SPACE PHYSICS
Academic year and teacher
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2022/2023
- Teacher
- NAZZARENO MANDOLESI
- Credits
- 6
- Didactic period
- Secondo Semestre
- SSD
- FIS/01
Training objectives
- The learning objectives of the Space Physics series of lectures is five-fold:
1 - provide a wide overview of modern aerospace engineering technologies and training physics students in operating as system engineers and program managers of large space projects, as well as micro/mini satellites.
2 - highlight the technologies necessary for the space colonization; in particular lunar settlements and future human missions on Mars.
3 - The use of space missions for Earth Observations goaled to metereology and best use of our planet resources.
4 - provide an overview of the technology used and major scientific achievements in space astrophysics and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) cosmology
5 - provide an overview of the CMB theories and experimental results, inparticular the latest results of the ESA Planck mission.
The objective of the course is to provide physics students (also in engineering and management fiedls) the fundemental elements to look for employment in public and private research centers in astrophysics as well as in aerospace engineering. Prerequisites
- There are no particular requirements. Basic knowledge of Experimental Physics and Astrophysics can help.
Course programme
- - Space systems (5 hours): Space exploration, Path to space, Space systems challenges, working principles of launchers and satellites, Inertial navigation, Spacecrafts in orbit, Mathematics of satellite motion
- Elements of System Engineering and Program Management (4 hours)
- Space Colonization: Moon, Mars (6 hours)
- Earth Obervations and Techologies for monitoring Earth resources and metereology (5 hours)
- On Board instruments and optical, radio, UV, X, IR and gamma telescopes) (5 hours)
- Introduction to CMB Cosmology (15 hours): Friedman equation, Fluid and accelerated equations, Eq. of state, single component universe, Evolution of energy density, Olbers paradox, CMB (temperature, energy, density, mean photon energy), CMB results from measurements, Equivlence principle, Robertson-Walker metric, recombination and decoupling, CMB temperature fluctuations, lambda CDM model, Planck satellite, latest results from CMB and future (14 hours). Didactic methods
- Class lectures with examples and close interactions with students (very important to optimize the results).
If Covid-19 situation does not allow face to face lectures zoom or google meet wil be used.
The lectures are in ppt or pdf and given to the students during and at the ned of the course. Learning assessment procedures
- The examination is based on questions and answers with interactive discussion. One argument can be chosen by the student.
Reference texts
- Given the large number of topics the students are addressed to a few text book in agreement with their sigle interest.
But since the lectures are exposed as presentation i ppt or pdf all the lectures are given to the students during and at the end of the course.
A few recommended texts/books:
- Introduction to Cosmology - Barbara Ryden
- Space Physics: An introduction - C.T Russell, J.G. Luhman, R.J. Strangeway
- Fundamental Physics - NASA (free on WEB)
- ESA Spce Science (free on WEB)
- ESA Space Science (free on WEB)
