A Nordic Research Training School for graduate students focusing on "Observational cosmology and the formation and evolution of galaxies" will be held at Onsala Space Observatory, Sweden, during the period June 11-20, 2012 (the poster for the summer school can be downloaded here.)
The course is organised jointly by the Onsala Space Observatory (OSO, Sweden), the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT, Spain), the Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA, Finland), and the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics (University of Oslo, Norway).
Aims of the Course
The aim of the course is to introduce young researchers to the topics of
observational cosmology and galaxy formation and evolution, along with
experience in both optical/NIR and mm wavelength techniques. This will
prepare them for future use of major Nordic and European research facilities,
in particular the ESO VLT, E-ELT, ALMA, SKA and JWST. These facilities will
define the future frontiers in a wide range of research fields, notably in
studies of high redshift and early Universe, one of the currently most active
topics in astronomy.
Structure and Content of the Course
Scientific lectures will be given by leading Nordic and international experts
on observational cosmology and galaxy formation and evolution. The main
topics will be measurements of cosmological parameters by analysing CMB and
supernova observations, nature of dark energy and dark matter, first stars,
galaxy formation, and galaxy evolution. A preliminary course schedule is
given here.
In addition, the school will also feature lectures on observing techniques in mm and optical/NIR and tutorials on mm interferometric data reduction (CASA) and of optical/NIR data. Each student will, within a group, carry out a short research project during the course. These projects will use interferometric archival datasets, real time mm observations with the Onsala 20m radiotelescope and remote optical/NIR observations with the NOT. A substantial amount of time during the school will be dedicated to these research projects, and students will be expected to provide written and oral reports of their results. Upon successful completion of the full course programme, students will receive a certificate detailing the contents of the course and the workload involved, estimated to correspond to 5 ECTS credit points. Project descriptions can be found here.
Lecturers
Lecturers for the school include:
Application
The course is open to students enrolled at a recognised university at the
PhD or final-year MSc level. There is no restriction on the nationality of
the applicants, but priority is given to applicants from the Nordic
countries (in this context, 'nationality' is assigned by
enrollment/affiliation, not by passport). Application should be made
through the online application
form; the deadline is April 1, 2012. Applicants are asked to indicate
their preference for at least two projects when applying.
Available space limits attendance to 18 students.
Logistics
Students will be lodged at the Onsala Space Observatory (about 50km south
of Gothenburg) with easy access to computers and network connection.
Rooms and all meals are provided, and an excursion to Gothenburg is planned
during the weekend.
Financial support
The organisers will cover board and lodging for all students, and travel for
all Nordic students. There is no tuition fee for any students.
Contacts
Further information can be obtained from
Dr. Kirsten Kraiberg Knudsen (Chalmers),
Prof John Conway (Chalmers),
and Dir. Johannes Andersen (NOT).
