Astrophysics

The Observational Astrophysics Workshop 1 is an initiation to the realization of an observational study (photometry or spectroscopy) of astrophysical objects (stars, nebulae) at the M1 level. The students carry out all the steps from the planning and the realization of the observations at the astronomical observatory of the Faculty of Sciences, to the calibration and the analysis of the obtained data. This module is designed as a preparation for the M2 module Observational Astrophysics Workshop 2 (HAP905P).

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In this course, we study the theory of general relativity, i.e. the modern description of universal gravitation. After some reminders of special relativity, we will familiarize ourselves with the basic concepts of general relativity from some particular solutions of these equations in well identified physical contexts: weak field at the Earth's surface, geometry around an isolated spherical star, universe at large scales. This will allow us to generalize our understanding and to build the theory, then to deduce the field equations, i.e. Einstein's equations. The course will end with a discussion of black holes and gravitational waves.

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This course aims at providing basic notions in astronomy and astrophysics, which will be useful in the other astrophysics courses of the master. It is also an illustration of the application of the concepts of physics for the description of astrophysical objects. Most of the concepts discussed will be further developed in the^2nd year courses.

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Fluids are all around us all the time at all scales. To understand fluid mechanics is to understand the mechanics of what surrounds us: air and water in particular. As such, hydrodynamics is part of the physicist's basic knowledge.

The UE Hydrodynamics is an introduction to incompressible perfect (Euler) and viscous Newtonian (Navier-Stokes) fluid mechanics. The classical flows are presented, as well as the notion of boundary layer, instability and turbulence. Emphasis is placed more on physical ideas than on advanced mathematical or numerical resolution methods.

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English tutorials for students in the Master 1 Physics program who are aiming for professional autonomy in scientific English.

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This teaching is part of the foundation of modern physics. It provides a foundation of knowledge that is strictly necessary for all courses in physics since it lays the foundation for the theoretical description of the interaction between the electromagnetic field and elementary quantum elements such as two-level systems, atoms and molecules. It also provides the necessary teaching for the understanding of LASER, modern optical devices, and spectroscopic methods and analyses.

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This module aims to allow students to confront the experimental reality with their theoretical knowledge. Particular attention is paid to the writing of results and their presentation in the form of oral communication. The work is organized in eight-hour sessions for which a theme is chosen by the students. They record their results and analyses in an experimental notebook based on the model of the protocols used in laboratories. At the end of the semester, the student chooses a theme, which he develops in the form of a final report that he presents orally. This teaching is a preparation for the internships carried out by the students during their studies.

Examples of experiments available: optical spectroscopy (IR, Visible), gamma, X-ray, acoustic; low temperature photoluminescence; near field spectroscopy (AFM, STM); electron microscopy...

The panel of experiments proposed covers the fields of physics taught in the different Physics courses. The student has to choose among the different experiments those which seem to him the closest to his interests. An important effort is made to integrate the new technologies of data acquisition and the use of computer tools in order to compare experiment and theory.

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This UE includes a refresher and deepening of programming techniques as well as an introduction to numerical physics. We will start with a review of procedural programming with the Python 3 language. Then we will take an in-depth look at numerical methods relevant to physics, studying a selection of classical algorithms from numerical analysis and applying them to physical problems.

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This course is an introduction to astroparticle physics (cosmic gas pedals, gamma rays, multi-messengers, experimental techniques, ...).

The course builds on the knowledge acquired in L3 to offer students a brief introduction to astroparticle physics. After a description of the general context, two examples of detectors in gamma-ray astronomy will be detailed, followed by an introduction to the physics of multi-messenger astrophysics (in particular via the detection of gravitational waves). The course will then address the physics of cosmic rays (CR), the problem of acceleration and propagation of CRs and the hypothesis of Supernova remnants as galactic gas pedals of CRs (description of the first order Fermi acceleration mechanism).

The course will conclude with a description of the cosmological challenges of future large field surveys on the ground and in space (LSST and Euclid in particular).

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This course aims at introducing and developing several fundamental concepts and tools of non-relativistic quantum physics necessary to understand the physical processes describing the interactions between the elementary constituents of matter and radiation. The second quantization and the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics will also be discussed as they represent the ideal framework for the development of quantum field theory and its various applications (e.g. high energy physics, condensed matter physics).

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Introduction to advanced statistical physics: grand canonical set; quantum statistics; quantum fluids (Bose-Einstein condensation, thermal radiation; Sommerfeld theory); phase transitions; Ising model; mean field theory; dynamics of complex systems.

