Courses Catalogue

Syllabus of the course: Physics of Galaxies


In this web page we provide the syllabus of the course Physics of Galaxies, offered by the Department of Physics.
The list of the courses offered during the current accademic year is available here.
The list of all courses offered by the Department of Physics is available here.

CodeΦ-733
TypeB
ECTS5
Hours2
SemesterSpring
InstructorV. Charmandaris
ProgramMonday 13:00-15:00, Seminar Room, 2nd Floor
Web page
Goal of the courseThe course is addressed to graduate students as well as undergraduates with the appropriate background. The main goal of the course to the detailed presentation of the physical processes responsible for the formation and evolution of galaxies.
SyllabusIntroduction: basic background, sizes, distances, principles of photometry
Our Galaxy: Historical background, properties and dynamics. Galaxy rotation. The Galactic Center
Galaxy Morphology: Morphology, the Hubble diagram, spirals, elipticals and irregular galaxies. Stellar and gas distribution. Other types of classification.
Physical processes in galaxies: Star formation, virial theorem, Jean's mass, formation and stability of galactic disks, Toomre criterion, dark matter
Environment: Galaxy interactions, formation and evolution of galaxies, groups and cluster of galaxies
Peculiar galaxies: AGN, starbursts, radio-galaxies, Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies, quasars.
Evolution of galaxies: Properties of galaxies at z>0, luminosity functions.
BibliographyL. Sparke and J. Gallagher, “Galaxies in the Universe: an Introduction”, 2nd Eds. Cambrdige University Press (2007)
Bowers & Deeming, “Astrophysics II”, Jones & Bartell (1984).
J. Binney & M. Merrifield, “Galactic Astronomy”, Princeton University Press (1998).
Caroll & Ostlie, “Modern Astrophysics”, Addison Wesley Longman (2006).

University of Crete - Department of Physics  - Voutes University Campus - GR-70013 Heraklion, Greece
phone: +30 2810 394300 - email: chair@physics.uoc.gr