RUI: Undergraduate Research at a Four College Consortium Utilizing an Automatic Photometric Telescope for Research

9528506杜克大学这个奖项将为四所主要是本科院校的七名天文学家提供支持。为了获得研究项目的数据，观测将通过继续使用0.75米自动望远镜来获得。这个望远镜是由计算机控制的，不需要观察者。这种类型的望远镜，被称为自动光度望远镜或“APT”，产生的数据与大多数手动观察者获得的数据一样好，甚至更好。这种类型的望远镜正在给某些类型的天文物体的观测带来革命性的变化，这些天体需要一系列广泛的测量。这些天体传统上一直被忽视，因为大多数天文学家没有足够的时间或专门的设施来适当地观测它们。本科生将能够直接参与有价值的研究。参与四所学院联盟的学校是查尔斯顿学院、城堡学院、内华达大学-拉斯维加斯分校和维拉诺瓦大学。这些项目所需的一些数据完全取决于APT数据，在其他项目中，APT数据提供了关键的地面数据，以支持国际紫外线探测器、哈勃空间望远镜、ROSAT和ASCA卫星等轨道观测站的观测，这些观测站收集光谱X射线区域的数据，以及使用甚大阵列射电望远镜等仪器进行的观测。主要的长期监测项目包括研究主要恒星演化序列上和附近的恒星。位于主序上的恒星是那些在其中心区域将氢聚变为氦的恒星。这些恒星(太阳就是一个例子)被认为是“正常”恒星。将要开展的研究项目包括研究这些“正常”恒星的“特殊”性质。这些“特殊的”特性在太阳上被观察到，但在主星序上比太阳冷或比太阳热的恒星中得到增强。将实施的具体项目包括对热的、大质量的“B”星的观测，到对冷的、低质量的“M”星的观测。按照恒星质量递减的顺序，这些项目包括：*恒星地震学和“B”星物质抛射事件的研究*具有强磁场的热的、化学上特殊的恒星*时间中的太阳计划：对与太阳相似但不同年龄的恒星进行协调的光学APT、UV和X射线研究。*对非常年轻、活跃的红矮星的APT观测*在发出强X射线的冷星中寻找星斑可变性不涉及主序恒星的项目包括：*恒星的内部结构和来自近地运动的广义相对论检验：偏心偏食双星研究*恒星在其中心区域耗尽氢气的研究(造父变星和红巨星)

9528506 Dukes This award will provide support for seven astronomers at four primarily undergraduate institutions. The observations, to obtain data for the research projects, will be obtained by the continued use of an automated 0.75-m telescope. This telescope is operated by computer control and does not require an observer at the telescope. This type of telescope, known as an Automatic Photometric Telescope or "APT" yields data that is as good or better than that obtained by most manual observers. Telescopes of this type are revolutionizing the observations of certain types of astronomical objects which require an extensive series of measurements. These objects have traditionally been neglected since most astronomers have not had the time or the dedicated facilities required to observe them properly. Undergraduate students will be able to participate directly in the valuable research. The schools involved in the Four College Consortium are The College of Charleston, The Citadel, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and Villanova University. Some of the data needed for the projects are solely dependent on the APT data, and in other projects the APT data provides crucial ground-based data in support observations from orbiting observatories such as the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and ROSAT and ASCA satellites, which collect data in the X-ray region of the spectrum, as well as observations made with instruments such as the Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope. The major long term monitoring projects involve studying stars on and near the main stellar evolutionary sequence. Stars lying on the main sequence are those which are fusing hydrogen into helium in their central regions. These stars (the Sun is an example) are considered "normal" stars. The research projects to be carried out involve studying "peculiar" properties of these "normal" stars. These "peculiar" properties are observed in the Sun but are enhanced in stars which are o n the main sequence and are cooler than the Sun or hotter than the Sun. Specific projects to be carried out range from observations of hot, massive "B" stars to those of cool, low mass "M" stars. In order of decreasing stellar mass, these projects include: * Stellar Seismology and Investigations of Mass Ejection Events of "B" Stars * Hot, Chemically Peculiar Stars with Strong Magnetic Fields * The Sun in Time Project: A Coordinated Optical APT, UV, and X-ray Study OF Stars similar to the Sun but of different ages. * APT Observations of Very Young, Active Red Dwarfs * Search for Starspot Variability among Strong X-ray emitting Cool Stars Projects not involving main sequence stars include: * Internal Structures of Stars and Tests of General Relativity from Apsidal Motion: Studies of Eccentric Eclipsing Binaries * Studies of Stars having exhausted hydrogen in their central regions (Cepheid Strip Variable and Red Giant Stars)