Project Proposals

The evaluation of the course is either by oral examination, or by a written project report ("afløsningsopgave") of about 20 pages. A number of projects are possible. For more detailed information, contact one of us for a discussion .

Here are the main areas, and the corresponding questions that the projects could address:

Supersonic MHD Turbulence and Star Formation

Numerical MHD simulations of  conditions similar to those in cold molecular clouds.  Current questions: What controls the distribution of the mass of newborn stars (the Initial Mass Function)? How does it scale with physical conditions?  What was it like in the early Universe? In star burst galaxies? A very hot topic, where we are at the forefront :-!

Contacts: Åke Nordlund, Paolo Padoan

Astrophysical Jets

Hydrodynamics and magnetohydrodynamics of jets from newborne stars, and / or from AGNs. Current questions include: What determines the distribution of the background magnetic field in the accretion disc, and what is the consequence for the collimation of the jet?   What is the role of magnetic instabilities - are global ones such as kinks destructive?  Are local ones that lead to dissipation stabilizing?  What determines the "mass loading" of the jet?

Contacts: Åke Nordlund, Rachid Ouyed

Gamma Ray Bursts

Hydrodynamics and magnetohydrodynamics near black holes: e.g., construction and visualization of self-consistent numerical solutions of "collapsars" / "hypernovae" - rapidly accreting black holes resulting from the collapse of high mass stars. This is another very hot research topic, where we have a chance to advance right up to the forefront of GRB research.

Contacts: Åke Nordlund, Axel Brandenburg, Rachid Ouyed, Össi Rögnvaldsson