Radio Astronomy: Tools, Applications, Impacts - astro841
| Course | Radio Astronomy: Tools, Applications, Impacts |
|---|---|
| Course No. | astro841 |
| Category | Type | Language | Teaching hours | CP | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elective | Lecture with exercises | English | 3+1 | 6 | WT |
Preparation: Good knowledge of electrodynamics, atomic physics, and astronomy
Form of Testing and Examination: Requirements for the examination (written or oral): successful work with the exercises
Length of Course: 1 semester
Aims of the Course: An introduction to modern radio astronomy, its history, methods, and research potentials is given. The goals are to equip the student with the background and know-how to analyze and interpret data from modern single-dish and interferometer radio telescopes, and to enable them to motivate and write radioastronomical observing proposals. Aperture synthesis techniques are explained at some depth. The lecture is furnished with numerous examples demonstrating the versatility and power of radioastronomical tools
Contents of the Course: Radiation: processes, propagation; Signal detection; Radio telescopes: properties, types; Receivers: heterodyne, bolometers; Backends: continuum, spectroscopy, pulsars; Interferometers: Fourier optics, aperture synthesis; imaging; Future: APEX, ALMA, LOFAR.
Recommended Literature:
B. F. Burke; F. Graham-Smith, An Introduction to Radio Astronomy (Cambridge University Press 2002)
T. L. Wilson; C. Rohlfs; Tools of Radio Astronomy (Springer, Heidelberg 4. rev. und erw. Ed. 2006)
J. D. Kraus; Radio Astronomy (Cygnus-Quasar Books, Durham 2. Aufl. 1986)
R.A. Perley; F. R. Schwab, A.H. Bridle; Synthesis Imaging in Radio Astronomy, 3rd NRAO Summer School 1988 (Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, 1989)
A. R. Thompson, J. M. Moran, G.W. Swenson, Interferometry and Synthesis in Radio Astronomy (Wiley & Sons, Weinheim 2. Aufl. 2001)
Lecture Notes (U. Klein)