The Radio Sky I: Science and Observations (edX)

Covering topics from the birth and death of stars to the detection of Gravitational waves you will learn how radio observations contribute to a richer understanding of the universe we inhabit. This course also introduces the basics of radio detectors and the technologies we use to observe at radio wavelengths.

What you'll learn

- Gain an overview of Radio Astronomy and its context

- Understand the different detector technologies used at different wavelengths

- Learn the features of the main emission mechanisms which cause radio emission

- Characterise the different types of celestial radio emitters

- Use radio emission to diagnose key physical and scientific insights into the nature of the object being observed.

Syllabus

Week 1: An historical perspective of radio astronomy, followed by the description of the main objects in the universe that can be observed at radio wavelength.

Week 2: The basics of photon properties and propagation. Black-body emission and radiation transport.

Week 3: Description of the photon spectrum: continuum production and line physics.

Week 4: Basics of detection of photons. Detectors across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Week 5: The main objects that can be detected in the Universe at radio wavelength - first part.

Week 6: The main objects that can be detected in the Universe at radio wavelength - second part.