ASTROFÍSICA COMPUTACIONAL (AFC)

In this course, students should gain a basic insight on those (magneto-) hydrodynamic processes governing the formation and evolution of astrophysical objects and cosmological inhomogeneities, paying particular attention to understand the corresponding equations and algorithms to solve them. The course will be rather theoretical and will be the basis for the subject "Applications of Computational Astrophysics".

Conocimientos

1. Equations governing the evolution of classical fluids and magneto-fluids.
2. Equations governing the evolution of relativistic fluids and magneto-fluids.
3. Equations governing the evolution of cosmological inhomogeneities.
4. Summary of numerical algorithms for hyperbolic systems of conservation laws.

Habilidades

1. Understanding that the numerical simulation in Astrophysics can be assimilated to a virtual laboratory that permits to validate theory and observations.
2. Understanding the basic differences between fluid models valid in distinct astrophysical regimes, ranging from the Newtonian regime to the relativistic, ideal, magneto-hydrodynamics one.
3. Understanding why the hyperbolic, parabolic or elliptic character of the equations governing the evolution of fluids in different physical regimes requests of properly suited numerical methods for their solution.

Competencias

1. Gain a general overview of different astrophysical and cosmological scenarios where the numerical modelling plays a fundamental role.

Classes will build up concepts in a structured fashion. The basic theoretical background in the lectures will consolidated by means of practical exercises. The practical work will consist on computer practices where the student will use programs provided by the lecturer, public domain programs -appropriately documented- or programs that will be developed by the student. The contents of the course will be available on-line.

The evaluation of the course will be based on the work developed by the students in the practical part (problems).

• Chorin, A.J., Marsden, J.E. A Mathematical Introduction to Fluid Mechanics, Springer (Chapter 3), 1990.
• Landau, L. D. & Lifshitz, E. M. Fluid Mechanics, Pergamon, 2d ed., 1987.
• LeVeque, R. J. Finite Volume Methods for Hyperbolic Problems, Cambridge U. P., 2002.
• Shore, S.N. An Introduction to Astrophysical Hydrodynamics, Academic Press, 1992.
• Toro, E. F. Riemann Solvers and Numerical Methods for Fluid Dynamics: A Practical Introduction, Springer, 2d ed., 1999.

• Martí, J.M., Müller, E. Numerical Hydrodynamics in Special Relativity, Living Reviews in Relativity: http://www.livingreviews.org/Articles/Volume2/1999-3marti/index.html, , 1999.
• Font, J.A. Numerical Hydrodynamics in General Relativity, Living Reviews in Relativity: http://www.livingreviews.org/Articles/Volume3/2000-2font/index.html, , 2000.
• Kulsrud, R. M. Plasma Physics for Astrophysics, Princeton U. P., 2004.

1. http://grape.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~hachisu/java.shtml
   



2. http://www.astro.washington.edu/balick/WFPC2/index.html
   



3. http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~icke/html/VincentPNO.html
   



4. http://jupiter.as.arizona.edu/~burrows/scidac/scidac.html
   



5. http://www.phy.ornl.gov/tsi
   



6. http://www.livingreviews.org/Articles/Volume2/1999-3marti/index.html (Sección 7.
   



7. http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~abridle/images.htm
   



8. http://www.astro.lsa.umich.edu/~phughes/icon_dir/relproj.html
   



9. http://www.livingreviews.org/Articles/Volume2/1999-3marti/index.html (Secc. 7.2)
   



10. http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast02nov99_1.htm
    



11. http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/HIGHLIGHT/2000/highlight0003_e.htm
    



12. http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/faculty/barnes/saas-fee/chapter-outline.html
    



13. http://www.MPA-Garching.MPG.DE/NumCos/
    

Calculus (differential and integral). Fortran (basic level).