Syllabus

Scientific background : Variable stars, binary stars and their evolution, supernovae, pulsars and associated phenomena (even include testing theories of gravity using pulsars), accretion and associated phenomena (like x-ray bursts), gamma-ray bursts, rotating radio transients (RRATS), jets & outflows (micro-quasars etc), AGNs-blazars-QSOs. A survey of missions and their ways of operation [can go to technical levels, to the operations of these instruments]: Optical/IR surveys: Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System), PTF (Palomar Transient Factory), Transients search & robotic telescopes, High energy surveying missions: Swift, Fermi, AGILE, Radio surveys: LOFAR (Low-Frequency Array for Radio astronomy), SKA (Square Kilometre Array), Stellar variability studies: Kepler space craft, Future missions:- Gravitational waves & time domain astronomy (simultaneous GW and EM observations), LSST (Large Synoptic Survey Telescope ), Data handling and analysis, Multi wave-band modeling [isis etc], Time series analysis