RUI: An Automatic Photolectric Telescope Utilized by Four Undergraduate Institutions

这是一个团体奖，它将允许大约8名科学家，在四个主要的本科院校，继续研究一系列问题，需要广泛的恒星光度观测，而不需要离开他们的教学职责。由于观测将远程完成，本科生将能够直接参与有价值的天文研究。这将通过在计算机控制下在一个遥远地点使用0.75米望远镜来完成。这种类型的望远镜被称为自动测光望远镜（APT），它产生的数据与大多数人工观测者获得的数据一样好，甚至更好。这种类型的望远镜正在彻底改变对某些类型的物体的观察，这些物体需要广泛的、长期的、一系列的测量。这些天体一直被忽视，因为大多数天文学家没有足够的时间和设备去观察它们。参与四所大学联盟的学校是查尔斯顿学院、城堡大学、内华达大学拉斯维加斯分校和维拉诺瓦大学。要开展的项目是那些科学和非科学本科生以及偶尔的高中生已经和将要参与的项目。在过去的三年里，四所学校的各种天文研究项目涉及至少22名本科生和3名高中生。有些项目完全依赖于APT数据。在其他项目中，APT数据提供了重要的观测数据，补充了在哈勃太空望远镜（HST）等轨道天文台进行的观测，以及用甚大阵列射电望远镜（VLA）等仪器进行的无线电波长观测。主要的长期监测项目通常包括研究恒星主序上和附近的恒星。位于主序上的恒星是那些在其中心区域将氢融合成氦的恒星。这些恒星（太阳就是一个例子）被认为是“正常”的恒星。这些项目通常是研究这些“正常”恒星的“特殊”特性。这些“奇特”的特性在太阳中也有发现，但在主序星上比太阳更冷或更热的恒星中更为明显。具体项目的范围从热的大质量恒星到冷的低质量恒星。按照质量递减的顺序，这些项目包括：大质量双星的质量测定、A型和B型恒星（从主序星到超巨星）的恒星地震学、具有强磁场的热的、化学性质奇特的恒星、及时的太阳项目：对与太阳相似但年龄不同的恒星进行协调光学APT、紫外线和x射线研究。天体物理实验室的双星日食、非常年轻、活跃的红矮星的APT观测、在强x射线发射的冷星中寻找星斑变异性项目由天文科学学部资助

AST-0071260DUKESThis is a group award which will allow approximately eight scientists, at four primarily undergraduate institutions, to continue to work on a series of problems requiring extensive photometric observations of stars without requiring time away from their teaching duties. Since the observations will be done remotely, undergraduate students will be able to participate directly in valuable astronomical research. This will be accomplished by the use of a 0.75-m telescope, at a remote location, which operates under computer control. 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 objects that require extensive, long-term, series of measurements. These objects have traditionally been neglected since most astronomers have not had the time or facilities required to go and observe them properly.The schools involved in the Four College Consortium are The College of Charleston, The Citadel, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and Villanova University. The projects to be carried out are those in which both science and non-science undergraduates and occasional high school students have been and will be involved. In the past three years various astronomical research projects at the four schools have involved at least twenty-two undergraduate students and three high school students. Some of the projects are solely dependent on the APT data. In other projects, the APT data provides crucial observational data that complements observations carried out on orbiting observatories such as the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), as well as radio wavelength observations made with instruments such as the Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope.The major long term monitoring projects usually involve studying stars on and near the stellar main 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 projects are often studies of "peculiar" properties of these "normal" stars. These "peculiar" properties are also found in the Sun but are enhanced in stars which are on the main sequence and are cooler than or hotter than the Sun. Specific projects to be carried out range from observations of hot, massive stars to those of cool, low mass stars. In order of decreasing mass these projects include:o Mass Determination of Massive Binarieso Stellar Seismology of type A and B Stars (from the main sequence to supergiants)o Hot, Chemically Peculiar Stars with Strong Magnetic Fieldso The Sun in Time Project: A Coordinated Optical APT, UV, and X-ray Study for stars similar to the Sun but of a different age.o Eclipsing Binary Stars as Astrophysical Laboratorieso APT Observations of Very Young, Active Red Dwarfso Search for Starspot Variability among Strong X-ray emitting Cool StarsThis project is funded by the Division of Astronomical Sciences.***