Lght in nature

Enrollment into the program.

The course is suitable also for students from faculties outside the area of natural sciences.

Passage of light through the atmosphere, transmissivity, scattering, refraction as a function of wavelength, atmospheric phenomena related to light.

Observation of light, brightness and spectral distribution of natural light sources, temporal variability of illumination by the Sun, the Moon and stars. Detectors of light (CCD, CMOS, light-meters, ...)

Physics of human vision, physical processes inside the eye, light detection, colour detection, data processing.

Light pollution, energy efficiency and possible consequences for global warming, glare and old population, security issues, relation to biodiversity.

Principles of outdoor lighting, achieving visibility and contrast using an environment friendly lighting, practical use of lighting design software.

Legal framework, Slovenian and European, lighting standards.

• D. K. Lynch, W. Livingston: Color and Light in Nature, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2001,

• M. Minnaert, L. T. Seymour: Light and Colour in the Outdoors, Springer, 1999,

• Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night lighting, C. Rich in T. Longcore (ur.), Island Press, 2006,

• Svetloba in kulturna dediščina, J. Vodopivec (ur.), Arhiv Slovenije, 2006,

Objectives:

Understanding of natural phenomena related to light allows to find optimal and

environment friendly solutions in planning of space management activities.

Competences:

The ability to plan outdoor lighting and understanding of consequences of individual decisions

Knowledge and understanding:

Understanding of phenomena occuring during light passage through the atmosphere,

relations between scattering, contrast, glare, safety and natural environment. Familiarity with technological solutions which allow for good visibility, are energy efficient and environment friendly.

Application:

Design of outdoor lighting which optimizes its efficiency and is at the same time environment friendly.

Reflection:

Artificial lighting is needed during the night, but it must be properly designed, so that it minimizes possible damages to us and the envirnoment.

Transferable skills:

Knowledge of light propagation in the environment and related phenomena. Practical abilities to work with the night lighting design software.

Lectures, exercises, seminars

Written exam and/or seminars
oral exam
grading: 5 (fail), 6-10 (pass) (according to the Statute of UL)

prof. dr. T. Zwitter:
1. KOS, Janez, ZWITTER, Tomaž, et al. Pseudo-three-dimensional maps of the diffuse interstellar band at 862 nm. Science, ISSN 1095-9203, 15. avgust 2014, vol. 345, no. 6198, str. 791-795. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/345/6198/791.full.pdf, http://www.sciencemag.org/content/suppl/2014/08/13/345.6198.791.DC1/Kos.SM.pdf [COBISS-SI-ID 473217], [JCR, SNIP, Scopus do 1. 10. 2014: št. citatov (TC): 0, čistih citatov (CI): 0, normirano št. čistih citatov (NC): 0]
2. ŽERJAL, Maruška, ZWITTER, Tomaž, MATIJEVIČ, Gal, et al. Chromospherically active stars in the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) Survey : I. The catalog. The Astrophysical journal, ISSN 0004-637X, 2013, vol. 776, issue 2, article id. 127, str. 1-12. http://iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/776/2/127/pdf/0004-637X_776_2_127.pdf [COBISS-SI-ID 418945],
3. KOS, Janez, ZWITTER, Tomaž, et al. Diffuse interstellar band at 8620 Å in RAVE : a new method for detecting the diffuse interstellar band in spectra of cool stars. The Astrophysical journal, ISSN 0004-637X, 2013, vol. 778, issue 2, article id. 86, str. 1-11. http://iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/778/2/86/pdf/0004-637X_778_2_86.pdf [COBISS-SI-ID 421249]
4. ZWITTER, Tomaž, MATIJEVIČ, Gal, et al. Distance determination for RAVE stars using stellar models : II. most likely values assuming a standard stellar evolution scenario. Astronomy & astrophysics, ISSN 0004-6361, 2010, let. 522, št. A54, str. 1-15 [COBISS-SI-ID 363905]
5. ZWITTER, Tomaž, RE FIORENTIN, Paola, MATIJEVIČ, Gal, VIDRIH, Simon, et al. The radial velocity experiment (RAVE): second data release. The Astronomical journal, ISSN 0004-6256, 2008, let. 136, št. 1, str. 421-451 [COBISS-SI-ID 309377]