Study of Extremely Metal Poor Stars

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AST-0507219INSTITUTION: California Institute of TechnologyPI: Judith CohenTITLE: "Study of Extremely Metal Poor Stars" ABSTRACTDr. Judith Cohen, at the California Institute of Technology, will undertake a program of detailed abundance analyses for stars in the most metal poor globular clusters, and contrast these to results for more metal rich ones. The purpose of the research is to explore which elements (beyond C, N, O, Na, Al and Mg) show star-to-star differences in abundance ratios in these clusters. These results can be used to probe the early epochs of our Galaxy, the onset of chemical evolution of the Galaxy, the possible stellar sources that produced many elements at very early epochs, the age of the Galaxy, the relationship between the halo field stars and the galactic globular clusters, and the composition of the ISM and the IGM. The observations will also be useful for studies of the general chemical abundances in local material representing the high redshift Universe. Broader impact will result from, Dr. Cohen's work with undergraduates, a graduate student and a postdoc in this effort. Additionally, education and public outreach will be undertaken at Palomar Observatory, including the development of an interactive display and material for the Observatory's website. Undergraduate students will be involved in this effort.