| Academic Year: | 2024/25 |
| Owning Department/School: | Department of Physics |
| Credits: | 5 [equivalent to 10 CATS credits] |
| Notional Study Hours: | 100 |
| Level: | Intermediate (FHEQ level 5) |
| Period: |
- Semester 2
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| Assessment Summary: | EXOB 100% |
| Assessment Detail: |
- Written examination (EXOB 100%)
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| Supplementary Assessment: |
- Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
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| Requisites: |
Before or while taking this module you must take PH22009
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| Learning Outcomes: |
After taking this unit, the student should be able to:
- explain the principal concepts of astronomical instrumentation, data processing, photometry and spectroscopy;
- explain celestial coordinates, astronomical cycles and the implications on observability of astronomical targets;
- describe the main differences in the facilities used to observe astronomical objects across the electromagnetic spectrum;
- evaluate the accuracy of astronomical instrumentation and observations, including angular resolution, spectroscopic resolution and photometric precision;
- design an observing program to be executed at a modern observing facility.
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| Synopsis: | You will advance your understanding of observational astrophysics through learning about topics such as telescope design and astronomical instrumentation, as well as methods used to analyse research-level datasets. You will study how technological advances influence our view of the Universe, with state-of-the-art facilities enabling us to see the edges of supermassive black holes and hear the sound of gravitational waves as they travel through space time.
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| Content: | Observational Astrophysics: telescopes, astronomical instrumentation, observations, detectors.
Observations: Planning observing runs, celestial coordinates.
Telescope design: single dish, interferometers, facilities from X-ray to radio, optical, NIR, space vs ground-based; optimising telescope design for wide-field astronomy.
Astronomical instrumentation: imaging, spectrographs (fibre/slit/IFU), coronographs, adaptive optics (PSF, Strehl ratio, coherence time).
Detectors: CCDs, far-IR, antennae, dipoles, X-rays, gamma-ray detectors (photomultiplier, scintillation).
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| Course availability: |
PH22034 is Optional on the following courses:
Department of Physics
- USPH-AFB20 : BSc(Hons) Physics (Year 2)
- USPH-AFB22 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics (Year 2)
- USPH-AKB22 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with professional placement (Year 2)
- USPH-AKB22 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with study abroad (Year 2)
- USPH-AKB20 : BSc(Hons) Physics with professional placement (Year 2)
- USPH-AKB20 : BSc(Hons) Physics with study abroad (Year 2)
- USPH-AFM20 : MPhys(Hons) Physics (Year 2)
- USPH-AFM22 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics (Year 2)
- USPH-AKM22 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with professional placement (Year 2)
- USPH-AFM23 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with research placement (Year 2)
- USPH-AKM23 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with research placement and professional placement (Year 2)
- USPH-AKM23 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with research placement and study abroad (Year 2)
- USPH-AKM22 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with study abroad (Year 2)
- USPH-AKM20 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with professional placement (Year 2)
- USPH-AFM21 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with research placement (Year 2)
- USPH-AKM21 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with research placement and professional placement (Year 2)
- USPH-AKM21 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with research placement and study abroad (Year 2)
- USPH-AKM20 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with study abroad (Year 2)
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