Astronomy 310: Fall 2008

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The course is an introduction to astronomical data analysis (primarily for optical wavelengths) intended for astronomy majors. We will study the detectors and instruments commonly used in short wavelength astronomy, discussing concepts in geometrical and physical optics and electronics. We will also introduce the mathematical and software tools necessary to plan and analyze observations. These include coordinates, time, spherical geometry, and statistical analysis of data. This course includes lab sessions at the UMD observatory located on Metzerott Rd. next to the campus.

Course Prerequisite

The course is intended for sciece and in particular astronomy majors, and assumes 121 or 200 level Astronomy, 161 or 171 level Physics (mechanics and relativity), and 140-141 level Mathematics (calculus 1 and 2) as prerequisites. See also the official UMD info on this course.

Schedule

    Instructor:   Alberto Bolatto
    Class:        room CSS 2428
    Lectures:     Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00pm to 3:15pm --- No laptops
    First class:  Tu Sep 02 
    Last  class:  Th Dec 11
    Midterm exam: Tu Oct 14
    Final exam:   Th Dec 18 (10:30-12:30 am)

Contact info and Notes

Instructor: Alberto Bolatto

Teaching assistant/Grader: Holly Sheets

Textbooks

Required Textbooks:
Astrophysical Techniques 4th ed., by C. R. Kitchin, published by Taylor & Francis Group
(the course book, a little scattered but covering several instruments and detectors)

Optics 4th ed., by Eugene Hetch, published by Addison Wesley
(this is an excellent reference but somewhat expensive and broader than required by the course. Consult me if you'd like suggestions for books covering the topic that are inexpensive but not as didactic and/or comprehensive/comprehensible.)

In addition to those above, the following texts will be useful and are recommended:
Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences 3rd ed., by P. R. Bevington and D. Keith Robinson, published by McGraw-Hill
(the standard reference for simple statistics in the physical sciences, well worthwhile purchasing if you are doing a major in the field)

Handbook of CCD Astronomy 2nd ed., by Steve B. Howell, published by Cambridge University Press
(useful textbook for CCD cameras)

Handouts

Part of the course materials are in handouts. There will be periodic handouts posted here as the lectures move forward.
  • Introduction to Statistics. This is a primer on basic statistics that we will use throughout the course. It is due to Prof. Patrick Harrington, with additions by myself.
  • Introduction to IDL. A very nice introduction to IDL developed by Prof. Patrick Harrington.
  • Introduction to IDL. This is a primer on the IDL vectorized language, developed by Prof. Carl Heiles at U.C. Berkeley.
  • Introduction to MATLAB. This is a guide to MATLAB, by myself.

Course Outline

The Syllabus is available in PDF format.

DateLecture
#1Sep 02Introduction to CCD cameras
#2Sep 04Statistics
#3Sep 09Introduction to the observatory
#4Sep 11Statistics
#5Sep 16Useful vectorized computer languages
#6Sep 18Useful vectorized computer languages
#7Sep 23Spherical trigonometry
#8Sep 25*Coordinates
#9Sep 30Time, charts, catalogs, & databases
#10Oct 02Geometrical optics
#11Oct 07Geometrical optics
#12Oct 09Geometrical optics
#13Oct 14Telescopes
- Oct 16Midterm Exam: normal class hours, CSS 2428
#14Oct 21The atmosphere
#15Oct 23Adaptive optics
#16Oct 28Physical optics
#17Oct 30Physical optics
#18Nov 04*Diffraction gratings
#19Nov 06*Grating spectrographs
#20Nov 11Grating spectrographs
#21Nov 13Various instruments
#22Nov 18Various instruments
#23Nov 20Detectors: optical
#24Nov 25Detectors: optical
#25Nov 27Detectors: UV, IR
#26Dec 02Thanksgiving
#27Dec 04*Detectors: UV, IR
#28Dec 09Detectors: X-rays, Gamma rays
#29Dec 11Review
- Dec 18Final Exam: Monday, CSS 2428, 10:30am-12:30pm


* Indicates dates when I anticipate to be away and the lecture will be covered by another professor.

Course Grading

Final grades for this course will be computed based on cumulative points (out of 100 total) in the areas below, according to the weights listed:
  • Labs 40%
  • Homework 15%
  • Midterm exam 15%
  • Final exam 30%
Final letter grades will be curved, based on the total points received. The minimum letter grade that you can obtain is
  • A: more than 90 points (over a total of 100 points)
  • B: between 80 and 90 points
  • C: between 70 and 80 points
  • D: between 60 and 70 points
  • F: less than 60 points
You can get a better grade depending on the average performance of the class.

Labs: There will be 4 labs associated with this course. Most of the labs will take place at the UMD Observatory located next to campus on Metzerott Rd. Although the labs will take place with me or the TA around, it is good to read on the operations of the 14 inch telescope and its camera, as well as the general instructions for operating the observatory sliding roof. The labs will cover: 1) characterization of the CCD camera, 2) imaging, 3) photometry, and 4) spectroscopy. Those labs that require night observations (e.g., imaging) will take place after dusk, weather permitting.

Homework will typically be assigned once every few weeks (typically two), due on the following week, and must be turned in at the beginning of class. You should expect about 6 assignments during the semester.

Midterm exam: There will be one in-class examination on the 14th October 2008. This exam will be closed book. The exam will consist of a section of short answer questions, followed by longer essay and problem solving questions.

Final exam: As per the University rules, the final exam for this course will be held on Thursday the 18th December 2008 between 10.30am-12.30pm in CSS2428. Note that the time is not the usual lecture time. The final exam will cover all material discussed in this course. The format of the final exam will be the same as the midterm exam, with a section of short answer questions and a section of longer essay or problem solving questions.

Points will not be given for any ``extra credit projects.'' It is important to complete all the regular assignments to get the most you can out of the class!

Students with Special Needs

Students with a documented disability who wish to discuss academic accommodations should contact the professor as soon as possible.

Academic Integrity and excused absence

University regulations will apply regarding academic honesty and excused absences.

Students who are ill or have another valid excuse must explain the circumstances to the instructor before the due date of an assignment or exam, and then complete the work within the following week, in order to get full credit. Any illnesses or emergencies need to be properly documented.

The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. University standards regarding academic integrity apply to all work performed for credit in this course, and as a student you are responsible for upholding these standards. Particulars of the University's Code are printed in the Undergraduate Catalog, and a description of what constitutes academic dishonesty is also given in the on-line Schedule of Classes. In brief, the Code requires that you must never engage in acts of academic dishonesty at any time. Acts of academic dishonesty include cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, or helping another person to do any of these things. Violation of the Code carries very serious consequences; for more information, please visit the Student Honor Council web site.

The rules regarding academic integrity apply to labs and homework, as well as to exams. As a part of these rules, you must give credit to any book, published article, or web page that you have used to help you with a particular assignment. These rules also apply to unpublished sources of information. In particular, students are encouraged to discuss assignments and other class material with each other, but every student must personally think through and write up his or her own answers to the homework questions. To further exhibit your commitment to academic integrity, remember to sign the Honor Pledge on all examinations and assignments:

"I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination."

Homework

Homework will typically be assigned once every few weeks, due the following week, and must be turned in at the beginning of class. You should expect about 5-6 assignments during the semester.

Homework will be considered late by the end of class and will no longer be accepted. If for some reason you cannot make it to class, you should either ask a friend/classmate to hand in your assignment for you, or make sure that it gets to the instructor beforehand.

If, for whatever reason, the University is officially closed on the due date for an assignment, the due date will be moved to the next lecture.