Completing the Massive Star Population in Galaxies: The Field Stars

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Dr. Oey will investigate the population of massive stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) by examining stars in the general field, rather than the more commonly studied star clusters. She will use the multi-object spectrograph at the 6.5-meter Magellan telescopes to take spectra of the 400 or so known stars in the OB class, which contains the hottest and most massive stars. The motion of the stars towards or away from the observer can be measured directly from the spectra; their temperature and mass can be estimated by comparison with models. She will then estimate how many stars were formed at each mass (the field star initial mass function). She will examine whether the high-mass stars now in the general field might have been born in star clusters, exploring the distribution of radial velocities to constrain the numbers of both runaway stars and binary stars, and estimating the time required for a star cluster to dissolve into the field.Both undergraduate and graduate students will be trained through their involvement in the research. Dr Oey will lead a number of outreach programs at the University of Michigan, including a Theme Semester for the International Year of Astronomy in 2009. She will partner with the historic Detroit Observatory on campus, to update exhibits, provide scientific training for the docents, and collaborate with a science historian to document the Observatory's historic role.