67099 - Professional Activities

Academic Year 2017/2018

  • Moduli: Daniele Dallacasa (Modulo 1) Barbara Lanzoni (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Astronomy (cod. 8004)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, each student get familiar with a series of professional soft are packages (graphics, text- writing, maths, data reduction packages) widely used also beyond the astronomical field. Furthermore the student will be able to produce professional plots and presentations, allowing an effective description of the scientific problems both in a professional way and in an outreach mode.

Course contents

Three main options are proposed

Option *A* ---

Conventional activity organised in three tests:

1. Reading of a professional paper from a Journal (English) and preparation of a multimedia presentation

2. Production of a color-magnitude diagram of a globular cluster and comparison with a number of isochrones to determine the distance modulus.

3. Analysis of optical spectra taken at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo: measure of redshifts and virial mass of a clusters of galaxies. Analytic discussion of the results.

At the end of the second and third tests, a brief written report has to be submitted.

 

Option *B* ---

For a limited number of students a course devoted to learn how to use ZEMAX, a professional software for designing optical devices, generally used both in optical and industrial research. A few introductory lectures will be followed by practical applications.

Option *C* ---

For a limited number of students outreach activities will be organised either at the Loiano optical observatory (OAS -INAF) or at the Medicina radioastronomical station (IRA - INAF). Alternatively, activities at the Marconi Labs (Pontecchio Marconi) mostly related to software management are offered.

Further details and updated information si available at the appropriate web page of the DIFA

 

Readings/Bibliography

Guidelines of the tests and handbooks of the various software packages

Teaching methods

Brief introduction to the tests and execution at the Informatics Lab

Assessment methods

Oral presentation of the first test, written reports of the remaining two.

Teaching tools

Informatics Lab, beam projector, slides, web site with guidelines.

Office hours

See the website of Daniele Dallacasa

See the website of Barbara Lanzoni