Astronomical Techniques - WWW Course Notes
I've taught senior/grad courses in techniques for astronomical
observation and data analysis, usually using a text such as
Kitchin's Astrophysical Techiques as a basis. Inevitably
I feel the need to say more... As a supplement, I've prepared
fairly extensive notes on some topics. These notes are being updated
during the course in spring 2018. For actual students in the course,
here is the syllabus.
Introduction: far-field detection of radiation,
its measurement and (mis)interpretation. We deal with the atmosphere,
telescopes and related optics, detection, processing, and auxiliary instruments.
Stokes-parameter approach. Photon and wave applications.
Detectors: the human eye
More detectors: photomultipliers,
charge-coupled devices, other types (including IR arrays)
Noise and signal-to-noise optimization,
Statistics of Poisson processes,
model fitting and testing.
Telescopes: image formation, diffraction
Image formation and aberrations
Telescope structures and mountings
Tracking and acquisition; moving targets.
Atmospheric seeing and adaptive optics.
Observatory sites and enclosures; dome
seeing, thermal and climatic effects. Atmospheric absorption and transmission
windows. Robotic telescope operations.
Spacecraft-borne astronomy: orbital considerations,
pointing, attitude control and determination.
Past and present space observatories.
Radio and microwave detection
(continuum and line). Radio telescopes - single dish and cross antennae.
Imaging:
the inverse problem, deconvolution, image display and processing .
Photography in astronomy -
Chemical theory,processing, archival procedures.
Image structure, spectral response, reciprocity, HD curve.
Artifacts: saturation, halation, exhaustion, solarization.
Hypersensitization, emulsions, films, plates, filter use
Astrophotography at the telescope:
Guiding, focal locations and relative speeds.
Unsharp masking, image amplification,intensifiers.
Calibration, densitometry.
Iris photometry.
Electron imaging:
Arrays, scanned detectors, drift scanning, image stacking.
CCDs, TVs, intensified systems, photon counters. Some
techniques for processing images so you can find
out what to measure.
Interferometry:
2-element case, fringe pattern, Fourier treatment.
Multiple elements - image reconstruction. Deconvolution again.
Spectral interferometry: Fabry-Perot,
Fourier-transform
spectrometer. Occultation observations (they had to fit somewhere).
Photometry: Whole art in details.
Absolute/differential. Single/multistar applications.
Filter/detector (photometric) systems.
Inferring stellar parameters.
Spectroscopy - observation,
calibration, reduction, spectrophotometry.
Astrometry:
coordinate systems and transformations,
spherical trig and matrix formulations.
Precession, nutation, aberration of starlight.
Polarimetry: emphasis on Q,U,V.
Broad-band, single-channel and imaging. Spectropolarimetry.
Data presentation and assessment:
graphics standards, interaction with eye and brain.
Data archives in astronomy
Finally, a bit of career advice!
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