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This course is an introduction to the Standard Model of Particle Physics. We will first make an inventory of the elementary particles and their interactions. Then we will see how to use the theory of Lie groups to classify these elementary particles. Finally we will discuss the notion of electromagnetic interactions for charged particles without spin (scalar electrodynamics theory).

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Fluid mechanics is a fundamental tool for the sciences of the Universe: from the Earth and giant planets to stars, accretion disks and the interstellar medium, it is an essential approach for studying astrophysical objects. The "Fluid Dynamics in Astrophysics and Cosmology" course is a deepening of the "Hydrodynamics" course organized around 3 central themes in astrophysics: rotating fluids, thermal convection, and magnetohydrodynamics.

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This 7-week internship (usually from ~ end of April to end of June) (10 ECTS) will give the student a first contact with the world of research in astrophysics, cosmology or particle physics. Internships at the intersection of these disciplines, more commonly called "astroparticles" are also proposed. The internships can have a more theoretical or more experimental orientation depending on the choice of the students and the supervisors.

This internship can be done in a research laboratory in France or abroad. However, traditionally it takes place in one of the two UMR of the University Montpellier 2, the Laboratory Universe and Particles of Montpellier (LUPM, IN2P3) or the Charles Coulomb Laboratory (L2C, INP).

The internship will allow the student to interact with a research team (national and/or international) and to begin to discover the research topics that he or she will prefer to develop in the future.

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This course will cover the broad outlines of star and planetary system formation in two parts of equal length. Star formation will deal with the stability of equilibrium and stable clouds, the collapse of dense cores, protostars and their evolution, and the impact of young stars on their environment. Planetary formation will use solar system constraints and extrasolar planet detections to address the structure and evolution of protoplanetary disks, and the formation of telluric and giant planets.

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TD courses in English, for students in the Master 2 Physics program, aiming at professional insertion in English in a contemporary context.

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This course covers the basics necessary for a good understanding of the physics of atmospheres and stellar winds. The essential elements of radiation transfer theory are covered, both at ETL (local thermodynamic equilibrium) and outside ETL, as well as the description of the gas (equation of state) and its interaction with the radiation field (opacities). Modern models and simulations are presented with their application to the determination of stellar parameters, in particular the chemical composition, via spectroscopy. The different types of stellar winds (pressure, radiative, hybrid) are described via theories compared to observations.

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During the UE Observational Astrophysics Workshop 2, the students must carry out all the steps of an observational astrophysical study. From the definition of the spectroscopic or photometric observations to be carried out during a 4-night stay at the Haute-Provence Observatory, to the modeling and critical discussion of their measurements and the writing of a scientific report, the students are actors of this teaching.

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The objective is to present the various observations and associated theoretical concepts - called cosmological probes - that have allowed the accreditation of the so-called "concordance" ΛCDM cosmological model. The EU is divided into chapters of roughly equal size. It is complemented by a series of seminars presented by the students (flipped classroom) and deepening more observational and technical aspects (based on a publication of a large collaboration).

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Interstellar medium: physicochemical processes - phases - radio astronomy.

This UE allows to acquire notions on the physico-chemical processes important for the interstellar medium (dynamic, thermal and chemical processes) as well as on the associated observational diagnostics (molecular spectroscopy, radioastronomy). The main phases of the interstellar medium (ionized, atomic and molecular phases) are also presented.

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This course lays the foundations of our knowledge of the formation and evolution of galaxies, from the astrophysical processes at play at small scales concerning star formation to the environmental effects at very large scales. A double approach will be used, with on the one hand theoretical aspects and on the other hand observational aspects.

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A large part of our understanding of the Universe relies on the understanding and accurate modeling of stars. Stars constitute a very important part of the integrated light of galaxies, they are major contributors to the chemical and dynamical evolution of galaxies. In this course, we will discuss the physics describing the stellar structure and we will study how this structure evolves over time in the case of isolated stars.

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4-month internship in a laboratory with the aim of immersing students in the world of research and preparing them for their thesis.

This internship can be done in a research laboratory in France or abroad.

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This course introduces the instruments of astrophysics and the signal processing tools associated with their operation.

The focus is on high angular resolution and high contrast instruments (interferometry, adaptive optics, coronography,...).

In addition, this course introduces the basics of digital signal processing and presents a general methodology, based on a modeling of instrumental effects, for image reconstruction or optimal exploitation of measurements.

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Astrophysics research is based on various approaches (observations, theory, modeling, simulation) which all have in common the use of advanced numerical tools.

In order to prepare M2 Astrophysics students for a research activity, this module proposes to them, in a different framework from the internship, to carry out an individual digital work on a project proposed by a tutor concerning the use and/or the development of a professional level code to answer a precise astrophysical question.

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