• The Bash Symposium is on Monday Oct 19 and Tuesday Oct 20, 2015 in the Avaya Auditorium, POB 2.302. The program consists of talks and posters. The overveiw talks are presented by postdocs from UT and institutions across the world on current cutting-edge science topics, including planet stars, galaxy evolution, black holes, and the early Universe. The posters are presented by gradaute and undergraduate students, and provide you with an idea of what type of posters all of you can aimt to present once you are engaged in active research.
• On both Monday Oct. 19 and Tuesday Oct. 20, I encourage you to attend as many of the talks as your class schedule allows, to view all the posters, and engage with the poster presenters.
• On Tuesday Oct. 20, all of you are required to attend the symposium during class time. Please be quiet when you enter and leave the talk sessions so as not to disprupt the speakers and attendees. Since you are not paying for the meeting, please do *not* partake in the refreshments and foods: these are reserved for paid participants.
• On Th Oct 22, please bring to class a written one to two pages summary of an interesting talk you attended on Monday or Tuesday, or of a poster that you studied. You should describe what the main scientific message of the talk/poster was; what you found particulatly interesting and challenging in the research;, what aspects of the talk/poster style you found engaging; and any other items you would like to share with the class. On Thursday in class, we will collect your summary and also ask you to speak about your experience.
• If you would like to read further papers and preprints from one of the speakers at the Bash symposium, please use NASA ADS and Astroph publicatoon and preprint services below, as discussed in class.
  
  • NASA ADS Abstract Services
  • Astrophysics Preprint server

• Reminder: Homework 2 is due on Th Oct 22 at start of class

• Please work through the IRAF Tutorial 1 in class on Oct 6 and Oct 8, and also outside class hours in order to finish the IRAF tutorial before Oct 13, 2015. Please bring your answers for Section 11 of the IRAF tutorial at the start of class on Tu Oct 13, 2015.

• Useful quick links
  • Selected Material from Lectures & Assignments
  • Course Outline/Calendar
  • Course Grade

• Check out the Astronomy Picture of the Day!

• Class and Office Hours: This class, Astro 376R (Unique 46795), meets Tuesday and Thursdays from 9.30 to 11.00 in RLM 7.116. This room has locked laptops that can be deployed during class, but access to the room outside of our class ours is limited due to useage of this room by other classes. Thus, for after-class assignments you will also have access to the astronomy undergraduate computer lab (RLM 15.201) where the desktops have the same applications and setup as the laptops in RLM 7.116. The instructor is Professor Shardha Jogee and the teaching assistant (TA) is Emma Yu. Please consult us during the office hours listed below if you have any questions and we will be glad to help.

Hours: Office: Phone: Email:

Prof. Shardha Jogee Th 11.00 to 12.00 or by appointment RLM 15.214 (512) 471-3302 sj@astro.as.utexas.edu

Emma Yu Mon 1.00 to 2.00 pm or by appointment RLM 15.310E (512) 471-3387 moyu@astro.as.utexas.edu

• Flags: This course carries the flags of II (Independent Inquiry) and QR (Quantitative Reasoning), Quantitative Reasoning courses are designed to equip you with skills that are necessary for understanding the types of quantitative arguments you will regularly encounter in your adult andprofessional life. Independent Inquiry courses are designed to engage you in the process of inquiry over the course of a semester, providing you with the opportunity for independent investigation of a question, problem, or project related to your major.

• Course Description: Astronomy 376, "A Practical Introduction to Research" aims at equipping undergraduates with some of the skills relevant for research projects in astronomy and astrophysics, in order to facilitate their involvement in the College of Natural Science Freshman Research Initiative (FRI), as well as in more advanced individual research projects supervised by research faculty or staff during their sophomore to senior years. Many of the skills you will learn are pre-requisites for currently offered research projects in Astronomy and some wills be useful well beyond research in your undergraduate years, during graduate school in astronomy or astrophysics, or jobs in industry, national observatories, space science centers, etc. The course will involve an overview of research practices, such as
  • What is scientific research and the scientific method?
  • Different ways to communicate scientific results (posters, unrefereed conference papers, refereed papers, oral presentstions). Tips for effective posters and oral presentations.
  • What is a Research University? How is research funded and how does it impact you? Ethical concerns and responsibilities of research.
  • Why Participate in Undergraduate Research at UT? How to Get Involved in UG Research at UT?
  • Introduction to the UT Career Design Center

  and a wide array of hands-on practical exercises in a computer lab, including,

  • Introduction to the Linux/Mac OSX operating system
  • Text macro editing with Emacs
  • The IRAF software for analysis of astronomical data
  • Basic programming with IDL (interactive data language) including array manipulation, reading catalogs, plotting, statistical analyses
  • Reduction and visualization of astronomical data (e.g., CCD images) using IRAF and IDL
  • LaTeX and AASTeX package for written publications

  This course counts as an upper division course It is designed primarily for majors in astronomy or anyone who plans to get involved in a research project in astronomy and astrophysics. While the course can be taken by advanced students, we will give first priority to undergraduate majors in Astronomy and Physics, who are in their Freshman and Sophomore years so that such students are well prepared to tackle challenging research projects during their next two to three years at UT.

