Admission requirements
Bachelor's degree in Astronomy and/or Physics
Solid proficiency in programming
Experience with programming in LINUX work environment
Description
During this course you will learn how to perform research with existing computational tools and simulation codes. This will be done using the Astrophysics Multipurpose software Environment (AMUSE) software. You will learn how to set up a computer experiment, write the code to carry out the simulations, perform the calculations, collect and analyze the data, and critically assess the results.
Students, in groups of two or three, will work on their joined projects, and report on the results by written report and a presentation.
The final project is chosen in discussion with the teacher from a wide range of topics. From a computational point of view the topic should generally include at least two fundamental physical phenomena:
gravitational dynamics, hydrodynamics, radiative transfer, or stellar astrophysics.
The work will be carried out using AMUSE to perform a number of simulations to study astrophysical phenomena. The course ends with a presentation and report on the final project.
Course objectives
How to perform, judge, select and adapt the proper numerical tools for conducting your own research, and how to validate the work of others.
Timetable
In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.
Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.
Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.
Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Practical classes
Presentations
Assessment method
Homework assignments
Team projects
Final project presentation
Reading list
Course material is available online via the git wiki, these include:
Guidelines and manuals for associated packages used
Astrophysical Recipes: The art of AMUSE by S. Portegies Zwart, S. McMillan
Registration
As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.
In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.
There are two enrolment periods per year:
Enrolment for the fall opens in July
Enrolment for the spring opens in December
See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.
Note:
It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.
Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.
Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.
Contact
Lecturer: Prof.dr. S.F. (Simon) Portegies Zwart
Remarks
The course starts with a test on basic knowledge and skills essential for successfully finishing the course. The result of this test will be used to judge the suitability of the candidate for the course, and may result in an advice to the student to stop the course work.
Topics
AMUSE in general
Gravitational dynamics
Stellar evolution
Hydrodynamics
Code coupling strategies
Project management
Visualization
Presentation and reporting
Algorithms
Python
Software sustainability
High-performance computing
Soft skills
In this course, students will be trained in the following behavior-oriented skills:
Problem solving (recognizing and analyzing problems, solution-oriented thinking)
Analytical skills (analytical thinking, abstraction)
Critical assessment (asking questions, assumption validation)
Creativity (resourcefulness, lateral thinking)
Collaboration (extreme programming, joined research)
Management of their own research endeavor
Brightspace and Git
Brightspace will be used to communicate with students. But to share lecture slides, homework assignments, or any extra materials, we will be using git.
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.