Astronomy & Astrophysics at Macquarie

1. Astronomy & Astrophysics at Macquarie • Physics can be an exciting and dynamic field of study • Astronomy and astrophysics courses have been designed to offer an interesting and diverse range of topics which start with fundamental concepts and background material and finish with a detailed description of astrophysical phenomena and the underlying physics. Feb 23rd 2009

2. Faculty Astronomers at Macquarie • Prof. Mark Wardle Theoretical investigations of interstellar clouds including supernova remnants, shock waves, masers, star formation, protoplanetary discs and the Galactic Centre. Collaborations here and in the USA on interpretation of radio/sub-mm/ir/optical(HST)/x-ray(Chandra) observations of the Galactic Centre, SNRs, molecular clouds and star-forming regions. • A/Prof. Quentin Parker worked extensively with the 6dF robotic fibre system and is P.I. for the UKST H-alpha survey. Research activities are mainly but not exclusively associated with Wide Field Astronomy, including large-scale redshift surveys and the new Macquarie/AAO/Strasbourg H-alpha Catalogue of Galactic Planetary Nebulae (MASH) of which he is also P.I. • Dr Alan Vaughan Research activities have included searches for transient astronomical events, observations of active stars, southern radio surveys, interacting galaxies and measurement of archival astronomical plates for proper motion studies. Alan has a significant Astronomy public outreach profile • A/Prof. Orsola de Marco, Dr Dan Zucker 7 Dr Jon Lawrence – new faculty from 2009! Feb 23rd 2009

3. PHYS 270 – ASTRONOMYA/Prof. Quentin Parker & Dr. AlanVaughan • This is a general-education unit of study which is offered internally every year . It is usually taken in 2nd year except for those entering the astronomy stream when they are encouraged to undertake the subject in first year. It gives a broad introduction to the field and includes: • some basic mechanics and optics; • historical development of astronomical instruments and techniques across the whole electromagnetic spectrum; • celestial coordinate systems & navigation; • Stars, galaxies, nebulae, quasars, pulsars, black holes; • evolutionary models and alternatives; • basic cosmology. • Experimental lab work may be chosen from such topics as geometrical and physical optics, spectra, photography, galaxy classification, use of an optical telescope and a simple radio telescope • Some practical sessions will be spent at the Division's observatory (evenings). Feb 23rd 2009

4. MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY, DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS RESEARCH – ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS CORE Astronomy and astrophysics research has grown rapidly at Macquarie over the last 6 years. There are now ~30 group members including 5 academic staff, 4 associates, 4 postdoctoral fellows, 10 PhD students, 4 masters students and various honours students engaged in a vigorous program of diverse research: See http://www.physics.mq.edu.au/astronomy/ Macquarie astronomers have built a strong international reputation. Current research strengths include wide-field astronomy, optical, infrared and radio studies of planetary nebulae and supernova remnants, stellar proper motions, and theoretical studies of shock-waves, star formation and black holes. Our deep LMC Hα stack image SMP27 HST image of LMC planetary nebula SMP27 Output metrics 2003-2008: Publications:150+ papers including 60+ in refereed journals; Major Grants with a total value ~$3m; Major telescope access won on world’s most prestigious observatories such as HST, SPITZER, CHANDRA, GEMINI, ESO VLT) equivalent to $4.2m of facility access; 5 PhD completions since Dec 2005 – most go in to industry.

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6. Please refer to the MU `recommendations for laboratory report writing’ for a general description of what is expected in a lab report in practical classes. Feb 23rd 2009

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8. Chandra’s view of the centre of our Galaxy: 94.2 accumulated hours of data! Credit NASA/UMass/D.Wang et al. Image is 120 by 48 arcmin This 400 by 900 light-year mosaic of several Chandra images of the central region of our Milky Way galaxy reveals hundreds of white dwarf stars, neutron stars, and black holes bathed in an incandescent fog of multimillion-degree gas. The supermassive black hole at the center of the Galaxy is located inside the bright white patch in the center of the image. The colors indicate X-ray energy bands - red (low), green (medium), and blue (high). Feb 23rd 2009

