Fundamental Astrophysics from Precision Asteroseismology

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。德克萨斯大学的迈克尔蒙哥马利博士将领导一个观测和理论相结合的项目，研究脉动白色矮星。 他们将使用位于麦克唐纳天文台2.1米的Argos时间序列光度计，辅以位于智利的4.1米SOAR望远镜，麦克唐纳天文台的1.2米望远镜和位于德克萨斯州中部的CTAS 0.6米望远镜。 新的数据将被分析，以解决三个广泛领域的基本天体物理学问题。首先，他们将对单个光变曲线的详细形状进行建模，以约束湍流热传输（对流）的物理特性。该项目的这一部分将采用超级计算机对对流进行流体动力学模拟。 其次，他们将测量由于冷却而导致的脉动周期的变化，这将对恒星的轴子发射产生限制。轴子是暗物质粒子的候选者，因此这项技术的发展和应用可能为轴子的宇宙学意义提供新的检验。第三，他们将继续观测和分析最近发现的一类新的变星星，即热的DQV碳大气白色矮星。目前，这个类有三个已知的成员。这些恒星中有两颗含有强磁场，使它们成为研究脉动、对流和磁场相互作用的理想目标。该小组将继续为德州大学奥斯汀分校的新生研究计划开发内容，该计划将涉及前沿科学的大一和大二科学专业。与近年来一样，高中生将参加观察跑步，三名高中教师加入了这个小组，协助观察和学习第一手的科学方法。该团队正在通过一项计划扩大这种参与，其中一小群高中生在他们的高中度过整个夜晚;他们通过Argos在线网站与麦克唐纳天文台的观测结果进行电子连接，并可以与圆顶天文学家进行电话会议。此外，他们还与德克萨斯州中部天文学会积极合作。作为该项目的一部分，他们将开发一个可通过网络界面访问的观测数据库。该档案将允许快速搜索观测结果，并将免费提供给社区。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Dr. Michael Montgomery of the University of Texas will lead a combined observational and theoretical project to study pulsating white dwarf stars. They will use the Argos time-series photometer on the 2.1m at McDonald Observatory, supplemented by the 4.1m SOAR telescope in Chile, the 1.2m telescope at McDonald Observatory, and the CTAS 0.6m telescope in central Texas. New data will be analyzed to address fundamental astrophysical problems in three broad areas. First, they will model the detailed shapes of individual light curves to constrain the physics of turbulent heat transport (convection). This part of the project will employ supercomputer hydrodynamical simulations of convection. Second, they will measure the change in pulsation period due to cooling, which will place constraints on the stars' axion emission. Axions are candidates for dark matter particles, so the development and application of this technique might provide new tests of the cosmological significance of axions. Third, they will continue their observations and analysis of the recently-discovered new class of variable star, the hot DQV carbon-atmosphere white dwarfs. Currently, there are three known members of this class. Two of these stars contain a strong magnetic field, making them ideal targets for studying the interplay of pulsation, convection, and magnetic fields.This group will continue to develop content for the Freshman Research Initiative program at UT-Austin, which will involve freshmen and sophomore science majors in cutting-edge science. As in recent years, high school students will participate in observing runs, and three high school teachers have joined this group to assist in observing and learn the scientific method first hand. The team is broadening this participation through a program whereby small groups of high school students spend entire nights at lock-ins at their high school; they are electronically linked to the observations being taken at McDonald Observatory through the Argos Online website and can teleconference with the astronomers in the dome. In addition, they have an active collaboration with the Central Texas Astronomical Society. As part of this project, they will develop a database of observations accessible via a web interface. This archive will allow rapid searching of the observations, and will be made freely available to the community.