Abstract Details
| Name: Jameer Manur Affiliation: IUCAA Conference ID: ASI2017_1219 Title : Hands on approach to Radio astronomy Authors and Co-Authors : Prof. Joydeep Bagchi (IUCAA) Ashish Mhaske (IUCAA) Pratik dabhade (IUCAA) Shishir Sankhyayan (IUCAA) Abstract Type : Poster Abstract Category : Instrumentation and Techniques Abstract : I propose to talk about a unique facility developed at IUCAA, Pune in collaboration with NCRA called Radio Physics Lab (RPL). RPL provides a platform for the undergraduate college/University students to learn and explore Radio Astronomy along with developing aptitude for experimental astronomy. RPL has trained near 500 students, spanning all geographical regions across India over a span of eight years. RPL conducts various programs for which we get brightest students and many of them go on to join various astronomy PhD programs in India and abroad. We have designed astronomy experiments using 3-meter telescope for solar and for 21-cm neutral hydrogen (Milky way) line observations. Table-top experiment explaining the basics of different types of antennas, a Faraday Rotation experiment for teaching magneto-optics, polarized light, magnetism and communication, a Magnetic Torque experiment, a Noise Fundamentals experiment, a Magnetic Force experiment and a 4-scintillator Cosmic Ray Muon physics experiment are set up in the lab. These experiments have routinely been used for various RPL training and educational programs during the last several years. Recently we have designed and built in-house a horn antenna for detection of 21cm Hydrogen line, which is currently operational in RPL-IUCAA and being used by students. We have successfully used Software defined radio (SDR) with this telescope for the first time. These experiments are being used in our annual Radio Astronomy Winter Schools and other training programs (MSc) conducted periodically. In contrast to optical, radio astronomy is multidisciplinary and highly technical in nature, requiring good understanding of instrumentation, signal processing and electronics. This deters many potential good students to initiate research projects related to radio astronomy. Based on our past experience, hands-on approach using simple experimental setups has proved to be very useful in this respect. We have also generate and share videos and articles on experimental aspects of astronomy via various social media platforms. Overall, these objectives have made RPL a very significant and unique facility for advancing astronomy education in general and radio astronomy in particular. The general approach is to transfer knowledge of existing, well developed experiments to colleges, while developing more sophisticated experiments, thereby ensuring a gradual dissemination of information to colleges and improvement of the quality of our own programs. We conduct regularly technical as well as non-technical talks in various colleges and we plan to make network of affordable small radio telescopes in Universities across India to promote hands-on approach to experimental astronomy in particular radio astronomy. This is very crucial with respect to India’s major role in SKA (Worlds largest telescope). |