• Pre-Requisites Prerequisite: Mathematics 305G or the equivalent or consent of instructor; high school trigonometry and physics are recommended. Prior computing experience and an introductory astronomy course, such as AST 307, are recommended, but not required. However it is your responsibility to develop the required background knowledge for each lecture by studying the background pre-requisite reading, which we will provide.

• Textbook and Reading There is no single textbook that covers the wide variety of topics, which this course will span. We strongly recommend that you get "Practical IDL programming" by Liam E. Gumley (available at the Co-op bookshop): this will be a key reference guide for you on IDL exercises during this class and well beyond. In addition, we will provide our own tailor-made tutorials and online background reading material, which will be posted on this website under "Selected Material from Lectures & Assignments "

• Course Calendar The course calendar provides an approximate sequencing of topics to be covered in class. The online calendar will be regularly updated, as needed. Note that as outlined in the Memo to Undergraduate Astronomy Students regarding Astronomy Courses , the professor is a professional astronomer who has research responsibilities and may be occasionally on travel in order to conduct research, present colloquia, and attend scientific meetings. In such cases, there may be a schedule change and an appropriate replacement lecture or other assignment will be scheduled.

• Course Grade It is essential that you attend class as there will be a large number of in-class assignments. Course grades are posted on Canvas The final grade will consist of
  70% Homeworks and Projects
  30% In-class activities
  
  There will be no exams. When converting your final numerical scores to letter grades, I will use the scheme below or one that is slightly more lenient.

  Letter Grade A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F

  Grade Points 4.00 3.67 3.33 3.00 2.67 2.33 2.00 1.67 1.33 1.00 0.67 0.00

  Numerical Score 96% to 100% 91% to 95% 86% to 90% 81% to 85% 76% to 80% 71% to 75% 66% to 70% 61% to 65% 56% to 60% 51% to 55% 46% to 50% 0% to 45%

• Class and University Policies
  • You will be given access to the computer lab on the 15th floor for this class. Due to previous crime-related incidents in the RLM building the doors to the lab should remain closed when you are working in them. Under no circumstances, should the door be left open, even if someone is "just running out for a moment."
  • You will be given after hours access to the RLM building for this class. However, due to previous crime-related incidents in the RLM building, we strongly recommend that you try to use RLM only during the official open hours, which are the same as the hours of the Physics Mathematics Astronomy (PMA) Library. If you have to use RLM after hours, please try to be in a group of two or more.
  • Please turn off all cell phones before the start of class.
  • Late homeworks will be accepted for partial credit only if you have been granted an extension prior to the due date.
  • Requests for correction or re-grade of an assignment (homework, exam or quiz) will be accepted at latest two weeks after it is handed back to you.
  • There will be no final comprehensive exam.
  • You are encouraged to study with other students, but you must write up your own homework, exams, and quizzes. Cheating will be severely punished: if you copy someone's homework/quiz/exam or let someone copy yours, both of you will receive zero credit, and I will consider filing a report to the Dean of Students.
  • Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement,Services for Students with Disabilities (phone =512-471-6259).
  • By UT Austin policy, you must notify the professor of a pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.
  
  
  • Academic Integrity and the University Code of Conduct: A fundamental principle for any educational institution, academic integrity is highly valued and seriously regarded at The University of Texas at Austin. More specifically, you and other students are expected to maintain absolute integrity and a high standard of individual honor in scholastic work undertaken at the University.
    The University Honor Code states: "The core values of the University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the University is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community."
    Academic dishonesty includes: cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, multiple submissions, and any other acts or attempted acts that violate the basic standard of academic integrity. Consequences of academic dishonesty can be severe. Grade-related penalties are routinely assessed but students can also be suspended or even permanently expelled from the University for scholastic dishonesty. Other potential consequences can be particularly far-reaching, such as the creation of a disciplinary record that may very well impact future opportunities. Furthermore, incidents of scholastic dishonesty diminish the overall value of scholastic achievements on this campus and reflect poorly on the University. Helpful resources:
    
    • Office of the Dean of Students:
    • Descriptions of plagiarism and Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism
  
  
  • Emergency Procedures: In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors. Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Students requiring assistance in evacuation should inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class. Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy and remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building. Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office.
  
  
  • Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL): The Behavior Concerns Advice Line is a service that provides The University of Texas at Austin’s faculty, students and staff an opportunity to discuss their concerns about another individual’s behavior. This service is a partnership among the Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD). An individual can either call the line 512-232-5050 or report online