AS4012 The Physics of Nebulae and Stars 2

Academic year

2025 to 2026 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

15

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Not automatically available to General Degree students

Planned timetable

12:00

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr I Czekala

Dr I Czekala
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This module develops the physics of stellar interiors and atmospheres from the basic equations of stellar structure introduced in AS2001/AS2101 using the radiative transfer concepts developed in Nebulae and Stars I. Topics include: the equation of state that provides pressure support at the high temperatures and densities found in normal and white-dwarf stars; the interaction of radiation with matter, both in terms of radiation-pressure support in super-massive stars and in terms of the role of opacity in controlling the flow of energy from the stellar interior to the surface; the equation of radiative transfer and the effects of local temperatures, pressures and velocity fields on the continuum and line absorption profiles in the emergent spectrum. Computer-aided tutorial exercises illustrate the computational schemes that represent one of the triumphs of late twentieth-century physics, in their ability to predict the observable properties of a star from its radius and luminosity, which in turn are determined by its mass, age and chemical composition.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS AS4011

Assessment pattern

2-hour Written Examination = 75%, Coursework = 25%

Re-assessment

Oral Re-assessment, capped at grade 7

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

3 lectures occasionally replaced by whole-group tutorials.

Scheduled learning hours

33

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

117

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Solve the equation of radiation transfer for static, plane parallel model atmospheres in the gray atmosphere approximation, both analytically and numerically
  • Be able to write down and explain the terms in the equations of stellar structure and solve them using simple numerical techniques
  • Understand and describe nuclear burning in stars including pp-chain and CNO cycle
  • Understand and describe stellar properties on the main sequence and explain post main sequence evolution and the fate of stars

Additional information from school

For guidance on AS and PH modules please consult the School Handbook, at https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/physics-astronomy/students/ug/timetables-handbooks/