Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23
None
Available as a Free Standing Elective
No
Successful completion of level 2 Physics/Astrophysics
This module aims to introduce several key numerical and computational techniques in the context ofpreviously acquired skills in Mathematics and Computing. The student&©s understanding of these techniques will be developed by application to a variety of physical and astrophysical situations.
Aims
To develop an understanding of the basis of numerical techniques in Physics and Astrophysics;To develop the skills of writing, compiling and testing computer programs, which use appropriate algorithms to solve specific problems in Physics and Astrophysics;To develop skills in presenting the results of computational calculations.
Intended Learning Outcomes
To have systematic understanding of the principles behind a variety of computational and numerical techniques that are commonly used in physical and astrophysical research [1, 2, 3].Students will acquire the knowledge to identify the appropriateness of computational and numerical approaches in a variety of situations and be able to deploy them appropriately [1, 2, 3].To acquire skills in using a high-level computational language to implement and apply numerical techniques to physical and astrophysical problems [1, 2, 3].To demonstrate the ability to communicate the results of numerical calculations in written and graphical formats [1, 2, 3].
12 hours of lectures on numerical and computational methods24 hours practical computational classes12 hours problem sheets24 hours project work and report78 hours examination revision and private study
Description of Module Assessment
1: Class Test weighted 40%2 hour practical open-book test - not scheduled on Exam TimetableA two hour unseen "open book" practical test, with a choice of two from three questions. The questions will test whether
students can correctly identify and use numerical techniques and write, test and debug short programs using appropriate
reference material.
2: Exercise weighted 20%2 problem sheetsTwo problem sheets which will require students to demonstrate their programming skills and that they can apply newly
learned numerical techniques to problems in Physics and Astrophysics.
3: Project weighted 40%2000 word projectA short, self-contained attempt to tackle a Physics/Astrophysics problem that will require the student to design, write and
test a piece of software and write a short report (2000 words) which describes their approach and presents the results.