Registration deadline: 27 March 2019 at 23:59 (UT+7)
The 4th NARIT International Astronomical Training Workshop (NIATW) will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and will be organized by the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) in collaboration with Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES). It is co-sponsored by NARIT and by the International Training Centre in Astronomy (ITCA) under the auspices of UNESCO.
Goals
NIATW 2019 aims to provide students and astronomers from Southeast Asian countries and other developing countries with hands-on experience on observational astronomy and data handling using modern facilities and instrumentations available at NARIT and ARIES. The focus of the fourth NIATW is on the high time resolution photometry with the 2.4m Thai National Telescope and 1.3 Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope. Participants will learn on how to prepare an observing run, how to use the instruments and how to analyze the data obtained from these two telescopes.
Who can apply
NIATW is addressed to post-grad students (MSc and PhD students) and researchers. Final year undergraduate student may also be considered if he/she fulfils the selection criteria of the workshop. Participants are expected to have a good background in astrophysics. Preference will be given to applicants from countries where such training opportunities and adequate facilities are scarce, with a focus on East and Southeast Asia, South Africa, and Latin America. However, applicants from the rest of the world shall also be considered.
The applicants are required to have a working knowledge of Linux and IRAF.
Format
We aim at a small number of participants, with a limit of 20-25, to maximize the direct experience with the instrumentation and with the tutors. The participants are expected to pay for their travel to Chiang Mai, while NARIT will cover local expenses for accommodation and subsistence.
Lectures and tutorials will be held by experienced international researchers. The official language of the Workshop will be English. In the afternoon of the first day there will be an excursion to the Thai National Observatory on Doi Inthanon, about 100 km away. The participants will thus be able to see the site, the telescope, and the instruments. However, observations will be carried out from a remote control station set up at the NARIT Headquarters in Chiang Mai. During the nights, participants will work in small groups of 3-4 people which will take turns to do the observation and data reduction.
The participants are expected to bring their own laptops for the hands-on sessions.