Shared Flashcard Set

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301
final prep for observational astronomy
53
Astronomy
Undergraduate 3
12/15/2010

Additional Astronomy Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
one key difference between equitorial and horizen cooridanate systems is....?
Definition

with the horizen system changes with time

the equitorial coordiante system does not change with time

Term
Local Sidereal Time
Definition
the HA of the vernal equinox
Term

How do you determine the LST at any point on earth?

aka LST=?

Definition
LST=UT@Greenwich-Longitude+Delta(T)
Term
What is Delta T?
Definition
Delta T is there to to cancel out the solar time interval, so when using delta T is is crucial to change it to Sidereal time
Term
If an object has an hour angle which is negative, what does that imply?
Definition
Thats implies that the object is east of the meridian
Term
Flux
Definition
Amount of EM radiation (energy) from a celestial object
Term
Photometry
Definition
Photometry is the science of measuring the amount of flxs from celectial objects
Term

Photometry has high....?

low....?

Definition

High flux calibration

low wavelength resolution

Term
Spectrophotometry
Definition
combination of high flux calibration and good wavelength resolution
Term
Spectroscopy
Definition

Good wavelength resolution

poor flux calibration

Term
equation relating magnitudes and fluxes
Definition
m1-m2=-2.5log(f1/f2)
Term
Bolometric Magnitude
Definition
Represents the total amount of energy put out by an object over all wavelengths
Term

Bluer objects have ? (B-V) magnitudes

Redder objects have ? (B-V) magnitudes  

Definition

bluer have smaller B-V

redder have larger B-V

Term

For a Cssigran Telescope

the primary mirror is ?

the secondary mirror is ?

 

Definition

Primary is Parabolic

Secondary is Hyperbolic

Term
What is Coma Aberration?
Definition
the objects closer to the edge of the image produced are blurred (not sharp) due to lights rays entering the telescope off axis and not focusing with others to make a clear image
Term

RC telescopes

primary mirror?

secondary mirror?

whats special?

Definition

Hyperbolic primary and secondary mirror

no coma aberration

Term
Scale (of an image) is proportional to ?
Definition
scale is proportional to focal length
Term
scale = ?
Definition

= f/206265

where f is focal length

Term

Resolution of a Telescope = ?

aka alpha = ?

Definition
alpha =2.1E5(wavelength/Diameter)
Term
B-V =
Definition
=mb-mv
Term

B-V=mb-mv

where mb-ma=?

Definition
mb-mv=m2-m1 from the magnitude luminosity relationship
Term
A yellow star (B-V=0.63) has ? wavelengths as flux increases
Definition
increasing
Term
A blue star (B-V=-0.33) with increasing flux has ? wavelengths
Definition
Decreasing
Term
If you want to add magnitudes, what must you do to obtain the answer?
Definition
Add the fluxes and then solve for a single magnitude from the added fluxes.
Term

focal length

definition

Definition
the distance from the lens to the image plane
Term
A telescope with a low F-ratio is said to be what?
Definition
fast
Term
What causes airy disks?
Definition
wavelengths interferring destructivly at certain points, think single aperture with a point source of light.
Term

Full Width Half Maximum

(FWHM)

Definition
the angluar size of the star image at half the peak level
Term
Quantum Efficiency
Definition
the fraction of photons falling on a CCD that are actually detected
Term
why do thick CCD's (front illuminated) has bad QE in the blue wavelengths?
Definition
the electronic layers the light has to pass through to get to the silicon abosrb much of the blue wavelengths.
Term
Dark Signal
Definition
If you allow a CCD to integrate without any light, the there is still a noise read out due to thermal excitation of the electrons in the CCD. this noise is the read out noise
Term
Flats
Definition

Exposing the CCD to uniform light, by doing this one can correct any non-uniformity in the CCD.

nonuniformities can be caused by varying thickness in the silicon, telescope optics, ect

Term
List the zodiacal constellations in order starting from the autumnal equinox meridian one.
Definition

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

capricorn

aquarius

pisces

Aries

Taurus

gemini

cancer

leo

virgo

Term
photoelectric effect
Definition
when electrons are emitted (escape their atom homes)  due to the absorbtion of the right amount of EM radiation
Term
Describe how a CCD works.
Definition
photons hit silicon. Photoelectric effect occurs, and the free electrons are collected in a pixel. Exposure ends and voltage potential is applied, moving the individual pixels across the CCD to the output register. Collected charge is measured in Voltage and converted to an output digital #
Term
Gain
Definition
The amount of voltage(collected Electrons/recieved photons) needed to produce 1 ADU
Term
draw back of surface channel CCD's?
Definition
some of the transferring electrons are caught in the gate structures (due to imperfections in the CCD)
Term
Buried channels are good because?
Definition
They elimate gates catching electrons.
Term

down side of back side illuminated CCD's?

 

Definition

-Shallower pixel wells

-Greater chance of non-uniform surface

-more expensive

Term
How do you try to over come the low QE of blue light in CCD's?
Definition

Coating more sensitive to blue light

back illuminated CCD

Term
Explain the Charge Transfer in CCD's
Definition

row of pixels is shifted off array to serial register

each pixel is SR is shifter to readout amplifier

charge in each pixel is read as a voltage and amplified

an ADC converts the voltage to ADU's

Term

QE

in equation format

Definition
detected photons/incident photons
Term

what are some reason photons

 would not be detected?

Definition

pass through

absorbed in gates

reflected off

Term

Define Charge Tranfer Efficiency

(CTE)

Definition
amount of charge succesfully tranfered to next pixel during readout
Term
Define Readout noise
Definition
the number of electrons introduced during readout time
Term
Define Full Well Capacity
Definition
the amount of electrons each pixel can hold
Term

Gain

Equation

Definition
Full Well Capacity / Largest ADU output from AD converter
Term
For N* in the CCD equation, the units come in the form of e-/ADU, what  do the units have to be in?  
Definition
they should only be in e-, so multiply out by how many e-/ADU there are.
Term

What does Npix stand for

in the CCD equation?

Definition
N pix is the number of pixels used in the aperture
Term
To turn a number, say N* in to the units required, you need to multply it by...?
Definition
by the gain, which is in units of e-/ADU's
Term
using the S/N equation, how do you determine the uncertainty magnitude?
Definition
Flip the equation, so instead you have the N/S equation
Term
what units is gain measured in?
Definition
e-/ADU
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