RUI: A Study of Circumsolar Dust Properties

本项目涉及近红外日冕观测资料的采集、分析和解释，试图了解太阳附近电子散射、尘埃散射和尘埃热发射的相对贡献。观测将在夏威夷的莫纳克亚山进行，利用新的日冕仪系统。该系统的设计目的是观测日冕信号在红外H和K波段，以及在两者之间的波长，在偏振光和非偏振光下，在日食外和日食期间。对新观测结果的成功解释将有助于更好地理解太阳周围和恒星周围尘埃颗粒的作用，特别是有助于解决有关太阳附近尘埃热发射作用的长期问题。该奖项是在美国国家科学基金会本科院校研究（RUI）项目的支持下颁发的。

This project involves the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of observations of the near infrared solar corona, in an attempt to understand the relative contributions of electron scattering, dust scattering, and dust thermal emission near the Sun. The observations will be carried out from Mauna Kea, Hawaii utilizing a new eclipse coronograph system. The system is designed to observe the coronal signal in the infrared H and K bands, and at wavelengths in between, in polarized and unpolarized light, outside and during solar eclipse. Successful interpretation of the new observations should result in better understanding of the role of circumsolar and circumstellar dust grains, and in particular, should help resolve long-standing questions concerning the role of thermal emission by dust near the Sun. This award is made under the auspices of the Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) program at the National Science Foundation.