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  Astronomy 122 -- Astronomical Measurements and Instrumentation -- Fall 2006   
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George's class website:  http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~george/ay122/

Instructors: Tony Readhead, acr 'at' astro, 395-4972, 111 Robinson
             George Djorgovski, george 'at' astro, 395-4415, 221 Robinson
             Office hours:  by arrangement

TAs:         Mansi Kasliwal, mansi 'at' astro, 395-6222, 052B Robinson
             Fabio Altenbach, fabio 'at' astro, 395-4026, 03 Robinson
             Office hours:  by arrangement

Times and location:  Tue. & Thu. 2:30 - 4 pm, 106 Robinson

No textbook, but there are may useful books on the library reserve shelf.
In addition, we may distribute some readings in the class or via the class
webpages.

Grading:     40% homeworks, 20% midterm, 40% final

             Late homework penalty:  -50% per day or fraction thereof.
             We will give indulgences only for really good reasons (sickness,
             if you have a note from the doctor; death in the immediate family;
             etc.).  No late exams will be accepted, except maybe for -very-
             serious health related reasons.

Collaboration policy:  NO collaboration is allowed for the final and midterm
             exams.  For the homeworks, you can discuss the problems with
             other students, but only in general terms, and you have to
             derive your own solutions.  You CANNOT use any old homework
             solutions from anyone or anywhere.  The honor code applies.  

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Lectures (subject to changes):

Tue Sep 26  T  Introduction: Statistics
Thu Sep 28  T  Statistics and Fourier Transforms

Tue Oct 3   T  Fourier Transforms

Thu Oct 5   T  Diffraction Theory general introduction

Tue Oct 10  G  Introduction, coordinate and time systems, astrometry
Thu Oct 12  T  Diffraction Theory - applications to radio telescopes

Tue Oct 17  G  Basic optics and optical telescopes
Thu Oct 19  G  Detectors (UV/Opt/IR)

Tue Oct 24  G  Class trip to Palomar

Thu Oct 26  T  Antennas, receivers and signal processing

Tue Oct 31  G  Imaging and photometry (UV/Opt/IR)
Thu Nov 2   T  Interferometry

Tue Nov 7   G  Atmospheric turbulence and adaptive optics, astron. site testing
Thu Nov 9   T  Imaging  

Tue Nov 14  G  Spectrographs and spectroscopy (UV/Opt/IR)
Thu Nov 16  T  OVRO trip

Tue Nov 21  G  High energy astronomy: instruments and techniques

Thu Nov 23  -  No class - Thanksgiving

Tue Nov 28  G  Surveys, archives, virtual observatory, data exploration

Thu Nov 30  Tom Soifer: guest lecture on Spitzer


T = Tony, G = George