Space Research - Specialization
Acquire versatile skills to develop and use tools that can unravel the secrets of the Universe.
Space Research
Acquire versatile skills to develop and use tools that can unravel the secrets of the Universe.
With this specialization, you will work with methods and tools to examine some of science's biggest and most fundamental questions and understand the interaction between the physical processes controlling our Universe at both the largest and smallest scales. You will use space as a formidable and fascinating laboratory to study nature in ways that are impossible on Earth.
The topics you may study include:
- Observational Astrophysics
- Compact objects (neutron stars and black holes)
- Exoplanets
- Galaxies and cosmology
- Technologies for astronomical instrumentation
'Space Research' is rooted in the field of astrophysics, but the competencies you develop with this specialization are versatile and in high demand both in academia and industry. In particular, you will acquire skills in advanced data processing methods, physical and numerical modelling, and design, development and application of instrumentation and observation techniques.
Graduates will be able to contribute to developing the tools and instruments necessary to gain insight into the workings of our Universe. Because they can transform user requirements into instrumentation that can provide data of the necessary type and quality, graduates may become key employees for satellite projects at commercial companies in Denmark and abroad or work for space agencies such as ESA or NASA. Graduates will also be able to progress to a career in space research at a university or at international observatories. In the private (non-space) sector, graduates will be in demand for jobs with a strong focus on data science and data processing, data visualization, image analysis, technology development, risk assessment and mathematical modelling.
Academic focus
The specialization is focused on designing, developing and/or using instruments to observe the Universe at different wavelengths (from radio to gamma rays) and understanding the physics of the near-Earth environment and large-scale phenomena. Students will work with technologies such as inversion and empirical modelling, image processing, and analysis and processing of temporal and spatial datasets. Both satellite and ground-based observing systems are included.
Within the specialization 'Space Research', it is possible to focus primarily on either instrumentation, data processing or Physical and mathematical modelling.
Requirements for the specialization
If Students - in addition to the general requirements for the programme - meet the following four more strict requirements for the selection of courses, the title of the specialization 'Space Research' will be added to the diploma under the title of the general programme: 'Earth and Space Physics and Engineering'.
1.
Students must have passedat least 20 ECTS programme-specific courses in Measurement Technology from the following list:
Programme-specific courses in Measurement Technology
| 02610 | Optimization and Data Fitting | 5 | point | Autumn E2A (Mon 13-17) |
| 30320 | Spacecraft Instrumentation Systems | 10 | point | Spring F2 (Mon 13-17, Thurs 8-12) |
| 30330 | Image Analysis with Microcomputer | 10 | point | Autumn E1A (Mon 8-12) and Autumn E1B (Thurs 13-17), Autumn E2A (Mon 13-17) |
| 30784 | Radiation Detectors for Space Instrumentation | 5 | point | Autumn E2A (Mon 13-17) |
| 30785 | Scientific instrumentation for Astronomical telescopes | 5 | point | Spring F4B (Fri 8-12) |
| 30794 | Astrophysical Data Analyses | 5 | point | Spring F4A (Tues 13-17) |
2.
Students must have passed at least 15 ECTS programme-specific courses in Physical Large Scale Structures and Processes from the following list:
| 10405 | Theory of Relativity | 5 | point | Autumn E1A (Mon 8-12) |
| 30428 | Advanced electromagnetics | 5 | point | Spring F4A (Tues 13-17) |
| 30720 | Space Physics - Physics of the space environment | 5 | point | Autumn E2A (Mon 13-17) |
| 30742 | Exoplanets | 5 | point | January |
| 30791 | Physical processes in astronomy | 5 | point | Autumn E3B (Fri 13-17) |
Programme-specific courses beyond 30 ECTS will count as elective courses.
3.
The topics of both the mandatory project in 'Earth and Space Physics and Engineering' and the Master's Thesis must be within the specialization field.
