Admission requirements
Knowledge of the following courses:
Inleiding Astrofysica
Astronomy Lab and Observing project
Modern Astronomical Research or Modern Astronomical and Physics Research
Stars
Galaxies and Cosmology
Description
Get ready to engage in astrophysics research! The universe is full of enigmatic objects and fantastic astrophysical phenomena. In the scientific arena we discuss how to observe, interpret, measure and simulate the astrophysical processes that govern these objects. In this course you learn how to formulate informative and critical questions that are essential for the progress of science. We will engage with specialists in the field and discuss the results from the cutting edge of astrophysics. Next, we contemplate how to make the subsequent steps to advance our knowledge on the subject.
The course will focus on a number of astrophysical topics, covering the breadth of the field. Focus will be on engaging with the experts in the field. Zooming in on specific questions requires making the shift from text book material to the astronomical literature. To enter discussions it will be to required to make quantitative estimates of e.g. energy, timescales, resolution.
The astrophysical topics could include:
Pulsars
(mega-)masers
Fast radio bursts
Galactic magnetic fields
Globular clusters
Supermassive black holes
Radio stars
Evolved stellar populations
Gamma ray bursts
White dwarfs, planetary nebulae
Gravitational lenses
HI from the epoch of re-ionisation
Course objectives
After this course, you are able to zoom in on a specific research topic and understand where to start contributing to cutting edge research. You have gained experience on understanding the current state of advances in a specific field. You will have appreciated the importance to make quantitative estimates relevant for specific astrophysical questions. You will have learned about the astrophysical processes in a number of exotic objects.
At the end of this course, you will have been trained in the following skills:
Preparing and engaging in a scientific discussion
Compiling quantitative scientific arguments
Preparing strategic arguments for future research
Timetable
You will find the timetables for all courses and degree programmes of Leiden University in the tool MyTimetable (login). Any teaching activities that you have successfully registered for in MyStudyMap will automatically be displayed in MyTimeTable. Any timetables that you add manually, will be saved and automatically displayed the next time you sign in.
MyTimetable allows you to integrate your timetable with your calendar apps such as Outlook, Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and other calendar apps on your smartphone. Any timetable changes will be automatically synced with your calendar. If you wish, you can also receive an email notification of the change. You can turn notifications on in ‘Settings’ (after login).
For more information, watch the video or go to the 'help-page' in MyTimetable. Please note: Joint Degree students Leiden/Delft have to merge their two different timetables into one. This video explains how to do this.
Mode of instruction
- Lecture series, each split between student prepared introduction and guest talks
Assessment method
Preparation of a specific topic (20%)
Essay on the developments in a specific topic (50%)
Test on the breadth of topics covered in the series (30%)
The final grade will be the combined grade of the three components, provided a minimal level is obtained for each component. The retake exam consists of an additional homework assignment.
Reading list
None
Registration
As a student, you are responsible for registering on time, i.e. 14 days before the start of the course. This can be done via Mystudymap. You do this twice a year: once for the courses you want to take in semester 1 and once for the courses you want to take in semester 2. Please note: late registration is not possible.
Registration for courses in the first semester is possible from July; registration for courses in the second semester is possible from December. First-year bachelor students are registered for semester 1 by the faculty student administration; they do not have to do this themselves. For more information, see this page
In addition, it is mandatory for all students, including first-year bachelor students, to register for exams. This can be done up to and including 10 calendar days prior to the exam or up to five calendar days in case of a retake exam. You cannot participate in the exam or retake without a valid registration in My Studymap.
Contact
Lecturer: Prof.dr. H.J. van Langevelde
Remarks
None