Syllabus

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Astronomy 351/392J Astronomical Instrumentation

Professor: John Lacy TTh 11:00-12:30

RLM 16.304A

Fall 2016 Unique No. 47555/47630

Prof- John Lacy, RLM 15.310C, 471-1469, lacy@astro.as.utexas.edu, TBA
TA- Jeremy Ritter, RLM 16.226B, 232-3958, jritter@astro.as.utexas.edu
Machine Shop Supervisor- Gordon Wesley, RLM 17.338, 471-3431, gwesley@astro.as.utexas.edu

Introduction

This course is an introduction to the design and construction of experimental apparatus using astronomical instruments as the model for the process. We will cover key aspects of some of the most important topics in the field: optics and optical design, mechanical design and machining, electronics design and fabrication, real-time computer control, project planning, and performance analysis. Since we cannot teach you everything you need to know in a single semester, we will try to equip you with enough background to be able to continue learning on your own.

Overall Objectives

By the end of the course, you should have a concrete knowledge of many of the essentials of instrumentation. You should be able to plan out, schedule, and organize an instrumentation project and have some idea of what goes into a project budget. You should understand the steps involved in the mechanical, optical, software, and electronics design. You should have a good working knowledge of where to obtain information you need for your project in each of these areas. You should have concrete knowledge of computer aided design (CAD) programs for mechanical design (Inventor), electronics design and simulation (Multisim), and optical design and simulation (Zemax). You will know how to do basic work with hand tools and with machine shop equipment. You will be able to assemble and understand some electronics circuits and be able to use laboratory equipment to test them. You will know the fundamentals of optical design and be able to design and build a grating spectrometer. You will be able to use LabView to interface an instrument to a computer.

How the Course Works

Philosophy

Astronomy 351 is a team-taught course where you are part of the team. There will be only occasional classes in a more conventional seminar/lecture format. Most of the time, the class will look more like an apprenticeship, an engineering project course, a physics lab course, or a bunch of curious people let loose in a room full of great toys. The learning in this course is centered around the activities of teams of 4-5 students. We have structured the activities to emphasize collaborative learning. As future teachers, researchers, and technical managers, you will need to know how to help colleagues, coworkers, employees, and students master complex material. Your participation as a teacher/trainer in this course is as important as your role as student/trainee. You should work together on almost everything. Although there will be some background reading to do, most of the learning will take place in the form of activities. Compared to the typical course, this course will involve much more "class" time and somewhat less time outside of class. Expect to spend at least 6 hours per week in the lab or shop and 3 hours per week on reading and homework.

As professor and TA for this course, we serve four purposes: (1) As facilitators. We are here to make sure you have all resources necessary to do the activities and learn the material. (2) As part of the coaching staff. Along with the other members of the Department and the Observatory who are making themselves available, we are a knowledge resource. You can come to us for advice, for direction to additional people or material, or for help when you are flat-out stuck. (3) As referees. When there are conflicts between or within teams and groups over resources or (heaven forfend!) personalities that cannot be resolved satisfactorily without our help, we are there to deal with them. (4) As evaluators. This is after all a course. You will get a grade (see below). We also take seriously the part of this role that involves evaluating the course materials and organization, as well as the performance of the outside instructors and even ourselves. You need to contribute to this effort by taking your own evaluating role seriously.

Texts

Building Scientific Apparatus by Moore et al. (4th edition)
The Art of Electronics by Horowitz and Hill (2nd ed.)

Both of these are great references as well as textbooks. If you have any inkling at all that you may be around instrumentation in the future, hang onto these books at the end of the semester!

Suggested Labview References:

LabView for Everyone by Travis (2^nd edition)
LabView Graphical Programming by Johnson & Jennings
On-line resources at http://www.ni.com/labview/technical-resources/

Segments and Segment Groups

The curriculum for this class has been divided into four segments. Each segment covers an important aspect of instrument design and construction: mechanical design and fabrication, electronics and circuit design, optics and optical design, and computer interfacing and software design. The segments will consist of a reading assignment, a set of problems, some hands-on skill learning tasks and a laboratory exercise.

The class will be divided into segment groups. Each group will rotate through the segments in succession. Groups will have 3 weeks to complete each segment. You will do most of the activities as a group.

Projects and Project Teams

A major aspect of this course will be the use of what you are learning to design and construct a working instrument. The instrument project will consist of designing and building an optical spectrograph. This instrument will have a solid-state optical detector and operate under computer control. It should be able to take wavelength-calibrated spectra of bright emission-line sources (lamps).

