They went through a tough selection process, based on their academic record and motivation. There are 24 students, half from Sardinia and half from Lombardy, coming from various types of schools, but all eager to challenge themselves and become radio astronomers, even if just for a week. These are the students who will participate in the summer school “The Radio of the Cosmos – Discovering the Invisible Universe“, scheduled from August 31 to September 6, 2014.
The lucky participants will meet for the first time all together on Sunday, August 31, at the INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari in Selargius, to get to know each other and meet their tutors. Starting Monday morning, a packed schedule of lessons and practical exercises (some in the INAF-OAC labs, others at the Sardinia Radio Telescope site) will teach them the basics of Radio Astronomy, how to measure antenna parameters, detect radio interferences, and set up a radio observation.
The activities and lessons will be conducted by professional physicists and astrophysicists from the University of Milan and the INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari.
The school program is available at this link.
A lot of work closely with physicists, astronomers, and technologists, certainly, but also an opportunity for many to get to know Cagliari and the area where the Sardinia Radio Telescope is located. The week also includes an excursion to Cagliari, an afternoon at the beach, and a public conference in the town of Sant’Andrea Frius (Wednesday, September 3, at 9 PM).
The school is part of a scientific collaboration project between the Department of Physics at the University of Milan and the INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari (OAC), called “Development of Advanced Technologies in Radio and Microwaves” and funded under the Agreement for Scientific Research and Technological Innovation between the Autonomous Region of Sardinia and the Lombardy Region.
The school, organized by the company Sterrenlab with the scientific and logistical collaboration of the two involved entities, is also sponsored by three educational institutions, official partners of the initiative: the Istituto Tecnico Industriale Giua of Cagliari, I.T.S. Salvador Allende, and the Fondazione Sacro Cuore of Milan.
The school has received the patronage of the Italian Astronomical Society (SAIT).
Download the school poster All the info is available on the school page.