AS5524 Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics

Academic year

2024 to 2025 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 11

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

Available only to students on MSc Astrophysics.

Module Staff

TBC

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

Module description

Fluid dynamics is the study of all things that 'flow', whether they are liquids or gases. The underlying concepts and techniques taught in this course are of wide ranging use, finding application in such diverse problems as the collision of galaxies, spacecraft re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, or the structure and stability of fusion plasmas. Closer to home, the behaviour of fluid flows can readily be observed in rivers, on shorelines and in cloud formations. Fluid mechanics describes the types of flows that result from different forces (such as gravity). It explains how (and why) flows become supersonic and when they may become unstable. These basic principles can then be applied to a variety of problems. In addition to introducing the concepts of fluid dynamics, and describing their application, this course will provide the students with the opportunity to develop the numerical skills required for a computational approach to the problem.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

REGISTRATION ON MSC ASTROPHYSICS.

Co-requisites

YOU MUST ALSO TAKE AS5500

Assessment pattern

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

Re-assessment

Oral re-assessment = 100%, capped at grade 7

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

3 lectures and some tutorials.

Scheduled learning hours

28

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

Guided independent study hours

122

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

Additional information from school

Aims & Objectives

  • To present an introduction to fluid dynamics, focussing particularly on the underlying physics including the use of conservation relations (mass, momentum, energy) to describe flows
  • a physical understanding of vorticity and its evolution in a flow
  • the role of viscosity and its effect on flows at boundaries
  • the use of conservation relations to describe the behaviour of fluids at a shock
  • the onset of simple instabilities

 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module students will have an understanding of the physics of fluid flow as presented in the lectures and will be able to:

 

  • apply conservation relations to determine the properties of given flow patterns
  • determine the vorticity of a flow and describe its behaviour
  • use Bernoulli's equation to analyse simple flows - describe the role of viscosity and solve for simple ideal fluid flows
  • use the shock relations to relate fluid properties on each side of a shock
  • describe and calculate the onset of simple instabilities

 

Synopsis

Introduction of Lagrangian and Eulerian derivatives. Derivation of the vector form of the equations of conservation of mass, momentum and energy. Brief review of simple equations of state. Introduction of the concept of vorticity and the essentials of vorticity dynamics. Bernoulli's equation with simple examples. De Laval nozzle flow and transition to supersonic flow. Basic introduction to viscosity and its importance in boundary layers. Reynolds number. Sound waves and formation of shocks. Conservation relations. Simple treatment of instabilities (convection, Rayleigh-Taylor, Kelvin-Helmholtz).

 

Recommended Books

Please view University online record:

http://resourcelists.st-andrews.ac.uk/modules/as5524.html

 

General Information

Please also read the general information in the School's Honours handbook that is available via https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/physics-astronomy/students/ug/timetables-handbooks/.