Universität Wien

280424 VU Dynamics of Gravitating Systems and Thermodynamics (2025S)

6.00 ECTS (4.00 SWS), SPL 28 - Erdwissenschaften, Meteorologie - Geophysik und
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle
Mo 28.04. 16:45-18:15 Seminarraum Paläontologie "Melchior Neumayr" 2A502 5.OG UZA II

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 100 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

LECTURES: Tuesdays 13:15 - 14:45, Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum 2A122
Exercise Group 1: Thursdays 09:45-11:15, Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte
Exercise Group 2: Thursdays 11:30-13:00, Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte
Exercise Group 3: Thursdays 11:30-13:00, Littrow-Hörsaal Astronomie Sternwarte
Exercise Group 4: Mondays 16:45-18:15, UZA II: 2A502 (Seminarraum Paläontologie), except 07.04 & 02.06 in 2C193 (Seminarraum Geochemie)
NOTE: first lecture on Tuesday 4 March 2025 (no lecture Monday 3 March 2025)

  • Tuesday 04.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Thursday 06.03. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Thursday 06.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Littrow-Hörsaal Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
    Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Monday 10.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum Paläontologie "Melchior Neumayr" 2A502 5.OG UZA II
  • Tuesday 11.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Thursday 13.03. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Thursday 13.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Littrow-Hörsaal Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
    Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Monday 17.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum Paläontologie "Melchior Neumayr" 2A502 5.OG UZA II
  • Tuesday 18.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Thursday 20.03. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Thursday 20.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Littrow-Hörsaal Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
    Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Monday 24.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum Paläontologie "Melchior Neumayr" 2A502 5.OG UZA II
  • Tuesday 25.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Thursday 27.03. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Thursday 27.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Littrow-Hörsaal Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
    Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Monday 31.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum Paläontologie "Melchior Neumayr" 2A502 5.OG UZA II
  • Tuesday 01.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Thursday 03.04. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Thursday 03.04. 11:30 - 13:00 Littrow-Hörsaal Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
    Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Monday 07.04. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum Geochemie 2C193 1.OG UZA II
  • Tuesday 08.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Thursday 10.04. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Thursday 10.04. 11:30 - 13:00 Littrow-Hörsaal Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
    Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Tuesday 29.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
    Hörsaal 3 2A211 2.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Monday 05.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum Paläontologie "Melchior Neumayr" 2A502 5.OG UZA II
  • Tuesday 06.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Thursday 08.05. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Thursday 08.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Littrow-Hörsaal Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
    Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Monday 12.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum Paläontologie "Melchior Neumayr" 2A502 5.OG UZA II
  • Tuesday 13.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Thursday 15.05. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Thursday 15.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Littrow-Hörsaal Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
    Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Monday 19.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum Paläontologie "Melchior Neumayr" 2A502 5.OG UZA II
  • Tuesday 20.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Thursday 22.05. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Thursday 22.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Littrow-Hörsaal Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
    Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Monday 26.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum Paläontologie "Melchior Neumayr" 2A502 5.OG UZA II
  • Tuesday 27.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 2A120 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
    Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Monday 02.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum Geochemie 2C193 1.OG UZA II
  • Tuesday 03.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Thursday 05.06. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Thursday 05.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Littrow-Hörsaal Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
    Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Tuesday 10.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Thursday 12.06. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Thursday 12.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Littrow-Hörsaal Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
    Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Monday 16.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum Paläontologie "Melchior Neumayr" 2A502 5.OG UZA II
  • Tuesday 17.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Monday 23.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum Paläontologie "Melchior Neumayr" 2A502 5.OG UZA II
  • Tuesday 24.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Thursday 26.06. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Thursday 26.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Littrow-Hörsaal Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
    Seminarraum 1 Astronomie Sternwarte, Türkenschanzstraße 17
  • Monday 30.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum Paläontologie "Melchior Neumayr" 2A502 5.OG UZA II
  • Tuesday 01.07. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 Eduard Suess, 2A122 1.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum
  • Tuesday 08.07. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 3 2A211 2.OG UZA II Geo-Zentrum

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Content of the course:
* Celestial Mechanics: orbit parameters, virial theorem, Kepler's laws, N-body problems, Lagrange points
* Thermodynamics: thermodynamics of ideal gas
* Galactic dynamics: time scales, distribution functions, Jeans equations, potential-density pairs, dynamical friction, collisional and collisionless analysis

Lectures will be in person only, and derivations will be carried out on the blackboard.

By the end of the course, students should be able to explain the physical concepts behind the course's topics, and apply them to practical cases.

Assessment and permitted materials

The grading of the course will be based on 3 written exams taking place on the following dates:
* Exam 1: Tuesday 29 April 2025
* Exam 2: Tuesday 27 May 2025
* Exam 3: Tuesday 8 July 2025

There will be no replacement exams and no additional grading measures will be taken into account.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The course counts as successfully passed when the student acquires from the 3 written exams a cumulative total of >60% of all possible points.

The 3 written exams are weighted as follows:
* Exam 1: 30 per cent
* Exam 2: 30 per cent
* Exam 3: 40 per cent

The final grade x is calculated in the following way:
* x > 90%:1 (excellent)
* 80% < x ≤ 90%: 2 (good)
* 70% < x ≤ 80%: 3 (satisfactory)
* 60% < x ≤ 70%: 4 (sufficient)
* x ≤ 60%: 5 (fail)

Examination topics

The exam questions will be based on the content of the lectures and exercises.

Reading list

No lecture script will be provided.

The following books are recommended for parts of the course:
* Murray & Dermott, "Solar system dynamics"
* Nolting, "Theoretical Physics 4/2 - Thermodynamics"
* Nolting, "Theoretical Physics 6 - Statistical physics"
* Bertin, "Dynamics of galaxies"
* Binney & Tremaine, "Galactic Dynamics"

Association in the course directory

TAP1; PM-TAP

Last modified: Mo 14.04.2025 11:26