2019/2020

2020/2021

DM270

FIS/05 (ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS)

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

Didattica e storia della fisica

2°

1st semester (05/10/2020 - 20/01/2021)

6

48 lesson hours

Italian

ORAL TEST

DE LUCA ANDREA (titolare) - 6 ECTS

Basic courses in Physics; Introductory Astronomy is suggested.

Learning of the main aspects of astronomy in the high energy range of the electromagnetic spectrum, with particular emphasis in the soft X-ray energy range: working principles of modern telescopes; properties of different classes of high energy sources, starting from the most recent observational results.

Multiwavelength astronomy. Interaction between radiation and matter. Detectors for X-ray astronomy. Optics for X-ray astronomy. Experiments and space missions devoted to X-ray astronomy. Phenomenology of cosmic X-ray sources: low-mass stars; high-mass stars; supernovae; supernova remnants; isolated neutron stars; accreting binary systems; active galactic nuclei; clusters of galaxies; cosmic X-ray background radiation; gamma-ray bursts. Introduction to soft X-ray data analysis (hands-on sessions): the ESA/XMM-Newton observatory and its data; imaging analysis; time series analysis; spectroscopy.

Lectures. Hands-on sessions (8 hours) will also be organised, devoted to an introduction to analysis of data collected by the ESA/XMM-Newton space observatory.

F.D. Seward, P.A. Charles, Exploring the X-ray universe, Cambridge University Press, 2010

A. Siemiginowska, K. Arnaud, Handbook of X-ray astronomy, Cambridge University Press

W. R. Leo, Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiment. Springer-Verlag Berlin

M. Longair, High energy astrophysics 3rd edition, Cambridge University Press, 2011

Review papers and notes given by the teacher

Oral examination, including a 15-minute presentation of a topic chosen by the student.

Oral examination, including a 15-minute presentation of a topic chosen by the student.