RUI: SiO Maser Studies

奖项：AST-0606764PI：Gordon McIntoshINSTUTION：明尼苏达大学莫里斯分校TITLE：RUI：SIO脉泽研究摘要：这项研究重点是来自长周期/米拉变星的SiO脉泽辐射。脉泽辐射起源于几个恒星表面半径内，可以用作这些外部区域的物理特征和恒星动力学的探测器。脉泽泵浦机制本身仍然是争论的主题，碰撞和辐射都被提出。此外，水星脉泽辐射的可变性可能是通过这些恒星延伸的大气层的激波的结果。该项目的目标是利用马萨诸塞州的干草堆射电天文台的远程观测能力来跟踪水星脉泽辐射，从而继续进行一项正在进行的观测计划。其结果将是一个持续时间约六年的SIO脉泽数据集，具有高相位覆盖率和高速度分辨率，适用于Mira和RCas恒星。这些数据将为更好地理解SiO脉泽的泵浦机制和脉泽起源的星系团区域的动力学提供基础。延长观测持续时间对于减少脉泽位置和速度在单个相位周期中发生的随机变化的影响很重要。第二个目标是完成对1983年观测到的恒星的ARE调查。对这些测量结果和新的测量结果进行比较，以统计地描述速度质心随时间的变化。速度质心的大移位可能表明存在一个双星伙伴。被发现有大位移的恒星将被监测，以寻找该系统的轨道参数。最后，至少两个SiO脉泽源RAql和Mira的轨道参数将使用公布和存档的数据以及作为速度探测器的脉泽发射的新观测来确定。本科生将通过直接参与数据采集、分析和解释进行培训。学生还将被要求与他人共同撰写论文，并在出版物和会议上展示他们的成果。这项工作还将作为天文学概念、数据分析、脉泽发射的量子力学、产生SiO脉泽的周围恒星环境的物理参数以及双星的范例被纳入各种本科课程。此外，这里提出的研究预计将极大地改善明尼苏达大学莫里斯分校和一个传统上女性毕业生比例较高的物理系的研究氛围。

AWARD NO: AST-0606764PI: Gordon McIntoshINSTITUTION: University of Minnesota MorrisTITLE: RUI: SiO Maser StudiesABSTRACT:This research focuses on the SiO maser emissions from long period/Mira variable stars.The maser radiation originates within several stellar radii of the surface and can be usedas a probe of the physical characteristics of these outer regions and of the dynamics of thestar. The maser pumping mechanism itself is still the subject of debate with bothcollisions and radiation being suggested. Moreover, the variability seen among maseremissions from Miras may be the result of shocks passing through the extendedatmospheres of these stars.The goal of this project is to allow the continuation of an ongoing observational programusing the remote observing capabilities of the Haystack Radio Astronomical Observatoryin Massachusetts to follow the maser emissions of Miras. The result will be an SiO maserdata set of approximately six years duration with high phase coverage and velocityresolution for the stars Mira and R Cas. The data will provide the basis for an improvedunderstanding of the SiO maser pumping mechanism and the dynamics of thecircumstellar region in which the masers originate. The extended duration of theobservations is important to reduce the effects of random variations that occur duringindividual phase cycles in maser locations and velocities. A second goal is to complete are-survey of stars previously observed in 1983. Comparisons between these and newmeasurements will be made to statistically describe the variations in the velocity centroidover time. Large shifts in the velocity centroid may indicate the presence of a binarypartner. Stars discovered to have large shifts will be monitored in a search for the orbitalparameters of the system. Finally, the orbital parameters of at least two SiO masersources, R Aql and Mira, will be determined using published and archive data along withnew observations of the maser emission as a velocity probe.Undergraduates will be trained through direct involvement in the data acquisition,analysis, and interpretation. Students will further be expected to co-author and presenttheir results in publications and conferences. The work will also be included in a varietyof undergraduate courses as an example of astronomical concepts, data analysis, thequantum mechanics of maser emission, the physical parameters of the circumstellarenvironments that generate SiO masers, and binary stars. Moreover, the researchproposed here is expected to considerably enhance the research climate at the Universityof Minnesota Morris and in a physics department recognized for a traditionally highfraction of women graduates.