Code
Φ-234
Level
Undergraduate
Category
C
Teacher
I. Leonidaki
ECTS
6
Hours
4
Semester
Winter
Display
Yes
Offered
No
Teacher Webpage
Goal of the course
This course introduces the basic principles of astronomical data analysis. Emphasis is given in processing CCD images from the 1.3m Skinakas Telescope. The course consists of 10 exercises, and students work on groups of two. As part of the course students also learn how to prepare their own observations with the 1.3m telescope.
Program
Thursday 9:00-13:00 Computer Room 3
Syllabus
A brief description of the exercises is the following:
- CCD image processing: Introduction to the IRAF environment. The physics of CCDs. Bias, dark, flatfields. Defining the aperture size in stellar photometry.
- Advanced CCD photometry: Identifying sources in a CCD image automatically. Measuring the magnitudes of the sources and converting from one system to another.
- Colors in Astronomy: Presentation of the color-magnitude and color-color diagrams and their use in estimating the spectral type of a star.
- The Hertzsprung-Russel (HR) diagram: Understanding the stellar physics behind the HR diagram and its use in open stellar clusters.
- Globular clusters: measuring their age and distance.
- Introduction to spectroscopy: Spectral classification of stars
- Studying the light-curves of exoplanets and binary stars: Estimating the physical parameters of planets and compact objects
- Classification of galaxies: The Hubble system. determining the radial distribution of light in elliptical and disk galaxies, the de Vaucouleurs profile.
- Estimating the Hubble constant using the period-luminosity relation of cepheids.
- Galaxy Spectra: Using the Hubble law to estimate distances
Bibliography
1. Lab notes
2. «Astrophysics»- Frank Shu - Vol. Ι & II
2. «Astrophysics»- Frank Shu - Vol. Ι & II
