ASTRO 500

Modern Observational/Instrumentation Techniques


Matthew A. Bershady

COURSE SCHEDULE / Spring 2011


Lecture Date Topic Reading (by topic #) [Key] Homework / due date
# # / title

1 T 18 Jan 1. Course overview M 1.1-1.2, 2.1-2.3, 4, 9.6; W 1, 2, Appendix-B; S 17; K 3.1; G 5, 6, 10
2 R 20 Jan     Fluxes & magnitude systems
3 T 25 Jan     Statistics and errors
4 R 27 Jan 2. Digital detectors M 1.3-1.9, 5.1, 5.5, 7-9, 11; W 8 HW-1 assigned
due 08 Feb
5 T 01 Feb     Digital detectors contd.
6 R 03 Feb 3. Telescopes and optics M 3, 6.1-6.3; W 3; S 2, 4, 6-9
7 T 08 Feb     Telescopes and optics contd. HW-1 due
solutions
8 R 10 Feb     Telescopes and optics contd.
9 T 15 Feb     Telescopes and optics contd. HW-2 assigned
Problems 1-6 due 24 Feb
Problem 7 due 08 Mar
10 R 17 Feb 4. Observing W-2
11 T 22 Feb 5. Preliminary data processing M-9,10,11
12 R 24 Feb     Preliminary data processing contd. HW-2 due: problems 1-6
solutions
13 T 01 Mar Midterm exam (in-class)
14 R 03 Mar 6. Imaging cameras M 4.1, 5.1, 7, 11.6-11.7
15 T 08 Mar     Imaging cameras contd.
16 R 10 Mar 7. Spectroscopy-I: Basics M 4.2, 5.2, 6; W 5; S 12, 13, 15; K 4; G 3, 12; Bershady 2010 "3D Spectroscopy in Astronomy"
T 15 Mar Spring Break
R 17 Mar Spring Break
17 T 22 Mar     Spectroscopy-I:
    Dispersive elements
HW-2 due: problem 7
18 R 24 Mar     Spectroscopy-I:
    Long-slit systems
19 T 29 Mar 8. Astrophotonics:
    a new era of instrumentation
    Joss Bland-Hawthorn
    (University of Sydney)
    Brittingham Scholar
Required reading:
Bland-Hawthorn et al. 2010 PIMMS: photonic integrated microspectrograph
Leon-Saval et al. 2010 Photonic lanters
Bland-Hawthorn et al. 2009 Astrophotonics: a new era for astronomical instruments
Horton & Bland-Hawthorn 2007 Coupling light into few-mode optical fibres
Bland-Hawthorn & Horton 2006 Instruments w/o optics: photonic spectrograph
Leon-Saval et al. 2005 Multimode fibers, single-mode performance
Bland-Hawthorn & Edvell Atmospheric OH suppression: aperiodic fibre Bragg grating
20 R 31 Mar     Astrophotonics:
    Discussion
21 T 05 Apr 9. Spectroscopy-II:
    MOS
Burgh et al. 2007, PASP, 119, 1069
Bershady 2010 "3D Spectroscopy in Astronomy"
HW-3 assigned
Due 14 Apr
22 R 07 Apr     Spectroscopy-II:
    reading day
23 T 12 Apr     Spectroscopy-II:
    Echelles
G12
24 R 14 Apr     Spectroscopy-II:
    WIYN Bench Spectrograph
Bershady et al. 2008
Knezek et al. 2010
HW-3 due
solutions
25 T 19 Apr     Spectroscopy-II:
    SALT RSS
26 R 21 Apr 10. Spectroscopy-III:
      Interferometry
M 5.4; W 5; S 13; K 4; G 2, 12; Bershady 2010 "3D Spectroscopy in Astronomy"
27 T 26 Apr 11. 3D spectroscopy:
      Coupling methods
Bershady 2010 "3D Spectroscopy in Astronomy"
28R 28 Apr      3D spectroscopy:
      Coupling methods contd.
29 R 03 May      3D spectroscopy:
      Coupling methods contd.
30 T 05 May      Spectroscopy-III:
      Future 3D instruments
T 10 May Final exam (take home) due



Key

  • M = McLean
  • W = Walker
  • S = Schroeder
  • K = Kitchin
  • G = Gray

Last updated: 21 Apr 2011
Matthew A. Bershady