main types of stars and their hydrostatic equilibrium equations as well as the standard model in cosmology and the implications of the expansion of the universe in different cosmological observables.
Results of learning process:
With respect to Astrophysics and Cosmology, the student will demonstrate:
Knowing the main measurement variables in Astrophysics and Cosmology.
Understanding the equations of equilibrium and stellar evolution.
Understanding the main events in the evolution of the Universe and the capacity to interpret the different cosmological observations that lead to the current standard cosmological model.
To have acquired the techniques of positioning and astronomical observation.
To have a high degree of theoretical understanding of physical phenomena.
Knowing how to carry out bibliographic searches in general.
Scenarios 2 and 3: No changes.
Shape of the Earth. Terrestrial coordinates. Celestial sphere. Points, directions and main planes. Daily movement of astronomical objects. Orbital movement of the Earth. Ecliptic. Celestial coordinate systems.
The Universe: Composition and scales. Theory of radiation: Black body. The Hertzsprung-Russel diagram.
Stellar equilibrium equations. Viral theorem. Stellar evolution: time scales. Jeans mass and radius. Main sequence and beyond: white dwarks, red giants, neutron stars and black holes.
Cosmology: Cosmological principle. Hubble´s law and the expansion of the Universe. Equivalence principle, general relativity and the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric. Friedmann equations and models of the Universe. Luminosity distance and particle horizon.
Observations in cosmology: measurements of supernovae type Ia and accelerated expansion of the Universe. Big Bang and cosmic microwave background. Thermal history of the Universe. Cosmic inflation.
Scenarios 2 and 3: No changes
Practicum:
1. Astronomical catalogues and data bases (diurnal; 1.5h)
2. Mounting a refractive telescope (diurnal; 1.5h)
3. Observation of several objects with a telescope (nocturnal; 1.5h)
4. Observation of stellar spectra with a telescope (nocturnal; 1.5h)
In scenarios 1 and 2, all the diurnal practicum will be in person and/or telematic. The nocturnal practicum will be performed with fixed or transportable telescopes.
In scenario 3, the practicum will be replaced by written work and exercises.
Astronomy:
A. ABAD, J.A. DOCOBO, A. ELIPE. Curso de Astronomía, Prensas Universitarias de Zaragoza, 2002. Código Bibliográfico Facultade de Física (3-A90-75).
R.M. GREEN. Spherical Astronomy, Cambridge University Press, 1985. (3-A90-79)
D. GALADI-ENRIQUEZ, J. GUTIERREZ. Astronomía General, Omega, 2001. (3-A90-76)
R.O. GRAY, CH.J. CORBALLY. Stellar spectral classification, Princeton Univ. Press, 2009 (A90-439)
Astrophysics:
B.W. CARROLL, D.A. OSTLIE. An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics. Addison Wesley Longman, 1996 (3-A90-22)
E. BATTANER. Introducción a la Astrofísica. Alianza Editorial. Ciencia y Tecnología. Alianza Editorial, 2002. (3-A90-74)
P.I. BAKULIN y otros. Curso de Astronomía General. Ed. Pueblo y Ciencia. (3-A90-77)
Cosmology:
B. RYDEN, Introduction to Cosmology (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press, 2017. (A90-217)
P. DI BARI, Cosmology and the Early Universe (1st ed.), CRC Press, 2018. (A90-438)
A. LIDDLE, Introduction to Modern Cosmology (3rd ed.), Wiley, 2015. (3-A90-40)
Internet resources:
Virtual classroom: it will include teaching material done by the professors and online resources.
Electronic books:
https://biblioteca-usc.gal/nova-coleccion-de-libros-electronicos/
BASIC AND GENERAL
CB1 - Students should have demonstrated to possess and understand the concepts in an area of study that starts from the base of general secondary education, and is usually found at a level that, although supported by advanced textbooks, also includes some aspects that imply knowledge coming from the vanguard of their field of study.
CB2 - Students should know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and possess the skills that are usually demonstrated through the elaboration and defense of arguments and the resolution of problems within their area o study.
CB3 - Students should have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their area of study) to make judgments that include a reflection on relevant issues of social, scientific or ethical nature.
CG1 - Possess and understand the most important concepts, methods and results of the different branches of Physics, with a historical perspective of their development.
CG2 - Have the ability to gather and interpret data, information and relevant results, obtain conclusions and issue reasoned reports on scientific, technological or other issues that require the use of knowledge of Physics.
CG3 - Apply both the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired as well as the capacity for analysis and abstraction in the definition and posing of problems and in the search for their solutions both in academic and professional contexts.
TRANSVERSAL
CT1 - Acquire analysis and synthesis capacity.
CT2 - Have the capacity for organization and planning.
CT5 - Develop critical reasoning.
SPECIFIC
CE1 - Have a good understanding of the most important physical theories, locating in their logical and mathematical structure, their experimental support and the physical phenomenon that can be described through them.
CE2 - Be able to clearly handle orders of magnitude and make appropriate estimates in order to develop a clear perception of situations that, although physically different, show some analogy, allowing the use of known solutions to new problems.
CE3 - Be familiar with the most important experimental models, also be able to perform experiments independently, as well as describe, analyze and critically evaluate the experimental data.
CE4 - Be able to compare new experimental data with available models to check its validity and suggest changes that improve the agreement of the models with the data.
