From MikePeel.net
- For lecture notes from my MPhys in Physics and Astrophysics (2002 - 2006), see MPhys lecture notes
I'm currently studying for a PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics at Jodrell Bank Observatory (now part of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics). The research I'm doing spans theoretical astrophysics through to receiver technology, as well as involving some old-fashioned astronomy (i.e. measuring things on the sky)
Theoretical: I have been creating virtual cosmological skies consisting of the Cosmic Microwave Background, galaxy clusters and point sources (active galactic nuclei and dusty galaxies that are too small to cover even a pixel on my maps). These will be used for testing observational strategies using a virtual telescope and receiver, as well as for exploring the various properties of the maps with different input physics. I'm also doing simulations of the atmosphere at microwave frequencies.
Practical: I'm involved with the construction and commissioning of the second-generation One Centimetre Receiver Array (OCRA) receiver. This is an 8 beam receiver (to be upgraded to 16 beams later) that works at a frequency of 30 GHz (1cm wavelength). It was partially constructed prior to the start of my PhD; I'm now actively involved with completing the receiver (I'm lending a hand with screwing it all together, and am doing the majority of the testing of it), and I'll be helping to get it working on the telescope soon.
Observational: I'm using the first-generation OCRA receiver - the OCRA prototype - to carry out some observations of point sources at microwave frequencies, and have written my own program (pretty much from scratch) to process the observational data.