9. Practical Work Feb 23rd 2009

10. Practical Marking scheme • Practicals are over 9 weeks plus the evening observing • sessions • Marking will be out of 5 (refer to `recommendations • for laboratory report writing’) • The best 8 lab reports will be used to form your • 20% practical component for your overall course mark. Feb 23rd 2009

11. Using the Observatories telescopes! Observatory Domes Meade 16” photo by Lesa Moore When a 3rd year student – now starting a PhD here Tarantula Nebula photo by Angela Mabee When a 3rd year student Feb 23rd 2009

12. Generic Skills – or what life skills you are picking up without perhaps realising it! Plagiarism – cheating – not giving it a fair go! Please refer to the handout on plagiarism for further details Feb 23rd 2009

13. We value your opinion! At the end of the course some of us may also request students to fill in a Teaching Evaluation Form – multiple choice questions(plus a comments component) to allow assessment of our teaching as a positive feedback mechanism Feb 23rd 2009

14. Your chance to impress! Feb 23rd 2009

15. Course Content: in 36 lectures • Introduction QAP/AEV (happening now…) • Ancient Astronomy (1) AEV/QAP • Basic Optics (1) AEV • Telescopes and other Detectors (2) QAP • Basic Physics within an astronomical framework (4) AEV • Astronomical Measurements (4) QAP • Motion of the Sun, Moon and Planets (1) AEV • The Solar System (4) AEV • The panoply of Stars (5) AEV • Pulsars (1) AEV • Nebulae (3)QAP • The Milky Way (3) QAP • Galaxies (2) QAP • Peculiar Galaxies and Quasars (1) QAP • Cosmology and the large scale structure of the Universe (2) QAP • Life in the Universe and Astrobiology (1) QAP/Guest Lecturer N.B. The progress of the course is generally in the sense of increasing scale though the exact order of the lectures is not set in stone! Feb 23rd 2009

16. PHYS178 Other Worlds: Planets and Planetary Systems • Semester 2 1st year course 3cp • This unit explores our solar system and the newly-found planetary systems around other suns. • We examine the processes that have shaped the marvelous variety of worlds within our own solar system, from the scorched and buckled surface of Mercury to the geysers of frozen methane on Neptune's largest moon, Triton. • From this we build an understanding of how our solar system formed and subsequently evolved to become the system that we inhabit today. • We look at the discovery of a startling variety of planets around other stars. • These provide a new and challenging perspective on our place in the Universe that is modifying the scientific theories of how generic planetary systems are formed. The unit will highlight breaking news as the unit proceeds. • The practical component of the unit includes observing the planets with the telescopes of the Macquarie University Observatory. • Prerequisites and Corequisites: NONE!! • Lecturers: Wardle, Parker, (Zucker/De Marco) Feb 23rd 2009

17. PHYS 278 – Advanced AstronomyA/Prof. Q.Parker & Dr. A.Vaughan This unit includes material from the following: • Celestial mechanics; • Coordinates systems (equatorial, ecliptic, galactic, altitude-azimuth) • Precession/nutation; • The Fourier transform in astronomy (cool!) • Detection theory and detectors (CCD’s, photomutlipliers) • Observational selection and atmospheric effects (e.g. `seeing’) • Multi-wavelength astronomy including: UV, Optical, IR, sub-mm, X-ray, neutrino, cosmic-ray and gravitational-wave astronomy (big component) • Astronomical data/image processing (or how to retrieve that signal!) • A variety of astronomy based laboratory practical projects including more advanced use of the observatories telescopes (some fun assured here) • How to write a successful observing proposal! (prize given for best entry – staff astronomers permitted to steal any such `good ideas’ for their own research)! Feb 23rd 2009

18. Characteristic astrophysical objects seen at specific wavelength regimes λ E The course spends some time looking at these regimes Feb 23rd 2009

