Precise Ages for Open Star Clusters from Known Detached Eclipsing Binaries

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。桑德奎斯特博士和他的团队将对附近星星集群中食双星系统中恒星的质量和半径进行精确测量。这些测量将允许用最少的理论解释来确定精确的年龄。 研究人员先前已经在三个不同的星星集群中确定了一组七个双星系统，这将使他们能够以大约10%的精度测量年龄，这是对现有方法的重大改进。 通过改进测光技术，也将获得该奖项，将有可能在以前不可能的程度上测试这些恒星内部的物理细节，该项目的结果将使银河系和附近星系中遥远区域的恒星群能够确定更好的年龄。圣地亚哥州立大学是加州州立大学（CSU）系统中唯一一所提供天文学学士学位的校园，为本科生和硕士学位候选人提供研究机会。 CSU系统为超过417，000名学生提供服务，其中许多人来自传统上代表性不足的群体。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Dr. Sandquist and his team will undertake precision measurements of the masses and radii of stars in eclipsing binary systems in nearby star clusters. These measurements will allow precise ages to be determined with a minimum amount of theoretical interpretation. The investigators have previously identified a group of seven binary systems in three different star clusters that will enable them to measure ages with precisions of roughly 10%, a significant improvement over current methods. With improved photometry, also to be obtained under this award, it will be possible to test details of the physics governing the interiors of these stars to a degree not previously possible.The results from this project will allow better ages to be determined for groups of stars in distant reaches of the Milky Way and in nearby galaxies. Research opportunities will be available for undergraduate students and Master's degree candidates at San Diego State University, the only campus of the California State University (CSU) system that offers Bachelor's degrees in astronomy. The CSU system serves more than 417,000 students, many of whom come from traditionally underrepresented groups.