MTH4351 Planetary formation/Plasma phyiscs

Part 1 - To introduce the student to the mathematical basis of the Modern Laplacian theory of solar system origin and aspects of other theories relating to planetary formation within our solar system.

Part 2 - To introduce the student to the basic physics and mathematics of plasmas, with particular reference to phenomena of astrophysical plasmas.

Part 1 - Energetics of gas cloud contraction in the interstellar medium. The grain cloud hypothesis. Gravitational settling of grains in a spherical gas cloud and comet formation. Supersonic turbulent convection and the structure of the primitive solar cloud. Turbulent polytropes. The structure and dynamics of orbiting gas rings. Gravitational settling of grains in a gas ring and the first stages of planetary accretion.

Part 2 - Particle orbit theory. Macroscopic description; magnetohydrodynamics. Waves in homogeneous plasmas. Collisionless kinetic theory; Landau damping. Collisional kinetic theory; transport coefficients. Plasma radiation; bremsstrahlung, cyclotron and synchrotron radiation.