19. 3rd year – Astrophysics courses now we start to get serious! • PHYS370 Astrophysics I (3 credit points) This unit deals with the physics of the major emission, absorption and scattering mechanisms of astronomy, the passage of waves through ionised and neutral media, stellar models and stellar spectra, together with a detailed treatment of several interesting astronomical objects. Students will carry out an observational project and may visit a number of observatories! • PHYS378 General Relativity and Cosmology (3 credit points) Review of special relativity, gravity and the equivalence principle, tensor methods, metrics of spacetime and spacetime curvature, the Schwarzschild metric and black holes, experimental tests of general relativity, gravitational radiation, the Robertson-Walker metric, Friedmann, Einstein and de Sitter models, inflation. Feb 23rd 2009

20. Honours yearso you want to be an astronomer? • A variety of honours projectsare currently offered as well as advanced (taught) course work. • They involve the reduction, analysis and interpretation of real data taken recently on Australian and overseas telescopes. • The work will involve the use and processing of both large format pixel images and/or the reduction and analysis of spectral data never before examined. • The opportunity to participate directly in the use of major Australian based observing facilities is a real possibility • Staff are involved in vigorous and successful follow-up observing programmes where there are prospects for real discoveries. • Extensive use of image processing, database packages and specialist astronomical software will be required. Feb 23rd 2009

21. MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY, DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS ASTRONOMY RESEARCH – POSTGRADUATE STUDIES • A variety of options are available for PhD graduates wishing to pursue a research or industrial career – it is not just astronomy! • Astronomy graduates have gone into a broad range of careers including remote sensing, medical physics, conservation science, financial modeling, defense industries, teaching, even insurance… some even stay on in Astronomy. • Students leave equipped with a wide range of sophisticated and useful skills. These include but are not restricted to: • high level analytical skills including data processing, manipulation, interpretation, assessment and evaluation • Experimental design, testing against data, image processing, spectral analysis • Computational physics, software development, modeling, scientific writing, science proposals – persuading someone to part with money/resources! PhD projects are available in observational, theoretical and in instrumentation projects that can equip students with a very broad range of capabilities Cutting-edge instrumentation PhD projects with advanced photonics in collaboration with the AAO are available now…

22. Vacation scholarships • Each summer 4-6 paid vacation scholarships are available to 2nd & 3rd year undergraduates to pursue a supervised research project in the physics department • Astronomy projects form an integral part of this! • Budding astronomers also get access to equivalent programmes at the AAO, ATNF, ANU, Swinburne & Melbourne. Feb 23rd 2009

23. Links with the AAO • Honours Instrumentation projects in collaboration with the AAO including the provision of two $5000 AAO/Mac.University astronomy-instrumentation scholarships. • These would be jointly supervised projects between an AAO instrumentation scientist and Macquarie. • Other honours projects are offered in collaboration with AAO research astronomers from within their areas of speciality (see links below). Interested students can check out the following www pages for related material: • www-wfau.roe.ac.uk/sss/halphawww.roe.ac.uk/wfau/halpha/halpha.htmlwww.roe.ac.uk/wfau/6df/6df.htmlmsowww.anu.edu.au/~colless/6dF/www.aao.gov.au/allstudents/studentsgrad.html • Jointly supervised PhD projects in instrumentation or direct astronomical research Feb 23rd 2009

24. Some interesting astronomy web-links! • http://www.open.hr/space/space/programs.phtml • http://astronomylinks.com/ (General extensive astronomy links) • http://www3.cerritos.edu/jmclarty/AstronomyPage/Astro_Index.htm • http://vrl.tpl.toronto.on.ca/expanding_universe/520.HTM • http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/people/faculty/tenn/AstronomyLinks.html • http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html (astronomy picture of the day!) • http://oposite.stsci.edu/ (The Hubble Space Telescope site!) • http://www.galaxy.com/galaxy/Science/Astronomy/ FREE ASTRONOMY SOFTWARE: • http://freeware.intrastar.net/astronmy.htm • http://www.physics.sfasu.edu/astro/software.html • http://www.cvc.org/astronomy/freeware.htm Feb 23rd 2009

25. Scale of the Universe Feb 23rd 2009

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