Astrophysical Instrumentation

This course unit introduces astrophysical instruments and the signal processing tools used in their operation.

The focus is on instruments with high angular resolution and high contrast (interferometry, adaptive optics, coronography, etc.).

In addition, this course introduces the fundamentals of digital signal processing and presents a general methodology—based on the modeling of instrumental effects—for image reconstruction or the optimal analysis of measurements.

This learning unit aims to explain the operating principles of a number of instruments used in astrophysics.

This understanding is necessary to evaluate not only the performance but also the limitations of existing instruments.

This course provides the methodological foundations of instrument design and digital signal and image processing.

Recommended prerequisites:

Sensors, Image Processing

Fundamentals of Computer Science

Modeling and Simulation in Physics

Fundamentals of Optics (Wave and Geometric)

Terminal Control

• Signal Processing
  • Modeling Instrumental Effects
  • Statistics of Random Signals
  • Approach to Inverse Problems
  • Optimization Subject to Constraints
  • Maximum likelihood / maximum a posteriori estimators
  • Reconstruction Issues
  • Detection Issues
• Astrophysical Instrumentation
  • Image Formation and Angular Resolution
  • Telescopes
  • Optical Design
  • Optical aberrations
  • Atmospheric turbulence
  • Adaptive Optics
  • High-Contrast Imaging
  • Stellar Interferometry
  • Polarimetry
  • Instrumentation for the Direct Detection of Exoplanets