Examples of M.Sc. projects:
- Exploring Atmospheric Exoplanet Models to Study the Capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope
- HST Optical Transmission Spectroscopy of Hot Jupiters
- A spectroscopic analysis of super-luminous supernova host galaxies
- A systematic investigation of thermonuclear bursts on neutron stars observed by NuSTAR
- Decade-long X-ray view of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary "EXO 0748-676"
- Systematic study of thermonuclear X-ray bursts observed by NICER
- A Study of Neutron stars in Globular Clusters using Swift X-ray Observations
- Coating optimization for future X-ray missions
- Black Holes in Two Time Dimensions
4.
Students must have passed a sufficient number of elective courses – and preferably selected from the following list of the recommended elective courses - to bring the total number of ECTS points of the entire study up to 120:
| 01418 | Introduction to Partial Differential Equations | 5 | point | Autumn E5A (Wed 8-12) |
| 02409 | Multivariate Statistics | 5 | point | Autumn E1A (Mon 8-12) |
| 02417 | Time Series Analysis | 5 | point | Spring F4B (Fri 8-12) |
| 02450 | Introduction to Machine Learning and Data Mining | 5 | point | Spring F4A (Tues 13-17), Autumn E4A (Tues 13-17) |
| 02456 | Deep learning | 5 | point | Autumn E2A (Mon 13-17) |
| 02471 | Machine learning for signal processing | 5 | point | Autumn E1B (Thurs 13-17) |
| 02506 | Advanced Image Analysis | 5 | point | Spring F5B (Wed 13-17) |
| 02686 | Scientific computing for differential equations | 5 | point | Spring F1B (Thurs 13-17) |
| 02687 | Scientific Computing for ordinary and partial differential equations | 5 | point | Spring F1A (Mon 8-12) |
| 10112 | Advanced Quantum Mechanics | 10 | point | Autumn E2 (Mon 13-17, Thurs 8-12) |
| 10122 | Statistical Physics | 5 | point | Autumn E3A (Tues 8-12) |
| 10200 | The structure and dynamics of materials studied with X-rays and neutrons | 5 | point | Autumn E1B (Thurs 13-17) |
| 10209 | X-ray and Neutron Experiments at International Research Facilities | 5 | point | June |
| 10255 | Advanced 3D X-ray imaging | 5 | point | Spring F1A (Mon 8-12) |
| 10346 | Advanced Continuum Physics | 5 | point | Spring F2A (Mon 13-17) |
| 10350 | Numerical studies in physics | 5 | point | August |
| 10400 | Plasma Physics | 5 | point | Autumn E5A (Wed 8-12) |
| 30300 | Introduction to Satellite Systems | 10 | point | Autumn E5 (Wed 8-17) |
| 30340 | Radar and Radiometer Systems | 10 | point | Spring F3 (Tues 8-12, Fri 13-17) |
| 30350 | Remote Sensing | 10 | point | Autumn E4 (Tues 13-17, Fri 8-12) |
| 30757 | Atmospheric plasmas | 5 | point | Spring F2A (Mon 13-17) |
| 34061 | Optical measurement methods and signal analysis | 5 | point | Spring F5B (Wed 13-17) |
| 34269 | Computational imaging and spectroscopy | 5 | point | July |
| 41111 | Hydrodynamics 2 | 5 | point | Autumn E3A (Tues 8-12) |
| 41320 | Advanced fluid mechanics | 5 | point | Autumn E2B (Thurs 8-12) |
Other relevant elective online courses may be found in the EuroTeQ Partner Universities' course catalogue
Specializations are merely recommended ways of choosing the courses in the curriculum. Applicants are not admitted to a specialization but to the programme and it is possible to choose among all the courses in the curriculum following the directions given. However, if a specialization has been fulfilled the title of the specialization may be added to the diploma.
Head of Specialization
Jerome Chenevez Associate Professor Phone: +45 45259703 jerome@space.dtu.dk