PH12005: Dynamics and astrophysics
[Page last updated: 03 June 2024]
| Academic Year: | 2024/25 |
| Owning Department/School: | Department of Physics |
| Credits: | 10 [equivalent to 20 CATS credits] |
| Notional Study Hours: | 200 |
| Level: | Certificate (FHEQ level 4) |
| Period: |
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| Assessment Summary: | EXCB 33%, EXOB 67% |
| Assessment Detail: |
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| Supplementary Assessment: |
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| Requisites: |
While taking this module you must take PH12003
You must have A-level Physics (or equivalent) and A-level Mathematics (or equivalent) to take this module. |
| Learning Outcomes: |
After taking this unit the student should be able to:
use conservation of energy to qualitatively describe motion of particles in external potentials, determine positions of equilibrium and regimes of bound and free motion;
use conservation laws of linear and angular momentum to describe collisions of particles and rigid bodies;
use the concepts of angular momentum, torque and moment of inertia to describe rotations of rigid bodies;
write down the essential results and formulae of special relativity;
solve simple kinematic and dynamical special relativity problems;
describe the physical properties of stars and galaxies;
solve straightforward problems concerning orbital motion, blackbody radiation, stellar luminosity and magnitude, Hubble's Law;
use systematic analysis methods to calculate currents and voltages in dc and ac circuits. |
| Synopsis: | The study of matter in motion has underpinned our understanding of the physical world, from Newtons laws of motion to Einstein's theory of relativity. You will learn how these theories are developed and applied, taking a more mathematical approach than in pre-University courses, and explore the foundations of astrophysics, including the solar system, exoplanets, stars and galaxies. Youll also learn how to analyse DC and AC electric circuits, to help support your experimental lab work. |
| Content: | Classical mechanics (13 lecture hours)
Kinematics and Newton's laws of motion: Vector notations, velocity and acceleration; constant and non-constant acceleration; fundamental and non-fundamental (phenomenological) forces in common physical problems; Galilean invariance, inertial frames and inertial forces.
Conservation laws in mechanics: Energy and momentum; work and energy; potential energy (potential wells and barriers); conservative and non-conservative forces; momentum and impulse; centre of mass; the two-body problem; collisions in the centre of mass frame; systems with flow of mass and rockets.
Circular motion and rotations: velocity and acceleration in polar coordinates, Coriolis acceleration; non-uniform circular and spiral motions; angular momentum of a point particle, spin and orbital angular momentum of a rigid body; torque and angular momentum as vectors, equations of motion of rotating bodies; moments of inertia; centre of gravity; physical pendulum.
Gravitation: Gravitational force and potential energy. Weight and mass. Circular orbits; Kepler's Laws; planetary motion. Escape velocity. Newtonian cosmology.
Special Relativity (9 lecture hours)
Galilean transformation. Michelson-Morley experiment. Einstein's postulates. Simultaneity; time dilation, space contraction, invariant intervals, rest frames, proper time, proper length. Lorentz transformation. Relativistic momentum, force, energy. Doppler effect. Looking ahead to general relativity.
Electric Circuits (6 lecture hours)
DC circuits: Kirchoff's voltage and current laws. Ideal voltage and current sources. Analysis of simple circuits using nodal voltage technique. Impedance matching; input/output impedance, maximum power transfer.
AC circuits: AC voltage and current concepts (phase, rms value, amplitude, etc.). Capacitors and inductors as circuit elements. Phasors and phasor notation. Complex impedance. LCR circuits (resonance, Q factor, etc). Frequency dependence of circuits.
Ideal operational amplifiers: Simple applications.
Astrophysics (12 lecture hours)
Astrophysical Techniques: Telescopes and detectors. Invisible astronomy: X-rays, gamma-rays, infrared and radio astronomy. Gravitational force and potential energy. Weight and mass. Circular orbits; Kepler's Laws; planetary motion. Escape velocity.
Solar System: Earth-Moon system. Terrestrial planets; Jovian planets. Planetary atmospheres. Comets and meteoroids. Formation of the solar system. Structure of the sun.
Exoplanets: Overview of current status and main results so far. Detection techniques. Analogies and differences with the Solar System. The search for water. Habitable zones and the physics of exobiology.
Stars: The interstellar medium and star birth. Stellar distances, magnitudes, luminosities; black-body radiation; stellar classification; Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. Stellar Evolution. Star death: white dwarfs, neutron stars.
Galaxies: Galactic structure; classification of galaxies. The Large scale structure of the Universe. Hubble's Law. The expanding universe. The hot Big Bang. Cosmic background radiation and the ripples therein. |
| Course availability: |
PH12005 is a Must Pass Unit on the following courses:Department of Physics
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Notes:
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