Galaxy formation and evolution

Last modified by Peter Johansson on 2024/08/29 09:51
Galform_2024.jpeg
Information about the course:

PAP318 Galaxy formation and evolution (Galaksien synty ja kehitys)

Lecturer: Prof. Peter Johansson (Room D311)
Course assistants:  Dr. Bastián Reinoso (Room D325) & M.Sc. Max Mattero (D315)

Lectures: Tuesdays 16.15-18.00 in Room BK114, Exactum
Problem set sessions, where you can get help with solving the problems:
Wednesdays 16.15-18.00 every two weeks on the following dates in Room D105, Physicum:  11.9, 25.9, 9.10, 30.10, 13.11, 27.11, 11.12

Moodle can be accessed through the University course homepage:
https://studies.helsinki.fi/kurssit/toteutus/hy-opt-cur-2425-452f8694-a722-4ee3-832d-53a29f076eef/PAP318

The  problem sets will be appear on the course homepage and in Moodle the problem set answers are to be returned in Moodle.

  • In total 14 lectures (the last lecture is on 10.12.)
  • The problem sets will appear on the course homepage and in Moodle every two weeks. Each problem set will contain 5 questions totalling 6x5=30 questions.
  • The minimum requirement for the problem sets is 1/3 of the points, surplus points will result in bonus points for the exam.
  • Problem sets should be returned in Moodle.
  • The problems consist of both regular exercises and problems based on journal articles.
     

Course material:    

  • The primary course material will consist of the lecture notes provided by the lecturer.
  • In addition parts of the two following books will be extensively used:
  1. M. Longair: "Galaxy formation", 2nd ed. Springer, 2008
  2. H. Mo, F. van den Bosch & S. White: "Galaxy formation and evolution", Cambridge Univ. Press, 2010

Final exam:

  • The final exam will be held preliminary on Tuesday 17.12.2024 at 9.00-13.00 in Room 
     

Course dates and syllabus:

Lecture 1: 03.09.2024: "Introduction to galaxy formation and overview"

  • Basic elements of galaxy formation
  • Galaxy formation timescales
  • Historical review of galaxy formation theory

Lecture 2: 10.09.2024: "Observations of galaxies"

  • The classification of galaxies
  • Statistical properties of the galaxy population
  • Galaxies at high redshifts

Lecture 3: 17.09.2024: "Cosmology and the evolution of small perturbations"  – Problem session 1

  • Robertson-Walker metric and the Friedmann equations
  • The age of the Universe and cosmological distances
  • The evolution of small perturbations    

Lecture 4: 24.09.2024: "Jeans' instabilities and horizons in an expanding Universe"

  • The Jeans' instability in a static and expanding Medium
  • Instabilities in the relativistic case
  • Cosmological horizons and perturbations on superhorizon scales

Lecture 5: 01.10.2024: "Baryonic and dark matter models of galaxy formation" – Problem session 2

  • The sound speed and baryonic models of galaxy formation
  • Adiabatic and isothermal perturbations
  • Hot and cold dark matter in galaxy formation models

Lecture 6: 08.10.2024: "Correlation functions and the spectrum of the initial fluctuations"

  • The two-point correlation function for galaxies
  • The initial power spectrum
  • Transfer functions        

Lecture 7: 15.10.2024: "Non-linear evolution of dark matter haloes" – Problem session 3

  • The non-linear collapse of density perturbations
  • Top-hat collapse and the Zeldovich approximation
  • The Press-Schechter mass function and dark matter density profiles

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Lecture 8: 29.10.2024: "Formation and evolution of gaseous haloes"

  • The cooling and heating of gas in dark matter haloes
  • Radiative cooling and photoionization heating
  • The cooling function and galaxy formation

Lecture 9: 05.11.2024: "Star formation and supernova feedback in galaxies" – Problem session 4

  • Molecular clouds and self-regulated star formation
  • Empirical star formation laws
  • Supernova feedback: The ejection and heating of gas

Lecture 10: 12.11.2024: "Formation of disk galaxies"

  • Observations: Mass components, angular momentum and rotation curves
  • Formation of disk galaxies
  • The origin of disk scaling relations    

Lecture 11: 19.11.2024: "Galaxy interactions and transformations"  – Problem session 5

  • Galaxy interactions and encounters
  • Tidal stripping and dynamical friction
  • Orbital decay and galaxy merging

Lecture 12: 26.11.2024: "Formation of elliptical galaxies"

  • Structure and dynamics of elliptical galaxies
  • Formation of elliptical galaxies
  • Observational constraints on formation scenarios

Lecture 13: 03.12.2024: "Formation of active galaxies" – Problem session 6

  • The physics of AGNs
  • Formation and evolution of AGNs
  • AGNs and galaxy formation    

Lecture 14: 10.12.2024: "Summary lecture"

  • Summary of the main results.
  • Putting it all together.
  • How do galaxies form and evolve?

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Lectures:

  • Lecture 1:
  • Lecture 2:
  • Lecture 3:
  • Lecture 4:
  • Lecture 5:
  • Lecture 6:
  • Lecture 7:
  • Lecture 8:
  • Lecture 9:
  • Lecture 10:
  • Lecture 11:
  • Lecture 12:
  • Lecture 13:
  • Lecture 14:

Videos showing the formation of disk galaxies also by the FIRE collaboration: http://www.tapir.caltech.edu/~phopkins/Site/animations/Movies_cosmo.html

Problem sets:

Final results and course grading:

  • Results from the problems sets:
  • Final grades:

Set of equations that will be distributed in the exam: