- Docente: Luca Ciotti
- Credits: 6
- SSD: FIS/05
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: In-person learning (entirely or partially)
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Astrophysics and cosmology (cod. 8018)
Learning outcomes
Working knowledge of the gravitational phenomena (potential theory,
violent relaxation, phase mixing, equilibria, stability, tidal
fields, merging, Boltzman and Jeans equations) from open clusters
to galaxy clusters scale.
Course contents
I] GENERALS
Potential theory and Green fuctions - Gravitational potential of
disk galaxies and elliptical galaxies. Collisionless
Boltzmann equation and Fokker-Planck equation. Jeans
equations and the problem of self-consistency.
II] COLLISIONAL SYSTEMS: Gravitational evaporation - gravothermal
catastrophe and gravothermal oscillations. Dynamical evolution of
globular clusters.
III] COLLISIONLESS SYSTEMS: Epicyclic approximation and Oort
constants. Density waves - Jeans theorem: King models, galaxy
models and dark matter halos.
IV] EVOLUTIONARY PHENOMENA: Violent relaxation, phase mixing and
gravitational collapse. Tidal fields: tidal shocks, tidal
heating, tidal captures - Dynamical friction - Merging.
Readings/Bibliography
Selected arguments from:
'Dynamics of galaxies' (G. Bertin, Cambridge University
Press)
'Galactic Dynamics' (J. Binney, S. Tremaine Princeton University
Press)
'Galactic Astronomy' (J. Binney, M. Merrifield Princeton
University Press)
'Dynamical evolution of globular clusters' (L. Spitzer Princeton
University Press)
'Theory of rotating stars' (J.L. Tassoul, Princeton University
Press)
'Lecture notes on stellar dynamics' (L. Ciotti Scuola Normale
Superiore Pisa)
Teaching methods
Class lectures, discussion of influential research papers on
international journals
Assessment methods
Oral exhamination
Teaching tools
Lecture notes
Office hours
See the website of Luca Ciotti