RUI: An Observational Study of Proto-Planetary Nebulae

红超巨星到白色矮星的演化 “行星状星云核”（PPN）阶段发生得非常快， 因此，这是恒星演化中最不为人所知的阶段之一， 进化 这也是一个非常重要的阶段。 正是在这个 一颗星星返回许多中等重量元素的时间 (such碳、氮和氧）进入星际空间， 新一代的恒星最终形成 再 PI首先提出一个计划，以确定新的PPN 第二，确定它们的光谱能量 分布。 这些信息最终将用于推断 年龄的分布，从而做一个敏感的“普查”， 在这个短暂的阶段中，它们的性质会发生变化。 这 研究需要大量的数据分析和简化， 优选地在专用计算机上。 该奖项将支持 购买工作站来执行这些任务。

The evolution of red supergiant stars to white dwarfs through the "planetary nebula nucleus" (PPN) stage occurs very quickly and is therefore one of the most poorly understood stages of stellar evolution. It is also a very important stage. It is during this time that a star returns many of the intermediate-weight elements (such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen) into interstellar space, from which new generations of stars are eventually formed once again. The PI proposes a program first, to identify new PPN candidates and, second, to determine their spectral energy distributions. This information will be used ultimately to infer the distribution of ages and thereby to do a sensitve "census" of their properties as they evolve through this brief phase. This study requires a great deal of data analysis and reduction, preferably on a dedicated computer. This award will support the purchase of a workstation to perform these tasks.