Program:
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO CONTINUUM RADIATIVE PROCESSES (by Dr. M. Massardi), 1 credit
Lecture 1 - Definition of signal (messengers and interactions) - electromagnetic signals and radiative processes, photon vs wave, fluxes vs luminosities vs magnitude, definitions (SED, spectral indices, total intensity vs polarization, bandwidth)
Lecture 2 - Bremsstrahlung (e.g. HII regions)
Lecture 3 - Synchrotron (e.g. AGN)
Lecture 4 - Compton (e.g. ICM and SZ effect)
Lecture 5 - Black and grey body (e.g. CMB and dust)
Lecture 6 - Exam: group discussion on the expected multiwavelength spectra of the emitted signals of specific astronomical sources.
MODULE 2: INTRODUCTION TO SPECTROSCOPY IN ASTRONOMY (by Dr. F. Perrotta), 2.5 credits
Lectures 1, 2 - Energetic structures of atoms and molecules. Atomic structure: electronic levels, spin, transition rules, spectroscopic terms.
Molecular structure: Rotational, Vibrational, Electronic levels. Spectroscopic terms. Selection rules and transition probabilities. Examples of key molecules: CO, HCN, H2O, COMS. Important spectral lines: HI 21 cm, [C II], [O I], CO ladder, H2, HCN.
Lecture 3 - Radiative and collisional processes. Einstein coefficients; Spontaneous emission, absorption, stimulated emission; Concept of Local Thermodynamical Equilibrium (LTE) vs. non LTE; Impact of the critical density.
Lecture 4, 5 - Radiative transfer. radiative transfer equation; brightness temperature and Planck function; Effects of opacity and self absorption; introduction to simple radiative models (uniform slab, isothermal sphere). Trapping and pumping.
Lecture 6, 7 - Formation of spectral lines. Line profiles: natural, Dopples, Lorentzian, Voigt; dependence on turbulence, temperature and pressure; kinematic effects: Doppler broadening, line shift; comparison between absorption and emission lines.
Lecture 8 - Lines diagnostic. determination of temperature and density: rotational diagrams, population curves; effect of UV radiation and cosmic rays on level populations; Examples: tracers of diffuse gas (C+, OI, HI), tracers of dense molecular gas (CO, HCN, CS), Complex Organic Molecules.
Lecture 9, 10 - SLED analysis and extragalactic applications. Spectral lines energy distribution; how is it modeled by density temperature and UV field;
introduction to numerical codes (RADEX, PDR code, MOLPOP-CEP...); Example of CO SLED.
MODULE 3: INSTRUMENTS AND DATA MANAGEMENT (by Dr. M. Massardi), 2.5 credits
Lecture 1 - Instrument structure (properties and atmospheric limits), sensitivity, resolution (ang & spect), polarization, ground based vs satellites - Gallery of instrumental properties - pointing and measurement
Lecture 2 - Calibration and Imaging -Writing an observational proposal
Lecture 3 - Noise and systematics - Gaussian vs non Gaussian noise, Confusion noise, Eddington bias, Malmquist bias, instrumental systematics
Lecture 4 - Surveys vs small samples - detections, reliability, completeness, stacking, statistical analysis (luminosity function, redshift distribution, number counts), upper and lower limits, survival analysis, small numbers statistics
Lecture 5 - Open Science - Archives & VO tools - Visualization tools (with tutorials)
Lecture 6 - Techniques for signal comparisons in continuum (spectral indices and colors, SED fitting, photometric redshift determination, cross-matches) and spectroscopy (momenta, ratios, spectroscopic redshift determination, line flux density, Lyman break technique - Optical-IR spectroscopic techniques)
Lecture 7 - Radio interferometry
Lecture 8, 9 - SKA, ALMA and JWST science
Lecture 10 - Exam: Present to the class (in max 10min and 4 slides) an observational proposal for your favourite science case, band, telescope, target[s]
Prerequisites:
Basics of astrophysics and cosmology from master courses.
Books:
Radiative processes in Astrophysics, Rybicki & Lightman,
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9783527618170
Radiative processes in Astrophysics, Poutanen, https://users.utu.fi/jurpou/wp-content/uploads/sites/1275/2024/05/poutanen_radiative_processes.pdf
Observational Astronomy, Sutton, https://assets.cambridge.org/97811070/10468/frontmatter/9781107010468_frontmatter.pdf
Interferometry and synthesis in Radio Astronomy, Thomson Moran Swenson, https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-44431-4
Draine, B.T. (2011), Physics of the Interstellar and Intergalactic Medium
Tielens, A.G.G.M. (2005), The Physics and Chemistry of the Interstellar Medium
Wilson T.L., Rohlf K., Huttemeister S., (2009), Tools of Radioastronomy
Tennyson J., (2005), Astronomical Spectroscopy- an introduction to Atomic and Molecular Physics of Astronomical Spectra.
Bransden B.H., Joachain C.J., (2012), Quantum mechanics
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