Detecting Companions of the Most Massive Stars

AST0307778PI Kobulnick关于大质量恒星周围亲密伴星的质量分布，长期以来存在着差异。了解伴星的质量和轨道特征对于了解大质量恒星的形成、演化以及X射线双星和伽马射线爆发的前身群至关重要。为了解决这个差异，首席调查员将带领一个由研究生、本科生、学校教师和他们的学生组成的团队进行一个为期3年的项目，该项目非常适合怀俄明州2.3米望远镜的能力，测量年轻而人口众多的天鹅座OB2协会中完整样本的大质量恒星的频率、质量比和轨道分离。该团队将增加怀俄明州望远镜的视场，在协会中的数百颗大质量恒星中进行光学光度可变性搜索，并继续对天鹅座OB2中约140颗大质量恒星的完整样本进行径向速度调查，延长时间基础，并开始测量它们的周期和质量比。多纪元光谱将以在线数据库的形式发布，供社区使用。该计划将回答基本的天体物理学问题，同时让来自大部分农村社区和美洲原住民学校的学生和教师参与天文学研究的方方面面，从光学和数据分析到结果的展示。这是怀俄明大学物理与天文学系实现基础科学与技术基础设施现代化的长期努力的一部分。怀俄明州太空营也将启动，这是一个模块化的长期教育/研究企业，怀俄明州的科学教师、班级和大学生参与真正的科学。太空营计划促进国家科学院标准和怀俄明州8年级科学内容和表现标准

AST 0307778PI KobulnickyThere is a long-standing discrepancy regarding the mass distribution of close companions around massive stars. Knowing the companions' masses and orbital characteristics is crucial for understanding massive star formation, evolution, and the progenitor populations of X-ray binaries and gamma-ray bursts. To resolve this discrepancy, the principle investigator will lead a team of graduate students, undergraduate students, school teachers and their students on a 3-year program, ideally suited to the capabilities of Wyoming's 2.3 m telescope, to measure the frequencies, mass ratios and orbital separations of a complete sample of massive stars in the young and populous Cygnus OB2 association. The team will increase the field of view on Wyoming's telescope and perform an optical photometric variability search for eclipsing binaries among the hundreds of massive stars in the association, and continue a radial velocity survey of a complete sample of about 140 massive stars in Cygnus OB2, extending the time base, and beginning to measure their periods and mass ratios. The multi-epoch spectra will be published as an online database available to the community.Broader Impact. This program will answer fundamental astrophysical questions while involving students and teachers from largely-rural communities and native-American schools in all aspects of astronomy research from optics and data analysis to the presentation of results. This is part of a long-term effort to modernize the basic science & technology infrastructure at the University of Wyoming Physics & Astronomy Department. The Wyoming Space Camp, a modular, long-term education/research enterprise where Wyoming's science teachers, classes, and college students participate in real science will also be initiated. The Space Camp program promotes the National Academy of Sciences standards and the Wyoming Grade 8 Science Content and Performance Standards