Duration
15h Th, 10h Pr
Number of credits
| Master in space sciences (120 ECTS) | 3 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course allows students to acquire basic concepts of radio observations and radio astrophysical phenomena. First, the course starts with a brief history of the development of radio astronomy. The second part consists of a more in-depth discussion of the physical processes relevant for radio astrophysics (mainly continuum radiative processes), with emphasis on the scientific information accessible through observations. The third part of the course includes an introduction to observational techniques and a brief description of existing and forthcoming radio observatories. Finally, the last part is made of a discussion of several case studies providing a more practical approach to emphasize the interest of radio observations in modern astrophysics. This part addresses among other topics galactic and extragalactic sources, planetary radio emission, or radio detection of cosmic rays.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The outcomes of this course include:
- the acquirement of an overview of astrophysical topics where radio observations are relevant
- the development of a scientific culture complementary with that provided by other teaching activities of the Master in Space Sciences
- the capability to establish a clear connection between physical processes in astrophysics and measured quantities accessible by radio observations
- the clarification of the main principles on which observational radio astronomy are based
- the familiarisation with antenna and receiver concepts, specific to the field of radio astronomy
- the capability to identify whether/how radio observations could provide relevant information for many science topics addressed in the context of the Master in Space Sciences
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
No particluar prerequisite beside the conditions for admission to the Master in Space Sciences.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The theoretical part is organized in lectures illustrated by detailed lecture notes and by slideshows commented by the lecturer. Learning supports in English are made available to students via the eCampus platform.
The practical part includes various activities:
- revision and critical discussions of the formal parts of the course
- discussion of science cases relevant to radio astrophysics
- multiple choice questionnaires used for self-evaluation purposes (IN/OUT questionnaire)
- a hands-on session on a virtual radio observatory for the study of pulsars
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
The course is organized in theoretical lectures (15 hours in total), complemented by practical activities (10 hours in total).
The presence of students is requested for both theoretical and practical lectures. In addition, complementary activities will have to be accomplished through distance and e-leaning.
Recommended or required readings
Lecture notes written in english including the main content of the course are provided to the students. These notes constitute the mandatory support to prepare for the exam.
The exploration of the supplementary material made available on the eCampus platform is also highly recommended.
Assessment methods and criteria
A written/oral examination is organized in the May-June session. It consists of:
- a written questionnaire made of a few questions related to the theoretical course content; purely theoretical questions are selected from a list communicated beforehand to students
- a multiple choice questionnaire related to the theoretical and practical parts of the course
- an oral discussion of the content of the written exam
Work placement(s)
Not applicable.
Organizational remarks
Lectures are organized according to the planning of the Master in Space Sciences communicated to students. Minor changes with respect to the initial schedule can occur, upon agreement between the students and the teacher.
Contacts
Michaël De Becker
Phone: 04/3669717
E-mail: debecker@astro.ulg.ac.be
Office: Institut d'Astrophysique et Géophysique, Building B5c, 1st floor, office 1/8