Planetary Systems

Code:

AST414

Acronym:

AST414

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Astronomy

Instance: 2012/2013 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Physics and Astronomy
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
M:AST	11	Plano de Estudos do Mestrado em Astronomia	1	-	7,5	64	202,5

Teaching language

English

Objectives

One of the main objectives of this curricular unit is to allow students to learn the main characteristics of the planets and their natural satellites, as well as of the asteroids, Kuiper Belt objects and comets, that exist in the Solar System. The most important physical, chemical and geological processes that take place in the Solar System will also be discussed. Another main objective is for the student to understand the mechanisms involved in star and planet formation, to be able to distinguish the most important methods for exoplanet search, including their limitations and futures perspectives, and to be able to describe the properties of exoplanets detected until now.

Learning outcomes and competences

It is expected that the students will acquire the competencies necessary to start research projects in topics related with the Solar System and Exoplanetology.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Inventory and Dynamics in the Solar System

1.1 General Description of the Solar System

1.2 Celestial Mechanics

1.3 Tides

2. Individual Planets, their Satellites and Rings

2.1 Terrestrial Planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Moon, Mars

2.2 Giant Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune

2.3 Determining Planetary Properties

3. Solar Heating and Energy Transport

3.1 Energy Balance and Temperature

3.2 Energy Transport

4. Planetary Atmospheres and Magnetospheres

4.1 Density and Scale Height

4.2 Thermal Structure

4.3 Atmospheric Composition

4.4 Atmospheric Escape

4.5 Atmospheric Phenomena: clouds, winds, lightning, photodissociation and aurora

4.6 Magnetospheres and their interaction with the Solar Wind

5. Planetary Surfaces

5.1 Mineralogy and Petrology

5.2 Surface Morphology

5.3 Impact Cratering

5.4 Surface Geology of Individual Bodies

6. Planetary Interiors

6.1 Modeling Planetary Interiors

6.2 Interiors of Individual Bodies

7. Minor Bodies of the Solar System

7.1 Orbits

7.2 Physical Properties

7.3 Bulk Composition and Taxonomy

7.4 Size distribution and collisions

7.5 Individual Minor Bodies

7.6 Origin and Evolution of Minor Bodies

8. Planet Formation

8.1 Evolution of Protoplanetary Disks

8.2 Growth of Solid Bodies

8.3 Formation of the Terrestrial and Giant planets

8.4 Planetary Migration

8.5 Exoplanet Formation Models

9. Exoplanet Search Methods

9.1 Direct imaging

9.2 Astrometry

9.3 Radial-velocity

9.4 Transits

9.5 Other Planet-search Techniques

10. Observations of Exoplanets

10.1 First Detections

10.2 The Zoo of Planets

10.3 Statistical Properties of Exoplanets

10.4 The Planet-host Stars: metallicity and mass

Mandatory literature

I. de Pater and J. J. Lissauer; Planetary Sciences, 2011
M . Perryman; The Exoplanet Handbook, 2011

Complementary Bibliography

D. A. Rothery, N. McBride and I. Gilmour; An Introduction to the Solar System, 2011
J. S. Lewis; Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System, 2004
H. Karttunen et al.; Fundamental Astronomy, 2007
B. H. Carroll and D. A. Ostlie; Modern Astrophysics, 2006

Teaching methods and learning activities

In the traditional lecture classes the lecturer discusses the contents of the program, often with the help of multimedia materials, followed by examples of application and problem solving when appropriate. In tutorial classes students develop a practical work under the guidance of the lecturer.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Description	Type	Time (hours)	Weight (%)	End date
	Exame		70,00
	Trabalho escrito		30,00
	Total:	-	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Description	Type	Time (hours)	End date
	Frequência das aulas	64
	Total:	64,00

Eligibility for exams

In the final exam students are required to obtain a minimum classification of 8 in 20.

Calculation formula of final grade

The final classification is given by: Nf=0.7*Ex+0.2*Tr1+0.1*Tr2 where Nf is the final classification (cannot be below 10 in a scale of 0 to 20), Ex is the classification in the final exam (cannot be below 8 in a scale of 0 to 20) and Tr1 and Tr2 are the classifications in the two planned work tasks (between 0 and 20).

Examinations or Special Assignments

Two work tasks will be given to all students, and their overall classification will have a weight of 30 per cent towards the final classification. At the end of the planned work tasks the student must submit a brief report describing the results.

Classification improvement

The improvement of the final classification can be made only by improving the classification in the written exam, that will still have a weigh of 70 percent in the final classification. It will not be possible to improve the classification in the work tasks.