ASTRO 508: Hydro- and Magnetohydro-dynamics

Fall Quarter, 2020, TTh 1:30-2:50PM on Zoom.

Lecture notes will be available from the

canvas course pages

Recommended (but not required) books

Shu, F. The Physics of Astrophysics, Volume II: Gas Dynamics, 1992.

Pringle, J. & King, A. Astrophysical Flows, 2007.

Mihalas, D. & Weibel-Mihalas, B. Foundations of Radiation Hydrodynamics, 1999.

Chandrasekhar, S. Hydrodynamic and Hydromagnetic Stability, 1961.

Landau, L. D. & Lifshitz, E.M. Fluid Mechanics, 1959.

Outline

1. Equations and First applications
   1. Fundamental equations

      Mass, momentum and energy conservation without dissipation: Euler equations

   2. First application

      Convection

   3. Fundamental equations with dissipation

      Navier-Stokes equations

   4. MHD Fundamental Equations
   5. Magnetohydrostatics
   6. Convection in magnetic fields
   7. Supersonic Flow and Shocks
2. Numerical Methods
   1. Eulerian Methods
   2. Lagrangian Methods
3. Further applications
   1. Alven and magneto-sonic waves
   2. Hydromagnetic shocks
   3. Supernova remnants
   4. Stellar Winds
   5. Accretion disks
   6. Turbulence
   7. Compressible Turbulence

Evaluation

1. Problem Sets: 70%
2. Final: 30%, this will be take-home and open note: it will be made available after the last class of the quarter and due Dec. 17.