White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars and Black Holes
Module PH2129
Basic Information
PH2129 is a semester module in German or English language at Master’s level which is offered in winter semester.
If not stated otherwise for export to a non-physics program the student workload is given in the following table.
| Total workload | Contact hours | Credits (ECTS) |
|---|---|---|
| 150 h | 40 h | 5 CP |
Responsible coordinator of the module PH2129 is Ewald Müller.
Content, Learning Outcome and Preconditions
Content
formation and properties of white dwarfs;
equation of state of an ideal Fermi gas;
polytropic gas spheres; Chandrasekhar mass;
fundamentals of General Relativity;
formation and properties of neutron stars;
equation of state of matter at high densities;
non-rotating black holes: the Schwarzschild solution;
rotating black holes: the Kerr solution;
test particle motion in the gravitational field of a black hole;
thermodynamics of black holes and Hawking radiation
Learning Outcome
After successful participation in this module the student is able to:
1. to comprehend and explain the basic equations describing compact astrophysical objects;
2. to explain the formation of compact astrophysical objects and to understand their basic structural and microscopic properties;
3. to comprehend the importance of relativistic effects for a proper describtion of compact astrophysical objects
4. to describe the properties distinguishing black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs
Preconditions
Courses, Learning and Teaching Methods and Literature
Courses and Schedule
| Type | SWS | Title | Lecturer(s) | Dates | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VO | 2 | White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars and Black Holes | Müller, E. |
singular or moved dates |
Learning and Teaching Methods
Media
Literature
Module Exam
Description of exams and course work
In an oral exam the learning outcome is tested using comprehension questions and sample problems.
In accordance with §12 (8) APSO the exam can be done as a written test. In this case the time duration is 60 minutes.
Exam Repetition
The exam may be repeated at the end of the semester.