F7567 Structure and kinematics of galaxies

Faculty of Science
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Taught online.
Teacher(s)
RNDr. Bruno Jungwiert, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
RNDr. Bruno Jungwiert, Ph.D.
Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics – Physics Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: RNDr. Bruno Jungwiert, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics – Physics Section – Faculty of Science
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
The main goal of this course is to make students acquainted with classification, structure and kinematics of galaxies and larger systems composed of them - galaxy groups, clusters and superclusters - as well as with theoretical, observational tools to study them. Part of the lecture is devoted to a more detailed description of our Galaxy and of the Local Group of galaxies. The course also includes the basics of galactic dynamics. A follow-up course F8567 (Dynamics and evolution of galaxies) focuses on more advanced chapters of galactic dynamics and evolution in cosmological context.
Learning outcomes
After having attended the course, students will be able to:
- characterize galaxy types and their basic structural and physical properties
- recognize main types of galaxies on optical or infrared images, including distinguishing of their various morphological components
- characterize spatial distribution of galaxies and their kinematics in the observable universe
- describe general properties of galactic gravitational fields and give most common examples of spherically and axially symmetric models of gravitational potentials
- describe motions of stars and gas in disk and elliptical galaxies by means of the shape of their trajectories, orbital frequencies, integrals of motions, velocity dispersion tensor, as well as by using equations of motions in the above mentioned model potentials
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction: images of galaxies (a photographic overview of diversity of galaxies); the cosmological context: galaxies in the expanding Universe; local versus distant galaxies; basic characteristics of galaxies (masses, sizes, luminosities)
  • 2. History of discovering nebulae and galaxies - part I: The Milky Way (Galileo Galilei, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Wright, William Herschel); cataloging nebulae/star clusters: Messier's catalogue, Herschel Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars; General Catalogue; New General Catalog, Index Catalogues; beginnings of astrophotography of nebulae and galaxies; discovery of spiral nebulae (lord Rosse and the Leviathan telescope - spiral nebulae M51 a M99)
  • 3. History of discovering nebulae and galaxies - part II: "The Great Debate of 1920-1924" (Harlow Shapley vs Heber Curtis - the "Large Galaxy hypothesis"/"Island Universes hypothesis"; spatial distribution of globular clusters; period-luminosity relation for Cepheids (Henrietta Leavitt); Hubble's discovery of Cepheids in M31 / determination of M31 distance / confirmation of the "island universes hypothesis"
  • 4. Classification of galaxies: The Hubble sequence, de Vaucouleurs' classification, modern morphological/photometrical/kinematic classifications of galaxies
  • 5. Morphological components of galaxies: bulge, pseudo-bulge, disk (thin disk/thick disk), bar, stellar halo, spiral arms, rings, shells, dark matter halo; gaseous structures
  • 6. Mass, size and photometric characteristics of galaxies: global characteristics (mass, scale-lenghths/heights, luminosity, color indices); radial and vertical dependence of surface brightness/surface density (exponential profile, Gaussian profile, sech^2-profile, de Vaucoulers' profile, Sersic profile, NFW profile)
  • 7. Gaseous components of galaxies: basic characteristics (temperature/density/chemical composition) and distribution of atomic, molecular and ionized gas in galaxies; gaseous disks, gas clouds, gas halo
  • 8. The Milky Way - our Galaxy
  • 9. Galaxy groups, clusters and superclusters; Laniakea supercluster
  • 10. Number and number density of galaxies in the Observable Universe; the luminosity and mass function of galaxies; the least and most massive galaxies
  • 11. Introduction into kinematics of galaxies: trajectories of stars and gas in disk, elliptical and dwarf galaxies; orbital frequencies; rotation of galaxies; rotation curve
  • 12. Velocity distribution of stars: velocity dispersion tensor; velocity anisotropy
  • 13. Introduction into galactic dynamics: gravitational potential of galaxies, Poisson equation, simple model potential-density pairs (logarithmic potential, Plummer sphere); Newton's theorems; circular and escape speed; spherical, axially symmetric and tri-axial potentials; integrals of motion (energy, angular momentum)
  • 14. Epicyclic approximation, epicyclic frequency, orbital rosette
  • 15. Motions of stars perpendicular to the galactic plane; vertical frequency
Literature
    recommended literature
  • BINNEY, James and Michael MERRIFIELD. Galactic astronomy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998, 796 s. ISBN 0-691-02565-7. info
  • BINNEY, James and Scott TREMAINE. Galactic dynamics. 2nd ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008, xvi, 885. ISBN 9780691130279. info
Teaching methods
lectures, class discussion
Assessment methods
class type: lectures, discussions, exercises
evaluation: 2 written tests + final oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: every week.
General note: S.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2012, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2020, Autumn 2022.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2024, recent)
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