The course is given in the second semester,
Monday 14:00-16:0 and Thursday
9-10, Shenkar Physics 204
The aim of this course is that the student, given an
scientific question, will determine the observations needed to answer
the question, form an observing program, select the platform, plan the
observations and analyse the data. The class is required for all
observers,
and recommended for theorists who want to know how much to believe
their data.
Most references are on the Web and will be linked to here. Among
physical books, Kitchen's Observational Techniques (in the Library) and
Cox's Astrophysical Quantities are always good to have.
The grade will be based on exercises and the final exam, probably
50-50.
Syllabus:
- The Celestial Sphere. Terrestrial, Solar, and Galactic
setting. Signal Degradation
- The Phase Space Of Astronomical Measurment. The EM Spectrum. The
Telescope.
- Basic Photometry:
- Bands, filters, S/N, calibration.
- Optical detectors: the eye, photographic plates, CCDs and beyond.
- Shorter than optical: UV, X-ray, Gamma ray detectors and
techniques.
- Longer than optical, single antenna systems: detectors and
special techniques for infrared and millimeter.
- Interferometers, mostly radio and IR.
- Basic Spectroscopy:
- Resolution, Spectral Range, Calibration
- Filters, Prisms, and Gratings
- Interferometers
- Data Mining, Statistics, The Great Observatories
Reading (will be updated throughout course)
The
Atmosphere:
Absorption,
Refraction
and
Seeing
Excellent
Notes
on
Optics. Lectures 9 and 10, especially.
Transferring
Between
Photometric
Systems
Old but Good
CCD reference
Great and
very detailed IR Array reference
THE
basic
handbook
on
diffraction
gratings
, which are possibly the single
most important piece of optics in all of physcs, so check it out.
Problem
Set 1--Due March 21
Problem
Set 2--Due April 13
Problem
Set 3--Due June 2