Parent Organisation:-
Institute of Physics Sri Lanka
About Sri Lankan International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics:-
The Sri Lankan International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics is organised by the Institute of Physics of Sri Lanka to spread awareness and promote the field of Astronomy and Astrophysics among all the students. The test also acts as a prelim exam for the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad.
Syllabus:
Unlike most exams, the Sri Lankan International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics has a syllabus that consists of the local Astronomy course taught at school. So the students need not worry about where to study from. For more insight of the topics refer the following table:
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Basic Astrophysics |
Celestial Mechanics Kepler’s Laws, Newton’s Laws of Gravitation, Electromagnetic Theory & Quantum Physics Electromagnetic spectrum, Radiation Laws, Black body radiation, Doppler effect;Thermodynamics Thermodynamic equilibrium, Ideal gas, Energy transfer; Spectroscopy and Atomic Physics Absorption, Emission, Scattering, Spectra of Celestial objects, Line formations; Nuclear Physics Basic concepts |
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Coordinates and Times |
Celestial Sphere Spherical trigonometry, Celestial coordinates, Equinox and Solstice, Circumpolar stars, Constellations and Zodiac; Concept of Time Solar time, Sidereal time, Julian date, Heliocentric Julian date, Time zone, Universal Time, Local Mean Time |
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Solar System |
The Sun Solar structure, Solar surface activities, Solar rotation, Solar radiation and Solar constant, Solar neutrinos, Sun-Earth relations, Role of magnetic fields, Solar wind; The Solar System Earth-Moon System, Formation of the Solar System, Structure and components of the Solar System,Structure and orbits of the Solar System objects, Sidereal and Synodic periods Phenomena Tides, Seasons, Eclipses, Aurorae, Meteor Showers |
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Stars |
Stellar Properties Distance determination, Radiation, Luminosity and magnitude, Color indices and temperature, Determination of radii and masses, Stellar motion, Stellar variabilities; Stellar Interior and Atmospheres Stellar nucleosynthesis, Energy transportation, stellar atmospheres and spectra; Stellar Evolution Stellar formation, Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, Pre-Main Sequence, Main Sequence, Post-Main Sequence stars, End states of stars |
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Stellar Systems |
Binary Star Systems Classification, Mass determination in binary star systems, Light and radial velocity curves of eclipsing binary systems, Doppler shifts in binary systems; Star Clusters Classification and Structure ; Milky Way Galaxy Structure and composition, Rotation, Interstellar medium; Normal and Active Galaxies Classification, Distance determination ; Accretion Processes Basic concepts |
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Cosmology |
Elementary Cosmology Cluster of galaxies, Dark matter, Gravitational lenses, Hubble’s Law, Big Bang, Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation |
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Instrumentation and Space Technologies |
Multi-wavelength Astronomy; ObservaProf. K P S Chandana Jayaratne Coordinator of the Astronomy Olympiad Competitions Institute of Physics, Sri Lanka C/O Department of Physics University of Colombo, Colombo 03. (Tel: 0714800800) tions in radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelength bands, Earth’s atmospheric effects; Instrumentation and Space Technologies Ground- and space-based telescopes and detectors (e.g. charge-coupled devices, photometers, spectrographs), Magnification, resolving and light-gathering powers of telescopes |
Marking Scheme:-
The paper consists of two parts, viz. A and B. Part A consists of 30 multiple choice questions and Part B consists of 2 theoretical or numerical questions. The score of these questions are not specified.
Eligibility Criteria:-
The students appearing for the local competition have no age barrier but for the international competition, the student should be less than 20 years in age.
Level Of Exam:-
In order to select the best students for the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad, the toughness of the exam is kept high. The questions are sophisticated and might not be straight-forward.
Exam Dates:-
The exam was held held on 16th September 2017 last year as is expected to be held around the same date this year as well.
Cut-Off:-
The results of previous year can be checked here http://www.ipsl.lk/index.php/events/astronomy-olympiad/20-events/astronomy-olympiad/238-test-results-sljao-2017
Sample Papers:-
Sample papers in English and Sinhala is available here http://www.ipsl.lk/images/astro/2013_SLJAO_TEST_PAPERSINHALA-ENGLISH.pdf
Sample Paper in Tamil and English is available here http://www.ipsl.lk/images/astro/2013_SLJAO_TEST_PAPERTAMIL-ENGLISH.pdf
Registration process:-
- Download the application form here https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4ZSZuR5zUhWVlNjZzZCd09PX2M
- Make a payment of Rs. 650 to Physics Olympiad Fund – Bank of Ceylon – Independence Square Branch – Acc. No: 70338910
- Mail or hand deliver the form and admission slip to a K P S Chandana Jayaratne Coordinator of the Astronomy Olympiad Competitions Institute of Physics, Sri Lanka C/O Department of Physics University of Colombo, Colombo 03. (Tel: 0714800800)
Benefits, Awards and Scholarship:-
The best students are awarded medals and certificates. The top students are invited to the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad under the IPSC sponsorship.
Countries:-
Sri Lanka
