Admission Requirements
The student is assumed to have a working knowledge of geometrical optics and gravitational potential theory. Basic familiarity with astronomical objects (stars, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, large-scale structure) is assumed. Some knowledge of cosmology and general relativity is useful, but not essential. In terms of the Leiden curriculum, the astronomy BSc provides a good preparation.
Description
Light rays are deflected by gravitational fields, which makes massive bodies act like lenses. Although the effect is incredibly weak in terrestrial settings, in astronomical and cosmological settings it becomes observable. This course describes the phenomenon quantitatively, and introduces the various ways in which astronomers use it as a tool to interpret observations.
Topics that will be covered include
basic principles:
- light deflection by gravitational fields in Newtonian Gravity and General Relativy
- the lensing equation and sample solutions (including multiple imaging)
- the Fermat potential and time delays
- shear, convergence and magnification
- the mass-sheet degeneracy
strong lensing and its applications:
- the gravitational telescope
- galaxy and galaxy cluster masses
- milli-lensing and halo substructure
- time delay cosmography
microlensing and its applications:
- MACHOs in the haloes of galaxies
- stellar populations
- binary lenses and the lensing effect of planets
weak lensing and its applications:
- shape noise and measuring weak lensing
- tangential shear and mass distributions of galaxies and galaxy clusters
- mass mapping
- cosmic shear and large-scale structure
Course objectives
Upon completion of this course you will be able to measure and interpret gravitational lensing in astronomical data, in the context of strong, micro- and weak lensing.
Timetable
You will find the timetables for all courses and degree programmes of Leiden University in the tool MyTimetable (login). Any teaching activities that you have sucessfully registered for in MyStudyMap will automatically be displayed in MyTimeTable. Any timetables that you add manually, will be saved and automatically displayed the next time you sign in.
MyTimetable allows you to integrate your timetable with your calendar apps such as Outlook, Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and other calendar apps on your smartphone. Any timetable changes will be automatically synced with your calendar. If you wish, you can also receive an email notification of the change. You can turn notifications on in ‘Settings’ (after login).
For more information, watch the video or go the the 'help-page' in MyTimetable. Please note: Joint Degree students Leiden/Delft have to merge their two different timetables into one. This video explains how to do this.
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Problems classes
Assessment method
Written exam
Reading list
Basics of lensing, Kuijken: https://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/0304438.pdf
As reference we will use the 33rd Saas-Fee Advanced course on Gravitational lensing.
Strong lensing, C.Kochanek: https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0407232
Microlensing, J. Wambsganss: https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0604278
Weak lensing, P. Schneider: https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0509252
Registration
As a student, you are responsible for registering on time, i.e. 14 days before the start of the course. This can be done via Mystudymap. You do this twice a year: once for the courses you want to take in semester 1 and once for the courses you want to take in semester 2. Please note: late registration is not possible.
Registration for courses in the first semester is possible from July; registration for courses in the second semester is possible from December. First-year bachelor students are registered for semester 1 by the faculty student administration; they do not have to do this themselves. For more information, see this page.
In addition, it is mandatory for all students, including first-year bachelor students, to register for exams. This can be done up to and including 10 calendar days prior to the exam or up to five calendar days in case of a retake exam. You cannot participate in the exam or retake without a valid registration in My Studymap.
Extensive FAQ's on MyStudymap can be found here.
Contact
Lecturers: Prof.dr. K.H. Kuijken
Remarks
Soft skills
In this course, you are trained in the following behavior-oriented skills:
Abstract thinking
Explaining and analyzing complex and non-intuitive concepts
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.