Admission Requirements
Only open to students that are registered for the minor Our Universe.
Description
Our Universe, with its vast array of structures and phenomena, is in a constant state of evolution. From the earliest moments after the Big Bang to the complex cosmos we observe today, the universe has undergone a remarkable transformation. This course guides students through the fundamental aspects of cosmic evolution, exploring key physical principles, and uncovering the major questions and gaps in our current knowledge.
We begin by understanding the cosmic scales and the concept of looking back in time.
As we delve deeper, the students will learn what starlight reveals about the properties of stars, explore the life cycle of stars from birth to death, and understand how stars and their explosive deaths have created the elements essential for life. By studying the Milky Way and other galaxies, the students gain insights into dark matter, black holes, and the dynamic processes driving galaxy formation and evolution. Next, students will learn how the early universe's smooth state gradually–just after the Big Bang–gave rise to complex structures like galaxies and galaxy clusters. Finally, the students will investigate the expansion of the universe, understanding how its growth has changed over time and what this means for our future. Through this course, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how the universe's ongoing evolution has created the environments and elements necessary for life and the diverse cosmic environments we observe today.
In the practical sessions, the students will deepen their theoretical understanding through engaging group exercises. Many of these exercises will utilize real astronomical data and/or explore their practical or human implications. For instance, we will analyse the motion of stars to estimate the mass of the black hole at the galactic centre, a topic recognized by the Nobel Prize in 2020. We will also calculate the proportion of elements in our bodies that originated from different types of stars and stellar explosions, derive how long it will take before the Sun “swallows” the Earth, and estimate the number of dark matter particles currently in our bodies, based on various popular dark matter theories.
Course objectives
At the end of this course the students will be able to:
Recognize and describe the various cosmic structures—such as planets, stars, solar systems, galaxies, and galaxy clusters—and compare their relative sizes to develop a sense of cosmic scale.
Understand the life cycle of stars from birth to death.
Classify and analyze the different types of galaxies and their main components (stars, gas, dark matter, black holes), and understand how they formed and evolved over time.
Explain the large-scale evolution of the universe, including how the early universe's smooth state gradually gave rise to these complex structures, as well as how the universe itself is expanding.
Timetable
Mode of Instruction
Lectures and tutorials.
This course exists of lectures and tutorial sessions. The lectures introduce theoretical knowledge and concepts. During the tutorial sessions the students will bring this new information into practice and deepen their understanding through group exercises. The lectures will be given by the main instructor and other lecturers from Leiden Observatory. During the practical session, the students will work in groups aided by teaching assistants and the main instructor.
Assessment Method
Written exam with open and closed questions (100%).
Participation tutorials: pass/fail.
Students need to pass both components to pass the course.
Reading list
See Brightspace.
Registration
Registration for courses and exams takes place via MyStudymap.
Contact
Minor coordinator: Prof.dr. Serena Viti | viti@strw.leidenuniv.nl
Course coordinator: Prof.dr. Mariska Kriek | kriek@strw.leidenuniv.nl