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IUCAA M.Sc. Teaching

IUCAA offers neither a B.Sc. in Astronomy nor an M.Sc. in Astronomy. However, IUCAA faculty are involved in teaching the Astronomy and Astrophysics, Papers I and II of the third and fourth semesters of the M.Sc. programme in Physics at the University of Pune. Astronomy and Astrophysics is an optional course for M.Sc. (Physics) students. Normally, about 10 students are admitted to this course. (Admission to the course is done by the Department of Physics, University of Pune) The syllabus for these courses is given below.

Astronomy and Astrophysics I

  • Module 1: 3 credits (30 lectures, 15 T/S/D)
    • Overview of the universe
    • Physics of astrophysics
      • gravity
      • adiative processe
      • gas dynamic
  • Module 2: 1 credit (10 lectures, 5 T/S/D)
    • Stellar physics
  • Module 3: 1 credit (10 lectures, 5 T/S/D)
    • Galactic physics

Astronomy and Astrophysics II

  • Module 1: 3 credits (30 lectures, 15 T/S/D)
    • General relativity
      • principles of relativity
      • geometrical framework of general relativity
      • solutions to Einstein's equations and their properties
  • Module 2: 2 credits (20 lectures, 10 T/S/D)
    • Cosmology
      • cosmological models
      • physical cosmology and the early universe

Experiments for Astronomy and Astrophysics I and II

(total 5 credits, 120 lab hours)

  1. Temperature of artificial star by photometry
  2. Characteristics of a CCD camera
  3. Solar limb darkening effect
  4. Polar alignment of an astronomical telescope
  5. Estimating the relative magnitude of a group of stars by a CCD camera
  6. Atmospheric extinction for different colours
  7. Differential photometry of a programme star versus a standard star
  8. Effective temperature of a star by B-V photometry
  9. Night sky brightness with a photometer
  10. Distance to the moon by parallax
  11. Calibration of a 1420 MHz radio receiver and spectrometer
  12. Detection of the 21-cm line of neutral hydrogen from our galaxy
  13. Distance to a Cepheid variable
  14. Variability of delta Scuti type stars
  15. Variability of RS CVn binaries
  16. Polarization of day/moon light

Any 10 of these experiments will be covered (5 each in semesters III and IV)