Galaxies and their Place in the Universe

• • The Milky Way: structure, rotation curves and dark matter, spiral arms & density wave theory, galactic centre, modelling the origin of the Milky Way
  • The structure and classification of normal galaxies: spiral, elliptical & irregular galaxies, Hubble's classification
  • Estimating galactic distances: standard candles, sizes and masses, redshifts & Hubble's Law
  • Galactic structures: the Local Group, dwarf galaxies, dark matter in clusters, superclusters & voids
  • Star formation: measuring rates and evolution, techniques and relationships
  • Quasars and active galaxies: host galaxies, radio and Seyfert galaxies, unified active galactic nuclei model, black holes, gravitational lensing
  • Interacting galaxies, galactic cannibalism & mergers, starburst galaxies, modelling galaxy interactions
  • Galaxy formation and evolution, fluctuations and galaxy seeds, Jeans mass, N-body simulations, Cold Dark Matter
  • The first stars & galaxies: the dark ages, Population III stars, galaxies & quasars at high redshift, the evolution of clusters, faint blue galaxies
  • Quasar absorbers, evolution of gas in the Universe, the intergalactic medium

Equivalent subjects

You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:

• SWI-HET624 (Not currently available)

Additional requirements

No additional requirements

This subject aims to provide an introduction to galaxies and galaxy clustering, theories of dark matter, galaxy formation and evolution.

• Essay (50%)
• Newsgroups (30%)
• Test (20%)

Current study term: 27 Feb 22 to 29 May 22

Next study term: 28 Aug 22 to 27 Nov 22