Module manager: Dr Catherine Walsh
Email: C.Walsh1@Leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
Level 2 Physics or equivalent
| PHAS5140M | Star and Planet Formation |
PHYS3281
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Stars and their surrounding planetary systems form material within large, cold, and dense molecular clouds found throughout the interstellar medium. The study of the physical processes underpinning the formation of stars and planets is fundamental for understanding the origin of the mass distribution of stars in galaxies, the formation of our Solar System, and potential sources of the vast diversity of extra-solar planetary systems now known to be orbiting nearby stars in the Milky Way. This module will instruct on the physics governing i) the formation of stars, ii) the impact of young stars on their immediate environment, and iii) the birth and evolution of (exo)planetary systems. Also covered will be current knowledge based on observations across multiple wavelengths from state-of-the-art telescopes.
On completion of this module, students should be able to ...
Make effective use of physics skills and knowledge to applications in Astrophysics.
Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge, understanding and application of:
1. - The physical conditions under which stars form in interstellar clouds;
2. - The physical processes that occur during the collapse of a gas cloud to form a star;
3. - The observational tools used, and evidence for, discs, jet, and outflows from young stars;
4. - The physical mechanisms of planet formation within circumstellar discs;
5. - Current knowledge in this field, and its limitations.
Skills Learning Outcomes
a) The ability to solve physical problems using mathematics.
b) Critical analysis and interpretation of astronomical observations.
c) Synthesis and communication of information in the published literature.
I. Sites of Star Formation: the interstellar medium, molecular clouds, interstellar dust.
II. Gravitational Collapse: cloud equilibrium and stability, the collapse of dense cloud cores, fragmentation, protostars, accretion discs.
III. Feedback: jets, molecular outflows, HII regions, triggered star formation.
IV. Planet Formation: protoplanetary discs, disc evolution, the formation of the Solar System, models of planet formation, exoplanets.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| Lecture | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Private study hours | 167 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 33 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Private Study Time is 167 hours.
Feedback on coursework.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
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