< Radiation astronomy < X-rays
This shows a ROSAT PSPC false-color image of the deepest portion of the soft X-ray shadow of the high latitude cometary cloud known as the Draco nebula. Credit: Dr. David Burrows and graduate student Jeff Mendenhall of the Penn State Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics.

The course objective is to provide students with a dynamic course focused on X-ray astronomy. At the end of the course, a student should have a well-rounded knowledge of the observational and theoretical astronomy of X-ray astronomy.

The course is built upon the ongoing research performed by astronomers around the world and in the not so empty space above the Earth's atmosphere.

The course material is layered from a secondary to a university or tertiary level, topped off with an introduction to research, some of which is here at Wikiversity.

The general subject area is astronomy. But, this includes knowledge from physics, chemistry, geography, history, and other subjects.

Prerequisites

Although a working knowledge of calculus and physics are beneficial, most of the concepts presented only require algebra. Additional learning resources where the student may increase their background knowledge while progressing through the course are provided.

Completion levels

This course is dynamic, but may also be taken as a semester offering by Wikiversity, see the syllabus near the bottom of this page for the next formal class period.

Each component resource has a level of completion icon following it based on ≥ 100 kb equals 100 %, or 100 questions is 100 %, the midterm and final are based on 300 questions equals 100 %:

  1. This resource is a stub, which means that pretty well nothing has been done yet. 0-5%.
  2. This resource is just getting off the ground. Please feel welcome to help! 6-15%.
  3. Been started, but most of the work is still to be done - 16-30%.
  4. About halfway there. You may help to clarify and expand it - 31-45%.
  5. Almost complete, but you can help make it more thorough - 46-60%.
  6. Ready for testing by learners and teachers. Please begin! 61-75%.
  7. This resource is considered to be ready for use - 76-90%. R
  8. This resource has reached a high level of completion - 91-100%. C

Laboratories

Lectures

For a sixteen-week course, forty-eight lectures are needed. But, this is an advanced and specialized course so the number of lectures may vary.

  1. Analytical astronomy
  2. Astronomical X-ray entities
  3. Astronomical X-ray objects
  4. Astronomical X-ray sources
  5. Balloons for X-ray astronomy
  6. Coronal cloud
  7. Earth-orbit X-ray astronomy
  8. Electromagnetic astronomy
  9. Electron astronomy
  10. Exploratory X-ray astronomy
  11. First astronomical X-ray source
  12. Flare stars
  13. Galactic X-ray astronomy
  14. Gamma-ray astronomy
  15. Hard X-ray astronomy
  16. History of X-ray astronomy
  17. Magnetohydrodynamics
  18. Nucleosynthesis
  19. Scorpius X-1
  20. Serpens X-1
  21. Soft X-ray astronomy
  22. Sounding rockets for X-ray astronomy
  23. Stellar active region
  24. Stellar surface fusion
  25. Sun as an X-ray source
  26. Super soft X-ray astronomy
  27. Theoretical X-ray astronomy
  28. Ultrasoft X-ray astronomy
  29. Ultraviolet astronomy
  30. Vela X-1
  31. X-ray astronomy
  32. X-ray astronomy backgrounds
  33. X-ray astronomy detectors
  34. X-ray astronomy satellites
  35. X-ray astronomy telescopes
  36. X-ray astrophysics
  37. X-ray classification of stars
  38. X-ray spectrometers
  39. X-ray stars
  40. X-ray telescopes
  41. X-ray trigonometric parallax
  42. X-radiation

Lessons

  1. First gamma-ray source in Triangulum Australe
  2. First X-ray source in Andromeda
  3. First X-ray source in Antlia
  4. First X-ray source in Apus
  5. First X-ray source in Aquarius
  6. First X-ray source in Centaurus
  7. First X-ray source in Chamaeleon
  8. First X-ray source in Lepus
  9. First X-ray source in Serpens Caput

Quizzes

Each lecture has an associated quiz which is listed here.

Two-three lengthier exams often referred to as 'hourlies' (may take an hour to work through at a timed pace), a mid-term exam which is all-encompassing for the first half, and a final exam over the entire course material may be offered. The examinations are designed to be taken iteratively as many times as the student desires to achieve a thorough working knowledge of the subject.

  1. Balloons for X-ray astronomy/Quiz
  2. Coronal cloud/Quiz
  3. Electromagnetic astronomy/Quiz
  4. First astronomical X-ray source/Quiz
  5. Galactic X-ray astronomy/Quiz
  6. Gamma-ray astronomy/Quiz
  7. Hard X-ray astronomy/Quiz
  8. Magnetohydrodynamics/Quiz
  9. Nucleosynthesis/Quiz
  10. Sounding rockets for X-ray astronomy/Quiz
  11. Star-forming region/Quiz
  12. Stellar active region/Quiz
  13. Stellar surface fusion/Quiz
  14. Sun as an X-ray source/Quiz
  15. Super soft X-ray astronomy/Quiz
  16. Ultraviolet astronomy/Quiz
  17. Vela X-1/Quiz
  18. X-ray astronomy/Quiz
  19. X-ray astronomy backgroundsQuiz
  20. X-ray astronomy detectors/Quiz
  21. X-ray astronomy satellites/Quiz
  22. X-ray astronomy telescopes/Quiz
  23. X-ray classification of stars/Quiz
  24. X-ray trigonometric parallax/Quiz

See also

  • Radiation astronomy
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