Last updated: 30/11/05

Interacademiaal 2006

Interferometry

• February 8
• February 22
• March 1 (note: only 1 week after previous lecture!)
• March 15
• March 29
• April 12
• April 26
• The May 10 date was canceled becuase of the NAC
• May 17, tour of facilities JIVE and ASTRON
• May 24, NEW DATE
• June 7, proposed date of tentamen

Details of the lecture content and outlines of the practica can be found on the IAC06 wiki

The aim of this course is to provide a conceptual base for the understanding of interferometric techniques in astronomy. Many ongoing instrumental developments will introduce new observational facilities based on interferometry (ALMA, LOFAR, eVLBI, eVLA, eMERLIN, VLTI, eSMA, SKA). Most of these will be intrinsically more complex than existing facilities, even though they aim to be easily accessible to nonexpert users. During the course we will introduce the concepts of interferometry and show their relevance for state-of-the-art modern facilities. The course will deal with the similarities and differences of connected radio interferometers, millimetre arrays, VLBI and optical interferometry. There will be special lectures to introduce the opportunities that will be offered by telescopes currently under construction or study, such as LOFAR, ALMA and VLTI. Aim is to provide future users of these interferometers with a solid base to understand the opportunities and limitations of such instruments.

The practical work will include processing of WSRT, VLA, millimetre and VLBI data. Guest lectures will introduce LOFAR, SKA, ALMA and optical interferometry. Application of interferometry to astronomical questions will be covered by the examples in both the lectures and practical work. The course assumes basic knowledge of observational astronomy and radiation processes, as well as some concepts from optics (apertures and image planes) and data processing (numerical math, Fourier transforms).

The tentamen will be "schriftelijk" and the first option to take the exam is June 7. The lecture series will follow the book "Synthesis Imaging in Radio Astronomy II", eds Taylor, Carilli and Perley, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, Volume 180, 1999 (make sure you have the right edition), which is indispensable for preparing for the exam.