You will carry out the project as a member of a project team. Each team will be responsible for planning, designing, and building its own instrument. The members of your team will come from different segment groups so that your team quickly collects all of the skills needed to carry out the project.

Assignments and Deadlines

master, and a practical exercise. Because other groups will need access to the hardware, your group must complete each section within the allotted time. You should work out the paper exercises or problem sets on your own. You may then consult with your group about the answers. Once you are sure you know the answer, you must hand in your own writeup. Problem sets will be due at the end of each segment (for the computer interfacing segment, you will need to demo your knowledge rather than do a problem set). For the optics and electronics segments we will have an oral exam during the last class meeting for that segment. Each of you will be asked 1-2 questions about what you have learned in the segment.

Each project team will have a conceptual design review, a preliminary design review, and a final review of the project. At the reviews, each member of the team will make a presentation about his or her part of the project and will be expected to participate in the discussion of other parts. At the preliminary review, approximately five weeks before the end of classes, each team member will have to turn in a written description of the instrument, how it will work, and how it will be built. This document should be about two pages long, plus figures.

Class Meetings

The class will meet every TTh at 11:00-12:30. Every Thursday each segment group will meet with the professor or TA to get started on a new segment, work on lab projects, or discuss any questions. For the Labview segment you will demonstrate what you have learned on the last Tuesday of that segment period, and for electronics and optics you will participate in an oral quiz. Most of the rest of the time you will work with your groups on your current segments or work on your projects. Once you start work on your projects, each team will meet to discuss plans, progress, and problems at a chosen time each week. You will also have to spend a substantial amount of time in the lab outside of class hours with your groups and teams. Find times when you can get together. On-time attendance at class, group, and team meetings is a course requirement.

Getting Help

(a) Your Segment group or project team: You are all working together, so split up the learning task in a way that makes sense to you and then teach each other what you know.

(b) Your classmates: Many of you come into this with a great deal of knowledge and talent. Make it your business to find out which of your classmates is already an expert in something and tap into that expertise.

(c) The Prof and TA: Each of us will spend time in the laboratory or be available outside of class time. If you need to meet with us, have a member of your group arrange a time for one of us to be here when your group or team is. Personal problems of individual students can be handled in my office, by arrangement.

(d) Other experts: One advantage in being in a place where a lot of building is going on is that somebody usually knows the answer to your question. We will be calling on some of the local experts to share their expertise in certain areas and to serve on the design reviews for your projects. Sometimes, these folks can be helpful before you get to that stage by getting you started on something, giving you a reference, or telling you your idea won't work. These folks can be found on the 15th to 17th floors of RLM. Here is a partial list.

Optics: Phillip MacQueen, Gary Hill
Electronics: Phillip MacQueen
Computer Interfacing: Dan Jaffe
Mechanical Design: Gordon Wesley

(f) A book. There are tons of books out there. Some of them are even helpful. Also, check out parts catalogs. They often have little tutorials in them. The parts themselves sometimes give you ideas. Individual segments will contain some specific references to relevant reading material.

How to do the units

1) Read handout.
2) Plan your attack on the unit with your group. Who’s doing what when?
3) Do the reading as appropriate for this unit.
4) Do the homework first by yourself, then compare answers with your group.
5) Learn the software with your group.
6) Use the hardware with your group.
7) Show us what you’ve done.
Do items 1&2 in class when you start a unit. The order of items 4-6 may be varied.

Evaluation of Your Performance

We intend your grade in this course to reflect the amount of skill you acquire and the strength of your contribution to the efforts of your group to learn the material and your team to build the instrument. Items we will include in setting your grade are: (1) Attendance (including coming on time) (15%) (2) Individual problem sets and group segment reports (25%) (3) Your writeup of the instrument for the preliminary review (10%) (4) Your performance and that of your team at the preliminary review (10%) (5) The performance of the instrument your team built (15%) (6) The level of mastery you display when you demonstrate your instrument and answer questions at an oral exam at the end of the course (25%). To carry out the last two points, during the last week of class, your team will demonstrate your instrument. Each of you will have a private discussion with the professor and TA in which you explain the workings of the various elements of your system using the knowledge acquired during the topical segments. Your evaluation will depend on your own performance and on how your team did both on the project and on cross-training other team members.

LAB RULE: NO FOOD OR DRINK IN THE LAB AT ANY TIME