Please note that this course description is preliminary. The final course description will be released in the Summer of 2019.
Admission requirements
Astronomy bachelor course Radiative Processes.
Description
Stars and planets are formed deep inside molecular clouds, but how this actually happens is still being unravelled. This course will provide a broad overview of our current theoretical and observational understanding of the physical processes involved in star- and planet formation. The course consists of two parts. First, the cloud collapse leading to protostars with dense envelopes, circumstellar accretion disks and outflows is discussed. Second, the evolution of protoplanetary disks and the scenarios for the formation of giant and terrestrial planets are presented. Kuiper Belt Objects, comets and meteorites each tell their own story about the physical processes that took place in our own early Solar System. Finally, the results are put in the context of our current knowledge of exo-planetary systems. Recent observations from the Herschel Space Observatory, ALMA and other facilities are highlighted throughout the course, as are exciting results from the Rosetta and Stardust missions to comets.
The detailed outline is:
Dense molecular clouds
Cloud collapse and spectral energy distributions
Circumstellar disks
Bipolar outflows
Pre-main sequence stars
High-mass star formation
Disk evolution and grain growth
Formation of planets
Chemical evolution of protostellar matter
Kuiper-Belt objects and structure of debris disks
Meteorites
Primitive solar system material; results from Rosetta
What do exo-planets tell us about planet formation
Course objectives
The student will gain up-to-date insight into one of the fastest growing research areas in astronomy. The course will provide sufficient background to be able to follow the current literature on star- and planet formation and to do research in this field or in a neighboring field (e.g., star formation in external galaxies or on cosmological scales).
Soft skills
In this course, students will be trained in the following behaviour-oriented skills:
Motivation (commitment, pro-active attitude, initiative)
Verbal communication (presenting, speaking, listening)
Critical thinking (asking questions, check assumptions)
Creative thinking (resourcefulness, curiosity, thinking out of the box)
Timetable
See Schedules Astronomy master
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Exercise classes
Assessment method
Oral exam (by appointment): 100% of final grade
Presentation (optional; if chosen, both the presentation and the oral exam count for 50% for the final grade)
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used to communicate with students and to share lecture slides, homework assignments, and any extra materials. You must enroll on Blackboard before the first lecture. To have access, you need a student ULCN account.
Registration
Via uSis. More information about signing up for your classes can be found here. Exchange and Study Abroad students, please see the Prospective students website for information on how to apply.
Reading list
Handouts of lecture notes will be made available both on paper and electronically on the course website (see below).
Contact information
Lecturer: Prof.dr. E.F. (Ewine) van Dishoeck, Dr. M. (Melissa) McClure
Assistant: Martijn van Gelder, Mantas Zilinskas, Pooney Nazari
Remarks
This course is given every other year.