Student assignment ยท due date set by instructor
Submit complete derivations, units, assumptions, and a short physical interpretation. Include reproducible code for multi-step calculations and show intermediate values. Cite any external catalog or data product with its release/version. Collaboration on methods is allowed; submitted derivations and prose must be your own. Corrections and resubmissions with a change log are encouraged.
For Vpq_obs=g_p g_q* Vpq_true+n, let g_p=1.05 exp(i 8 deg), g_q=0.95 exp(-i 4 deg), and Vtrue=100 mJy real. Compute observed amplitude and phase ignoring noise, then solve back for Vtrue.
Required: derivation, units, intermediate values, uncertainty/assumption, and an interpretation that identifies what the result does not prove.
For Gaussian phase residual rms=10 deg, calculate coherence. Repeat at 20 deg and compare the two losses; explain why loss is not linear in rms phase.
Required: derivation, units, intermediate values, uncertainty/assumption, and an interpretation that identifies what the result does not prove.
A 120-mJy source has independent thermal 5%, gain 3%, and flux-scale 2% terms. Compute total uncertainty. If another source shares the flux-scale solution, explain which part cancels in the ratio.
Required: derivation, units, intermediate values, uncertainty/assumption, and an interpretation that identifies what the result does not prove.
NRAO VLA calibration documentation and ALMA data-processing documentation; OpenStax Astronomy 2e Chapter 6 Review Questions 1 and 11 provide instrument-chain and radio/radar context.
The numbered anchors were checked against the local OpenStax Astronomy 2e extraction; exercise numbers/page breaks can vary by edition. Before assigning through an LMS, the instructor should spot-check each recommendation against the adopted print/PDF edition. Exact source scope and extraction notes are in ../reference-log.md. Do not present the synthetic teaching records as telescope observations.
Three problems, 100 points total. Submit a PDF or HTML report plus code/notebook where requested. Show figures with axes, units, captions, and data provenance.