Seminar language

The seminar language will be English if there will be students with no knowledge of Finnish attending the seminar.

Introduction

The seminar topics will cover many practical aspects of millimetre-submillimetre radio astronomy. The course is intended for those interested in observational submillmetre work, as well as for more technically-oriented students who wish to deepen their understanding of the practical requirements for submillimetre astronomy.

Possible topics will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Submillimetre telescopes and sites: Antennas, site testing and selection, current developments: APEX and ALMA.
• Receivers: Bolometers and bolometer arrays, heterodyne instruments, other technologies.
• Observing techniques: Special challenges and requirements, calibration procedures, observing methods (multichannel/single pixel, continuum/spectral line, etc.), data analysis.
• Science goals for submillimetre arrays and single dish telescopes.
• Millimetre-VLBI: promises and challenges.

During the first lecture there will be a short introduction to the various topics of the seminar. Each student will get to choose his/her topics for their talks and seminar papers. The students may also suggest topics not included in the list provided by the lecturers.

Teachers

Docent Merja Tornikoski
HUT/Metsähovi Radio Observatory, Kirkkonummi, tel. 09-2564423,
E-mail: (removed)
Before and after lectures: HUT/Dpt. of Electrical Engineering, room C126, tel. 09-4514788.

Dr. Anne Lähteenmäki
HUT/Metsähovi Radio Observatory, Kirkkonummi, tel. 09-2564424,
E-mail: (removed)
Before and after lectures: HUT/Dpt. of Electrical Engineering, room C126, tel. 09-4514788.

Schedule

The seminar will be held on Tuesdays from 16-19 in H302, starting on January 18th. A more detailed schedule is available here.

A list of proposed topics.

Requirements

Each student will give two seminar talks and write a short seminar paper (ca. 5-10 pages) about each of them. Additionally, each student is required to be present at more than 50% of the seminars in order to pass the course.

Course material

No actual course material will be provided. The students will be given a collection of web links and references for publications to begin with. The teachers will be happy to give more detailed instructions and assist in pursuing scientific material, if needed.

A list of possible topics will be provided later, as well as instructions for writing the seminar papers.

Instruction for writing the seminar paper, along with a short introduction to the on-line astronomical papers, can be found here (currently only in Finnish, will be given in English as well if needed).

Merja Tornikoski's own web page of astronomical links, including radio astronomy, astronomical data and journals, etc. Note: the access to the electronical editions of many of the on-line astronomical journals is restricted; contact the lecturers to get a ps/pdf copy of such articles!

Latest update: 2005-01-18 / mtt.