Completing the Inventory of Bright Variable Stars in Globular Clusters

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AST-0607249INSTITUTION: Michigan State UniversityPI: Horace SmithTITLE: Completing the Inventory of Bright Variable Stars in Globular ClustersABSTRACTDr. Horace Smith, at Michigan State University, will conduct a survey of globular clusters in the Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds, and the Fornax dwarf galaxy to identify variable stars, in particular RR Lyrae variables. The goal of the work is to use variable stars in globular clusters to understand the environments in which the stars formed, and to improve our understanding of stellar evolution and galaxy formation processes. This work will result in the training of both graduate and undergraduate astrophysics students at Michigan State University. The research will also be used as a means to attract astronomers in the Michigan area to local meetings on variable stars. A web page describing the research will also be maintained, and presentations to the public during open house nights at the campus observatory will be undertaken. Additionally, secondary school teachers will be introduced to this research at sessions held at the campus observatory, where the teachers will be able to undertake their own observations.