Collaborative Proposal: RUI: An Automatic Telescope Shared for Stellar Research and the Training of Undergraduates

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AST-0507536George McCookVillanova UniversityCollaborative Proposal: RUI: An Automatic Telescope for Stellar Research andTraining of UndergraduatesABSTRACT:A series of collaborative and individual research programs will be carried out among fourastronomers at three primarily undergraduate institutions using the Four College AutomaticPhotometric Telescope, a 0.75-m telescope at the Fairborn Observatory site in Washington Camp,Arizona. Example projects are: frequency determinations of little studied main-sequence g-modepulsating stars (including slowly pulsating B stars and gamma Doradus stars); asteroseismology ofshort period delta Scuti, beta Cephei, and pulsating white dwarfs (which can be used to probeinterior structure); monitoring of the photometric variability of early type supergiants (whoseluminosities correlate with photometric variability although the underlying cause is not known);continued monitoring of magnetic chemically peculiar stars (for changes in the rotation rates,surface activity, etc.); and ongoing photometry of some 15 solar analogs (determining rotation rates,surface activity, variability, etc., to better understand the past and future activity of our Sun).These projects include significant involvement of undergraduate students in all aspects of this work,including data collection, analysis, and dissemination in journals and professional meetings. Thedata collected here will also be used in local programs for pre-college students and in teachertraining activities.