Admission Requirements
Open to students that are registered for the minor Our Universe, and who have followed as part of that minor The Evolving Universe and The Habitable Universe.
Description
Astronomers use an ample variety of tools and methods to gain knowledge on our Universe. Two of the main categories to do so are observations and simulations. Observations constitute the primary set of tools that astronomers must gather information from nature. In that sense, obtaining, cleaning, and processing the data used in research is a key skill for a researcher. However, nature does not necessarily provide all the needed scenarios to assess a given model or theory explaining a given astronomical phenomenon. Simulations are the set of tools that allow the astronomer to deal with that. With them, astronomers recreate in a computer those conditions that rarely or never can be observed in nature. In this manner, astronomers can test their theoretical models. For instance, astronomers can replicate with simulations how we think our Universe used to be and how it became what we observe today.
This course is an introduction to the methods astronomers use to gain scientific knowledge from a practical approach. The emphasis is precisely in the two main categories mentioned above: observations and simulations. Regarding the observations, the student will get an overview of the methods astronomers use to extract information from the light (image and spectroscopy). The student will gain hands-on experience in the practice of handling telescopes and performing astronomical observations at the Old Observatory in Leiden. The student will process their own data, critically assess the outcome of this processing and gain scientific knowledge from them. Additionally, the concept of citizen science will be discussed. The student will have an overview of the most important citizen science projects in astronomy nowadays and will have the opportunity to contribute to one of them. As for the simulations, the student will learn about the various techniques we use to reproduce parts of the Universe in a computer, as well as about simulations more generally. The student will use ready-to-use on-line software to simulate different astronomical phenomena, like the movement of planets within the solar system. Finally, the student will apply this methodology to a practical case in its own computer with relevant astronomical scientific cases. References to the concepts learned in theoretical courses will be a constant during the course.
Course objectives
At the end of these course the student will be able to:
Understand how professional astronomical observations are prepared.
Carry out astronomical observations and process the data obtained from them.
Decipher the information encoded in these data to learn about the physical properties of the astronomical target under study.
Understand the concept of citizen science and value the role of the citizen.
Contribute to currently existing citizen science driven projects.
Recall the limitations of simulations with respect to both computational resources and being true to reality.
Explain the concepts behind astrophysical particle simulations.
Analyse a set of simulation outcomes for numerical convergence.
Criticise the outcome of simple simulations.
Design a Monte Carlo experiment.
Present your research in a shape of a (professional) report.
Timetable
See MyTimetable.
Mode of Instruction
Lectures and practical sessions. Some practical session take place at the Old Observatory in Leiden, between approximately 16:30 and 21:30.
Assessment Method
Report on observation assignment (35%).
Presentation on citizen science project (15%).
Report on simulations assignment (35%).
Presentation on simulation assignment (15%).
Registering for the observing session is required to pass the course.
In addition, a passing grade for each of the four components is needed to pass the course. If a report is graded as insufficient, a single improved version based on provided feedback can be handed in. If a presentation is assessed as insufficient, a new date can be scheduled to give a revised version of the presentation. In both cases, these will be assessed with a maximum grade of 6.0.
Reading list
See Brightspace.
Registration
Registration for courses and exams takes place via MyStudymap.
Contact
Minor coordinator: Prof.dr. Serena Viti | viti@strw.leidenuniv.nl
Course coordinator: Dr. Ana Monreal Ibero | monreal@strw.leidenuniv.nl