Fluid Dynamics in Astrophysics

For the 2025 SS semester

Syllabus

Instructor: Yosuke Mizuno
Office: Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, N651
Email: mizuno@sjtu.edu.cn

Class hours: Friday, 15:40- (8-10 period)
Place: TBD

1. Course Description:

Dynamics is a fundamental physical process in the Universe on all scales. This course will provide an introduction to the mathematical and physical properties of hydrodynamics and its extension to magnetized fluids, i.e. magnetohydrodynamics in astrophysics. We start from overview of fluids and plasmas in astrophysics, the equations of hydrodynamics will be derived and their most important properties such as waves, shocks, and instabilities will be discussed. We will deal with neutrally charged and magnetized plasmas and discuss the basic features of ideal magnetohydrodynamics, the associated nonlinear waves, and instabilities. The final part of the lecture will provide the astrophysical applications (accretion flows, turbulences, magnetic reconnections) in the Universe.

2. Text:

None required. Lecture notes will be posted on my website before the subject.

3. References:

  1. C.J. Clarke & R.F. Carswell, 2007 “Principles of Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics” (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK)
  2. L. Rezzolla & O. Zanotti, 2013 “Relativistic Hydrodynamics” (Oxford University Press, Oxford UK)
  3. J. Goedbloed & S. Poedts, 2004 “Principles of Magnetohydrodynamics: With Applications to Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas” (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK)
  4. E.R. Priest, 1982, “Solar Magnetohydrodynamics” (Springer, Netherlands)

4. Lecture Notes

Ch 0: Introduction
Ch 1: Basic Concepts of Fluid
Ch 2: Hydrodynamic Equations
Ch 3: Kinetic Properties of Fluid
Ch 4: Gravity & Hydrostatic Equilibrium
Ch 5: Waves in Fluid
Ch 6: Shocks and Discontinuities
Ch 7: Fluid Instabilities
Ch 8: Viscous Flows
Ch 9: Introduction of Plasma
Ch 10: Single Particle Motion
Ch 11: Magnetohydrodynamic Equations
Ch 12: MHD Waves and Shocks
Ch 13: Instabilities in Plasma
Ch 14: Accretion flows and outflows
Ch 15: Turbulences
Ch 16: Magnetic reconnections

Appendix