The Summer of 2013 will be legen - wait for it - dary...
Very well, a post after 3 months, well 4 months if you don't count the one in feb. And what a semester has it been. The trip to nainital, weekly arxiv papers on astrophysics, the end semester exams, running around looking for a summer project and now that the summer project is confirmed - running around deciding on a project for the next semester. I guess (my) life will always be fast paced (read as awesome).
The reason why i've finally come around to writing again is not because i haven't had free time - nope, that argument is always moot unless you're an astronaut on the apollo 13. It's because my mind is finally calm again, now that my end semester exams are over. And in general, now that my semester is over.
Alas, the summer of 2013 is upon us. I have always looked forward to the summer, my expectations for a summer haven't always been met (the last one was okay) and my plans hardly ever worked. Well, probably because most of my plans started with me interning in an institute and working on astrophysics. And well, those plans didn't really work out, well to be true, they crashed and burned. Without an intern, again, i stayed back on campus for the summer, again. But well, like i said, this summer wasn't a complete waste of time as i ended up working on the back-end circuitry and data-acquisition for a radio telescope, a project that taught me quite a lot of electronics. Here's a part of what i worked on.
And now the summer is back, gleaming in my face, waiting for my move. Have i learnt anything from my last 3 summers?! Will i make better use of this one or will the summer have the last laugh?! Again?!
This time, i cannot let the summer win. This time i've come prepared. Atleast, the beginning part of my plan is through - i have an internship under Prof. Anand Narayanan at Indian Institute of Space science & Technology (IIST, Tvm). If you guys remember, i had attended a winter school on astronomy & astrophysics at IIST, Trivandrum last december. And well, given the chance, i shine. I guess it's just easier for me to impress someone in person than when compared when we communicate via mail. Considering especially my sucky grades.
Now that the first (and most important) part of my plan is dealt with, let's move on to the second part - what do i work on?! I've just mailed the prof asking him if he has plans for me or rather alterior plans for me as i've already made plans for myself.
Considering the fact that i want to pursue higher studies in astrophysics, i should be comfortable with topics in astrophysics such as (magneto)hydro dynamics, stellar formation & stellar evolution. Also, as i'm interested in working on Observational Astrophysics, i need to get used to IRAF. So, the plan for this summer is to pursue (informal) course work for 2 months on said topics in the day and get used to IRAF in the nights. If i can implement this part of the plan smoothly for the next month, then i shall reveal the next (awesomer) step!
And like i said, all of this assuming the prof doesn't already have plans for me.
But well, i can still work on two things at once. I'd better get used to it!
And one other thing being my trip to ooty in july. After my project at IIST is complete (even otherwise), i'll be attending the Pulsar Observatory for Students (POS-2013) program at the Ooty Radio Telescope, Ooty (I AM NOT calling it udagamandalam). It's a 5-day program where we're taught the theory behind radio emissions from pulsars first and then a 4-day observation program (this is in october).
Things are going to get interesting this summer!
Actually, i will make this summer more interesting.
I'll keep you guys posted with weekly updates as to how my plans are working out.
Until then...
The reason why i've finally come around to writing again is not because i haven't had free time - nope, that argument is always moot unless you're an astronaut on the apollo 13. It's because my mind is finally calm again, now that my end semester exams are over. And in general, now that my semester is over.
Alas, the summer of 2013 is upon us. I have always looked forward to the summer, my expectations for a summer haven't always been met (the last one was okay) and my plans hardly ever worked. Well, probably because most of my plans started with me interning in an institute and working on astrophysics. And well, those plans didn't really work out, well to be true, they crashed and burned. Without an intern, again, i stayed back on campus for the summer, again. But well, like i said, this summer wasn't a complete waste of time as i ended up working on the back-end circuitry and data-acquisition for a radio telescope, a project that taught me quite a lot of electronics. Here's a part of what i worked on.
And now the summer is back, gleaming in my face, waiting for my move. Have i learnt anything from my last 3 summers?! Will i make better use of this one or will the summer have the last laugh?! Again?!
This time, i cannot let the summer win. This time i've come prepared. Atleast, the beginning part of my plan is through - i have an internship under Prof. Anand Narayanan at Indian Institute of Space science & Technology (IIST, Tvm). If you guys remember, i had attended a winter school on astronomy & astrophysics at IIST, Trivandrum last december. And well, given the chance, i shine. I guess it's just easier for me to impress someone in person than when compared when we communicate via mail. Considering especially my sucky grades.
Now that the first (and most important) part of my plan is dealt with, let's move on to the second part - what do i work on?! I've just mailed the prof asking him if he has plans for me or rather alterior plans for me as i've already made plans for myself.
Considering the fact that i want to pursue higher studies in astrophysics, i should be comfortable with topics in astrophysics such as (magneto)hydro dynamics, stellar formation & stellar evolution. Also, as i'm interested in working on Observational Astrophysics, i need to get used to IRAF. So, the plan for this summer is to pursue (informal) course work for 2 months on said topics in the day and get used to IRAF in the nights. If i can implement this part of the plan smoothly for the next month, then i shall reveal the next (awesomer) step!
And like i said, all of this assuming the prof doesn't already have plans for me.
But well, i can still work on two things at once. I'd better get used to it!
And one other thing being my trip to ooty in july. After my project at IIST is complete (even otherwise), i'll be attending the Pulsar Observatory for Students (POS-2013) program at the Ooty Radio Telescope, Ooty (I AM NOT calling it udagamandalam). It's a 5-day program where we're taught the theory behind radio emissions from pulsars first and then a 4-day observation program (this is in october).
Things are going to get interesting this summer!
Actually, i will make this summer more interesting.
I'll keep you guys posted with weekly updates as to how my plans are working out.
Until then...