Radio Astronomy: A pictorial survey

Radio Astronomy: A pictorial survey

by

Vivek Dhawan
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro New Mexico USA

Monday, November 29, 2010
at 10.15 a.m.
In the Ground Floor Lecture Hall (LH1)

ALL ARE WELCOME
Note: Vehicle (shuttle) leaves for NCBS at 9.30 am from the parking bay in front of the main library in IISc and at 11.30 am from NCBS to IISc.

Abstract

One might describe Astronomy as `remote spectroscopy’, with an obsession for location, location, location. Radio engineering techniques for the reception of electromagnetic waves now give very high resolution in both the spectral and spatial domains.  As a result, radio astronomy is now a mature field, with many instruments in use and under construction around the world.

Techniques will be briefly outlined, including microwave electronics, cryogenics, digital signal processing, and software for image reconstruction.  I will then venture into a pictorial survey of  the contributions of radio astronomy to topics  such  as:   Dark matter and Dark Energy;   Black holes and Accretion power;   Pulsars;    Star birth and star death in  molecular clouds.  Far from the serene view of celestial harmony, the universe is a dynamic, explosive laboratory for physics.

Host: Prof. Jyotsna Dhawan ( jdhawan@ncbs.res.in  )

Prof. K.VijayRaghavan will introduce the speaker ( vijay@ncbs.res.in  )

Please join for high tea and discussions at the Hortus Malabaricus Gardens at 11.15 am.