Teaching

Lecture notes and homework assignments available here (password is required to prevent automated searches and will be provided in class).

Computational Astrophysics

(This course was given in winter semester 2007/2008, winter semester 2008/2009, winter semester 2009/2010 and winter semester 2010/2011 at Technische Universität München, the last two times together with Ewald Müller. In the winter semesters 2011/2012, 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 it was taught at Universität Würzburg together with Christian Klingenberg. Now it is offered again:)

Summer semester 2015 at Universität Heidelberg.
Mondays 2\–4pm(lecture) 4pm (tutorial) Philosophenweg 13, kleiner Hörsaal

Course starts on Monday, April 13, 2015.

Slides shown in the course are available (password is required to prevent automated searches and will be provided in class).

Syllabus

The subject of astrophysics are complex objects and phenomena. Seeking for a theoretical understanding, a realistic description is required. To this end, computers have become a major tool of research and with ever more powerful computational resources and modern numerical techniques, a detailed modeling of astrophysical objects has become feasible. Based on general strategies to numerically model astrophysical phenomena, the course aims at describing some recent developments in computational astrophysics. The folowing topics will be covered:

astrophysical concepts
numerical concepts
modeling gravity
computational fluid dynamics
modeling nuclear reactions
magnetohydrodynamics
turbulence
modeling radiative transfer

Theoretical Astrophysics (Theoretische Astrophysik)

Summer semester 2013, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg

(before: Summer semester 2012 and summer semester 2011 at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg and summer semester 2007, summer semester 2009 [then together with W. Hillebrandt], summer semester 2010 [together with H.-Th. Janka] at Technische Universität München)

Thursdays (lecture) and Fridays (tutorial), 11am – 1pm, Campus Hubland Nord, Emil-Fischer-Str. 31, Seminarraum 31.01.017

Course starts on Thursday, April 18, 2013, 11:15am.

Course given in German or English upon request.

Lecture notes and homework assignments are available (password is required to prevent automated searches and will be provided in class).

Syllabus

The aim of this course is to review the aspects of theoretical physics that play an important role in astrophysical phenomena. This provides fundamental tools for a theoretical description of the underlying processes. Each topic is illustrated with astrophysical examples.

Review of the interrelations between astrophysical research areas and the main disciplines of physics
Celestial mechanics
Statistical physics, thermodynamics, and the astrophysical equation of state
Fundamentals of stellar structure and evolution
Fundamentals of radiation transport
Fundamentals of hydrodynamics, fluid discontinuities and fluid instabilities
Dynamical phenomena in astrophysics: White dwarfs, Chandrasekhar mass and thermonuclear supernovae, Gravitational collapse, neutron stars and neutrino driven supernovae

General Relativity (Allgemeine Relativitätstheorie)

Summer semester 2013, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg

Tuesdays (lecture) and Thursdays (tutorial), 8am – 10am, Campus Hubland Nord, Emil-Fischer-Str. 31, Seminarraum 31.01.008

Course starts on Tuesday, April 16, 2013, 8:15am.

Course given in German or English upon request.

Homework assignments (password is required to prevent automated searches and will be provided in class).

Syllabus

The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to the theory of General Relativity, its description of gravitation and applications to astrophysical topics:

Gravitation and curved spacetime
Riemannian geometry
Tensor calculus
Fundamentals of differential geometry
Einstein's equations
Black holes
Gravitational waves
Cosmological world models

White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, and Black Holes – Compact Objects in Astrophysics

(In the module “Modern Astrophysics” a new course is offered:)

Winter semester 2012/2013 at Universität Würzburg.
Tuesdays (lecture) and Thursdays (tutorial), 8am – 10pm, Campus Hubland Nord, Emil-Fischer-Str. 31, Seminarraum 31.01.017

Course starts on Tuesday, October 23, 2012.

Slides shown in the course are available (password is required to prevent automated searches and will be provided in class).

Syllabus

The folowing topics will be covered:

formation, occurrence and appearence of astrophysical compact objects
equations of state
introduction to a general relativistic treatment
supernova explosions
modeling nuclear reactions
pulsars
black hole thermodynamics

Introduction to Astrophysics (Einführung in die Astrophysik)

together with Matthias Kadler, summer semester 2012, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
Course given in English.

course website

Hauptseminar “Astrophysik” (Seminar on astrophysics, in German)

Winter semester 2011/2012, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
together with Matthias Kadler
Presentations and handouts are available (password is required to prevent automated searches and will be provided in class).

Hauptseminar “Kosmische Explosionen” (Seminar on cosmic explosions, in German)

Summer semester 2011, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg

Schedule and Topics

Presentations and handouts are available (password is required to prevent automated searches and will be provided in class).

Introduction to Computational Astrophysics

XXIV Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days
of the Heidelberg Graduate School of Fundamental Physics and the Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Heidelberg
April 6 – 9, 2010

Slides shown in the course and example programs are available (password is required to prevent automated searches and will be provided to participants at the course.

Syllabus

The subject of astrophysics are complex objects and phenomena. Seeking for a theoretical understanding, a realistic description is required. Therefore, computers have become a major tool of research and with ever more powerful computational resources and modern numerical techniques, a detailed modeling of astrophysical objects has become feasible. I will give an introduction to basic concepts of numerical modeling in astrophysics which can serve as building blocks for developing research-oriented implementations.

Advisor Seminar on Astro-Nuclear Physics

Winter semester 2009/2010
organized by the Max Planck Institutes for Astrophysics and Extraterrestrial Physis and the Technical University of Munich
Wednesdays, 4pm – 5pm, MPE seminar room 1.1.18b, Garching

see the course webpage for more information and for the talks given in the seminar

Physical Cosmology (Physikalische Kosmologie)

Winter semester 2005/2006 at Technical University of Munich.
Course given in German.

Lecture notes are available (password is required to prevent automated searches and will be provided in class).

Syllabus

This course provides an introduction to various aspects of cosmology:

Phenomenological cosmology (distribution of energy and matter; cosmic evolution)
Relativistic cosmology (cosmological theory; models of the Universe)
Classical tests (cosmic microwave background; cosmological parameters (Hubble parameter, deceleration parameter); primordial nucleosynthesis)
The early Universe (baryon and lepton asymmetries; inflation)
Formation of structure and galaxies