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The 16th Edition of the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics was Held in Chorzow Poland from the 10th to 20th of August 2023 with 53 countries in attendance. The Competition was divided into a plethora of rounds which included a group round in which all 250 students were divided into random teams of 5 people from different countries. The teams were then pitted against each other in a theoretical examination. Next the Theory round in which all students sat a 5 Hour theoretical Examination. The Observation in which students had to make observations using a telescope and solve a set of questions related to the observation they made. The Data analysis round where students had to draw conclusions from given sets of Data and finally the planetarium round where students had to again make observations but this time on an artificial sky projected onto a planetarium screen.
The Questions on the IOAA were focused purely on astro-physical and astronomical concepts which included topics such as Luminosity relations, relativity, gravitation, orbital mechanics and spherical trigonometry. One could at the IOAA be expected to calculate when the next lunar eclipse will occur accurately down to the hour or how the brightness of a pulsating star might change given the variation in temperature and radius. One of the more challenging questions this year asked students to infer from a graph the sensitivity of a gravitational wave detector and use that information to deduce whether the gravitational waves generated by a binary star system some distance away would be detectable or not. These were the types of questions that students were tested on during the Olympiad.
At the Competition for the First time in Pakistan’s History of Participating in the Olympiad a Pakistani Student managed to win an Award. Moiz Muddassir Khokhar Managed to win the group competition and in doing so becoming the only student from Pakistan to ever receive an award at the IOAA.
Moiz is also currently working as an Intern at the PhysLab, Lahore University of Management Sciences at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering and is working on a project related to Quantum Optics and demonstrations of Quantum phenomenon using Nitrogen-vacancy Centers in Diamonds. Here are his words on the project.
“I’ve really been enjoying my time here at LUMS. The laboratories are state of the art and would like to thank everybody at LUMS especially Dr. Muhammad Sabieh Anwar for this opportunity and Mr. Muddassir Naeem for his help in the experiment. Being here surrounded by astounding physics happening all around me has definitely deepened my understanding of the subject and facilitated me in what I achieved at the Olympiad. For someone who loves Physics I would definitely recommend that you visit Physlab. The project itself is definitely challenging but that’s what makes it worth doing”. – Moiz Mudassir Khokhar
Physlab, led by Dr. Sabieh Anwar, which is part of the Physics Department of LUMS, gives great opportunities to students who are interested in physics to perform experiments and draft reports based on their results. They get to be in an authentic research environment and get a glimpse of what life in academia is like.
