Course information
Catalog description: Covers radio emission mechanisms, antennas, receivers, interferometry, aperture synthesis, calibration, spectral line observations, pulsars, neutral hydrogen mapping, and radio survey analysis.
Course role: advanced Year 4 observational/instrumentation elective. ASTR 340 is required; PHYS 341 is recommended preparation in electromagnetic fields and radiation.
Learning outcomes
- Derive and apply the radiometer equation, antenna beam/effective-area relations, brightness temperature, and visibility measurement equation.
- Explain uv sampling, aperture synthesis, calibration solutions, and the origin of imaging systematics.
- Design and interpret radio continuum, spectral-line, pulsar-timing, and survey analyses with explicit assumptions and propagated uncertainty.
- Infer H I column and kinematic scales from calibrated 21-cm data while recognizing opacity, rotation-model, and selection limits.
- Produce reproducible analysis records that distinguish observation, calibrated product, inference, and model.
Resources
OpenStax Astronomy 2e sections 5.6, 6.4, 20.2, and 23.4 provide introductory anchors, not the advanced derivations. Primary practical references include NRAO VLA documentation, ALMA Basics/Technical Handbook, the ATNF Pulsar Catalogue, HI4PI survey publication/data pages, and CASA documentation. Exact references and provenance are in reference-log.md.
Python 3 with NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib, and Astropy is recommended for larger archive products; supplied CSV activities can be completed with the standard library and spreadsheet software.
Assessment
| Component | Weight | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Seven laboratory investigations | 35% | Reproducible analysis, uncertainty, and provenance. |
| Seven problem sets | 35% | Derivations, quantitative reasoning, and interpretation. |
| Midterm observing-design memo | 10% | Technical setup and calibration plan. |
| Survey-analysis project | 15% | Reproducible end-to-end inference. |
| Participation and peer audit | 5% | Constructive review and response to evidence. |
Total: 100%.
Cadence rationale
The course uses 14 lectures, seven labs, and seven problem sets. Each lab and problem set follows a two-lecture unit so students first establish the source/instrument model and then use it in a concrete analysis. The seven paired units progress from emission and receiving, through sensitivity/beam and interferometric imaging, to calibration, lines/H I, pulsars/survey selection, and Galactic/survey synthesis. The matched 14/7/7 count is intentional, not a missing weekly activity pattern.
Lecture schedule
| Week | Lecture | Activity | Reading anchor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Radio Sky: Emission Mechanisms and Observables | paired method development | OpenStax Astronomy 2e §5.2 (electromagnetic spectrum), §20.2 (interstellar gas), and §27.1 (radio galaxies); these give introductory context rather than a synchrotron derivation. |
| 2 | Antennas, Feed Systems, and Receiver Chains | Lab 01; PS 01 due | OpenStax Astronomy 2e §6.4; its radio-dish and receiver description is introductory. NRAO Green Bank Telescope and VLA facility documentation give current instrument context. |
| 3 | Sensitivity and the Radiometer Equation | paired method development | OpenStax Astronomy 2e §6.4; NRAO VLA Observational Status Summary and ALMA Basics describe practical sensitivity and observing constraints. |
| 4 | Beam Convolution, Brightness Temperature, and Angular Scale | Lab 02; PS 02 due | OpenStax Astronomy 2e §6.4 introduces the antenna beam; detailed brightness-temperature and convolution treatment is beyond its scope. |
| 5 | Interferometry: Coherence and Complex Visibility | paired method development | OpenStax Astronomy 2e §6.4, especially its discussion of interferometer separation and resolution; ALMA Basics §Interferometry formalizes the visibility transform. |
| 6 | Aperture Synthesis and Image Formation | Lab 03; PS 03 due | OpenStax Astronomy 2e §6.4 covers VLA/ALMA arrays qualitatively; ALMA Basics provides a shortest-baseline largest-angular-scale estimate. |
| 7 | Calibration I: Complex Gains and Bandpass | paired method development | NRAO VLA calibration-pipeline documentation and ALMA data-processing documentation; OpenStax §6.4 does not cover calibration equations. |
| 8 | Calibration II: Error Budgets and Imaging Systematics | Lab 04; PS 04 due | NRAO VLA calibration and imaging-pipeline documentation; exact error propagation is developed here beyond introductory textbook coverage. |
| 9 | Spectral-Line Observing and Doppler Inference | paired method development | OpenStax Astronomy 2e §5.6 covers Doppler shift; §6.4 establishes radio spectrometers. ALMA Basics §Spectral resolution provides channel examples. |
| 10 | The 21-cm Hyperfine Line and H I Column Density | Lab 05; PS 05 due | OpenStax Astronomy 2e §20.2 discusses the 21-cm line; HI4PI Collaboration (2016) gives survey response. This course derives the conversion beyond the introductory text. |
| 11 | Pulsars: Dispersion, Scattering, and Precision Timing | paired method development | OpenStax Astronomy 2e §23.4 introduces pulsars; the ATNF Pulsar Catalogue documents P0, P1, DM, and derived parameters. Timing analysis goes beyond the text. |
| 12 | Radio Transients, Pulsar Surveys, and Selection Functions | Lab 06; PS 06 due | ATNF Pulsar Catalogue and survey papers provide real selection context; use the named survey release and injection methodology when claiming completeness. |
| 13 | Galactic H I: Rotation, Geometry, and Mapping | paired method development | OpenStax Astronomy 2e §20.2 introduces interstellar gas and 21-cm observations; HI4PI (2016) provides an all-sky spectral data product for modern mapping. |
| 14 | Radio Surveys: Catalogs, Confusion, and Reproducible Analysis | Lab 07; PS 07 due | OpenStax Astronomy 2e §6.4 sets the array context. NVSS (Condon et al. 1998) and HI4PI (2016) are survey references; consult each release's own mask and completeness documentation. |
Policies and assumptions
Assumption: a 14-week semester with one lecture meeting per week and seven longer lab blocks scheduled after paired lectures. Local calendar dates, instructor name, safety rules, disability accommodations, late work, collaboration, and academic-integrity procedures must be finalized by the instructor of record. Students must preserve data licenses and citation requirements. Radio-frequency interference is a safety and data-integrity issue; no student transmits without explicit authorization and applicable spectrum compliance.