Radio Telescope Instrumentation for Teaching

Radio Telescope Instrumentation for Teaching is designed for undergraduate physics instructors seeking to integrate radio astronomy into their courses. After optical astronomy, radio astronomy is the only ground-based method accessible with modest equipment, yet classroom projects can be challenging to implement. This book offers a range of projects, from introductory to advanced, covering standalone classroom systems, networked stations, and larger facilities involving student participation. Activities include observing Galactic hydrogen, Cygnus A, Cassiopeia A, solar bursts, Jovian emissions, and pulsars. Instrumentation options span online setups, small-scale equipment, and permanent small-dish telescopes, with advanced techniques like interferometry now feasible using affordable tools such as field-programmable gate arrays. Chapters are authored by experienced educators.

Key Features:

• First book dedicated to developing radio astronomy projects in the classroom

• Gives the instructor a starting point for a variety of classroom projects

• Describes how rapid advances in computing have enabled locally-built radio telescopes to be accessible to undergraduate students