96395 - RADIOASTRONOMY

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

At the end of the course, the student will gain a deeper knowledge of the concepts regarding the synchrotron radiation and its relation with other processes of the production of radiation in astrophysics. Various astrophysical bodies will be analysed, ranging from interstellar gas, star formation and end-products, generation of radio jets on various scales, processes at the centre of galaxies and in the intergalactic medium, relativistic particle acceleration and re-accelerating, etc. The student will have advanced knowledge on both classical as well as new topics in radioastronomy, in the general framework of modern astrophysical research. The student will be able to understand and present in a critical manner research papers on arguments discussed during the course.

Contenuti

The contents of this course can be summarised as follows:

0. Brief recap of emission mechanisms and plasma effects on propagation of electromagnetic waves

1. Radioastronomy: radio telescopes, detectors and general vire of the instumentation. From single dish (radio telescope) to interferometry.

2. The InteStellar Matter (ISM) detected by radioastronomy; HI in spiral galaxies & the rotation curve (& Oort Constants)

3. Molecules in the ISM and their relation to star formation

4. Young stellar objects & maser emission (& mega masers)

5. The Sun and Radio Stars

6. Supernovae and their radio remnants

7. Pulsars

8. Fast radio bursts;  Microquasars

9. The Milky Way and the black hoe at its centre: SgrA*

10. Emission from normal galaxies, star forming and starburst galaxies. Radio Galaxies. Deep fields & radio source population

11. Radio source Physics and evolution; Radio galaxies, FR-I and FR-II (and FR-0)

12.Clusters of galaxies & the (non-thermal) physics of the intergalactic medium

Testi/Bibliografia

- Wilson, Rohlfs & Huttermeister "Tools of Radio Astronomy", A&A Library, Springer

- Longair, "High Energy Astrophysics", Cambridge University Press

- Additional material more specific to each section will be shown at the beginning of each lecture

Metodi didattici

Oral lectures, with slides and animations. Some scientific works will be critically reviewed, trying to involve the attendants. Small tests (3/4 during the whole course, each lasting 15-20 minutes) will be provided, to understand how observational data can lead to determine physical quantities of celestial bodies (examples: expansion speed and age of a supernova remnant; magnetic field strength and radius of the "light cylinder" in a pulsar, etc). These tests are also intended to offer a self-evaluation to the students.

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

Oral exam. Each candidate will choose the first subject for a discussion, and two further questions will complete the evaluation.

Total duration about 45'

The evaluation will be based on the following scheme:

Mark 18-20: Basic knowledge of the main elements of the topics discussed during the exam, with guidance needed to properly connect the arguments.

Mark 21-23: Basic knowledge of the main elements of the topics discussed during the exam, with some guidance needed to properly connect the arguments, some details are known.

Mark 24-26: Autonomous knowledge of the main elements of the topics discussed during the exam, with some help to complete the discussion with the main details.

Mark 27-28: Good knowledge of the topics, with some details unknown/missing

Mark 29-30: Good/Excellent knowdelge of the topics, with clear undestanding of what is the main stream of the physics and what are the details and unknown (still open questions).

The grade/mark proposed at the end of the exam can be refused twice at most. The latest grade/mark will be the one to be registered.

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

PC, video-projector, a couple of small experiments.

Link ad altre eventuali informazioni

http://www.ira.inaf.it/~ddallaca/Radioastronomy.html

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Daniele Dallacasa