CE5 - Be able to perform the essentials of a process or situation and establish a work model of it, as well as perform the required approaches in order to reduce the problem to a manageable level. They will demonstrate critical thinking to build physical models.
CE6 - Understand and master the use of mathematical and numerical methods most commonly used in Physics
CE7 - Be able to use computer tools and develop software programs
CE8 - Be able to manage, search and use bibliography, as well as any source of relevant information and apply it to research and technical development of projects
The course consists of blackboard expositive lectures that are complemented by problem sets discussed in interactive lectures encouraging student participation. Likewise, the course consists of several sessions of practical classes to be held in the Astronomical Observatory of the USC. Exercises and other works will be proposed as part of the home work.
Scenario 2
See Contingency plan in the section Observations.
Scenario 3
See Contingency plan in the section Observations.
The course will have a Moodle Virtual Classroom, which will include additional materials such as lectures notes, problem sets, links to websites of interest, links to online resources and web pages, and any other information relevant to the course.
The assessment system will consist on two complementary parts.
(2a) Continuous assessment. It will contribute to 30% of the mark of each of the three parts (Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology). It will be based on the participation of the student in the classroom and the home work.
(2b) Assessment through a final written exam. In scenarios 1 and 2 the exam will be in-person. In scenario 3 it will be done through telematic means. The exam will consist on three independent exams: Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology.
FINAL GRADE
The final grade will be the maximum value between the following grades (i) and (ii):
(i) The weighted sum of the marks of the final written exams of Astronomy (20%), Astrophysics (40%) and Cosmology (40%).
(ii) The weighted sum of the grade in Astronomy (20%), Astrophysics (40%) and Cosmology (40%), the three based on the sum of the mark on the continuous assessment (30% of the grade of each part) and the mark in the final written exam (70% of the grade of each part).
Necessary conditions to pass the subject are that the student has to obtain at least 4 out of 10 points in the three final exams of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology.
In case of fraud in the realisation of the exams the rules written in “Normativa de avaliación do rendemento académico dos estudantes e de revisión de cualificacións” will be enforced.
The practicum activities are obligatory.
The grade obtained in the continuous assessment will be kept for the next year.
Theoretical lectures: 24 hours.
Problems and practicum: 18 hours.
Tutorials: 3 hours
Estimated additional time for personal work: about 67.5 hours.
Be able to manage concepts of other subjects, including quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics and nuclear and particle physics. Follow the field consistently, actively participating in both theory classes, formulating relevant questions, and in problems and practices. Any knowledge on computing is helpful, mainly in the Matlab package and Python programming language.
CONTINGENCY PLAN in case of a change of scenario:
1) Objectives: No changes.
2) Contents: In scenario 2 the practicum will be reconsidered depending on the requisites of classroom capacity. In scenario 3 the practicum will be substituted by written exercises and other works.
3) Bibliographic material: No changes.
4) Competences: No changes.
5) Methodology:
5a) Scenario 2
Expositive lectures:
They will be telematic (via Teams or Virtual Classroom), with the same official schedule, synchronous (unless for supervening causes that will be communicated to the students in advance).
Interactive lectures:
If the sanitary measures allowed it, they will be in-person, respecting the official schedule. If limitations on the capacity by the sanitary authorities do not allow that all the students attend the interactive lectures, they will be streamed. Students will attend in-person the interactive lectures in turns. The number of students in each turn will be determined by the regulations in place at each momento.
Priority will be given to the use of classrooms for tests and exams.
Tutorial lectures could be in-person or telematic but will require appointment with the professors.
5b) Scenario 3
Teaching will be fully telematic and the lectures will be synchronous following the official schedule (unless for supervening causes that will be communicated to the students in advance)
Tutorial lectures will be telematic and will require appointment with the professors.
6) Assessment system:
Scenarios 2 and 3
Assessment activities (tests and final exam) that cannot be done in-person and cannot be postponed, will be done telematically using the institutional software tools Office 365 and Moodle. In this case the students should have a microphone and camera, while the USC does not have an adequate software for assessment. The students may be asked to have an interview to explain a part or the total of their exam or test.
In case of fraud in the realisation of exams or tests what is written in the “Normativa de avaliación do rendemento académico dos estudantes e de revisión de cualificacións” will be enforced.
7) Study time and individual work: No changes
8) Recommendations for the study of the subject: No changes.
Jaime Alvarez Muñiz
Coordinador/a- Department
- Particle Physics
- Area
- Theoretical Physics
- Phone
- 881813968
- jaime.alvarez [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Professor
Hector Alvarez Pol
- Department
- Particle Physics
- Area
- Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics
- Phone
- 881813544
- hector.alvarez [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer
Vakhtang Tamazian Arzakanyan
- Department
- Applied Mathematics
- Area
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Phone
- 881815029
- vakhtang.tamazian [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer
| Monday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 16:00-17:30 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Main Hall |
| Tuesday | |||
| 16:00-17:30 | Grupo /CLE_02 | Spanish | Main Hall |
| Wednesday | |||
| 16:00-17:30 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Main Hall |
| Thursday | |||
| 16:00-17:30 | Grupo /CLE_02 | Spanish | Main Hall |
| 05.24.2022 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 0 |
| 05.24.2022 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 130 |
| 05.24.2022 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 6 |
| 05.24.2022 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 830 |
| 06.28.2022 09:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 0 |
| 06.28.2022 09:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 6 |
| 06.28.2022 09:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 830 |