69073 - Spectral Evolution of Galaxies

Academic Year 2017/2018

  • Docente: Alberto Buzzoni
  • Credits: 6
  • SSD: FIS/05
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Astrophysics and cosmology (cod. 8018)

Learning outcomes

The student is expected to gain an overall picture and master the main distinctive properties of stellar populations (i.e. age, chemical composition, initial mass function etc.) and their impact on the integrated spectral energy distribution of stellar systems in the different aggregation scales observed in the Universe. This includes stellar clusters, disks and galactic bulges, galaxy clusters etc.

Course contents

  • Simple Stellar populations, scale relationships of stars as tracers to date galaxies 
  • Spectral characterization of galaxies along the different morphologycal types 
  • Semi-analytical models of spectrophotometric evolution
  • The UV-upturn phenomenon in elliptical galaxies and related cosmologica tests
  • Planetary Nebulae and other stellar tracers of the diffuse intergalactic background
  • Composite stellar populations
  • Star Formation Rate and photometric evolution of disks in spiral galaxies
  • Mass-to-light ratio and evolutionary implications for extragalactic systems
  • The Schmidt Law and constant birthrate models. Downsizing properties and galactic genesis
  • Narrow-band spectrophotometric systems (Lick in the optical wavelength range and Fanelli in the ultraviolet)
  • Photometric entropy and the Tonry-Schneider method for galaxy surface brightness fluctuations
  • Redshift effects on the Spectral Energy Distribution of galaxies
  • Passive and evolutionary k-correction
  • Schechter galaxy luminosity function and its cosmic evolution
  • Apparent colors of high-redshift galaxies. Dropout objects
  • Meta-galaxies and Madau-Lilly plots on the cosmic star formation
  • Readings/Bibliography

    We will especially focus on the study and critical discussion of original papers and reviews (mainly Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, and Fundamental Cosmic Physics) appeared in the international literature. The course will also be complemented by multimedia material on the internet and in electronic form.

    Teaching methods

    48 hours oral classes, including in-depth discussion on the main issues and solution of applied problems

    Assessment methods

    Oral examination

    Teaching tools

    Power-point shows.

    Links to further information

    http://www.bo.astro.it/~eps/lezioni/lezioni.html

    Office hours

    See the website of Alberto Buzzoni