This Nordic research course in observational astrophysics will  be located on La Palma, Spain, where the availability of the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) and the new Swedish solar telescope (SST) will allow us to give the participants first hand observational experience with the excellent telescopes available to the community. We have been awarded six observing nights on the NOT and 4 days of observation on the SST.

The course will last 12 days during the first two weeks of July, 2003. It will focus on observing in practice, where the students themselves carry out all the relevant steps in the process; planning, observing, reduction, analysis and reporting.
 

A  Preliminary Schedule

The duration of the course will be 12 days starting on July 1. The first few days will be devoted to introductionary lectures and project planning. Observations will then be obtained during the next 6 nights and days, and the last days will be needed for reduction, analysis and presentation of the projects.
The schedule will have to be flexible, to adjust to the the actual weather situation.
The final write-up is expected to take place at the home-institutes.
Each group - with 3-4 students - will conduct a full-day observational laboration at the solar telescope.
 

(preliminary plan:

                    9-12                                                                       14-17                                                                                        19->
                    morning                                                            afternoon                                                                                  evening
 
 

1.              Course start                                                          Lectures                                                            Lectures + handouts of projects
                                                                                                Intro to telescopes                                                Instrumentation
 

2.              Test, project presentations                                Sightseeing                                                            Downtown dinner!
 
 

3.               Planning of observations (CD)                Planning (AD)
                  Solar observations group A                                                                Solar Observations group B
                    Not Tour B                                                        Not Tour C
 

4.               Planning of observations (AB)                Planning (BC)
                  Solar observations group C                                                                Solar Observations group D
                   Not Tour D                                                        Not Tour A
 
 
 

5.
                  Solar observations group B                                                                Solar Observations group A
                                                                                           NOT prep CB                NOT observations CB (C late)
 

6.
                  Solar observations group D                                                                Solar Observations group C
                                                                                           NOT prep AD                NOT AD (A late)
 

7.
                  Late morning meeting                                                                                                        Evening Lectures for non-observers
                   Night reports

8,9,10
                  Late morning meeting                                                                                                        Evening Lectures for non-observers
                   Night reports
 
 

11    reductions and reports

12  reductions and reports - school ends
 
 
 

The introductionary lectures during the first few days:
 

Opening of summer school, practical information and scope of the course.
(J. Sollerman)

A first introduction to telescopes and instrumentation, in particular the NOT
(M. Andersen)

Exam on the reading assignments
(J.  Sollerman)

Optical Photometry
(J. Fynbo)

Optical Spectroscopy
(J. Sollerman)
 

How to write a successful proposal
(G. Östlin)
 

Infrared observations
(A. Kaas)
 

The Sun and the solar telescope
(D. Kiselman)
 

Most sessions will be tutored by several lecturers. I have listed only the main responsible(s) for the different sessions above. We will also offer tutorial sessions on the astrophysics related to the different projects to the relevant groups.