ENCANTO: Enhancing and Nurturing Careers in Astronomy with New Training Opportunities

通过新的培训机会加强和培育天文学职业（ENCANTO）是一项伙伴关系，旨在增加来自波多黎各和佛罗里达州中部代表性不足群体的学生在天文学和行星物理学方面取得成功的人数。它将包括一个密集的研究和教育计划，并为未来的研究生课程提供指导。合作伙伴是阿雷西博天文台（AO）和三所少数民族大学——波多黎各大学、中佛罗里达大学（UCF）和波多黎各美洲大学。通过ENCANTO提供的机会将包括广泛的研究和仪器项目选择，并有机会与大学教授和AO科学家一起在一个项目上工作一年，通过访问绿岸天文台接触另一个主要的研究设施，并有机会在该领域的专业会议上发表演讲。学生将利用AO的观测设施和档案数据参与前沿研究。选定的大四本科生将使用12米望远镜和AO档案数据从广泛的科学主题中选择一个研究项目。其中两个12米望远镜项目代表了多信使天体物理学：对明亮的毫秒脉冲星计时，以探测和表征来自超大质量黑洞双星和原始随机背景的nHz引力波；以及超长基线干涉测量研究，以成像双星活动星系核，并通过脉冲星定时阵列预测它们的演化和引力波的可探测性。其他项目包括红矮星系外行星的宜居性，银河系CH和生命起源分子的调查，以及太阳爆发和日冕物质抛射传播的研究。仪器项目包括一个新的太阳雷达的建模/模拟和升级e-木卫四太阳光谱仪。ENCANTO的合作伙伴完全有资格改善少数民族获得天文学研究的机会，因为他们在指导来自不同背景的学生方面具有专业知识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Enhancing and Nurturing Careers in Astronomy with New Training Opportunities (ENCANTO) is a partnership to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups from Puerto Rico and Central Florida who succeed in astronomy and planetary physics. It will involve an intense research and educational program and provide guidance regarding future graduate programs. The partners are Arecibo Observatory (AO), and three Minority Serving universities - the University of Puerto Rico, the University of Central Florida (UCF) and the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. Opportunities provided through ENCANTO will include a wide choice of research and instrumentation projects, and the opportunity to work year-long on a project with a university professor and an AO scientist, exposure to another major research facility through a visit to Green Bank Observatory, and the chance to present at a professional conference in the field.Students will participate in cutting-edge research using the observing facilities and archival data at AO. Selected senior undergraduates will each choose a research project from a wide range of science topics using the 12-m telescope and AO archival data. Two of the 12-m telescope projects represent multi-messenger astrophysics: timing bright millisecond pulsars to detect and characterize nHz gravitational waves from supermassive black hole binaries and the primordial stochastic background; and very-long-baseline interferometry studies to image binary active galactic nuclei and predict their evolution and gravitational wave detectability via a pulsar timing array. Other projects include habitability of red-dwarf exoplanets, surveys of Galactic CH and prebiotic molecules, and studies of solar bursts and coronal mass ejection propagation. Instrumentation projects include modeling/simulation of a new solar radar and upgrading the e-Callisto solar spectrograph. The ENCANTO partners are well-qualified for improving minority access to astronomical research, given their expertise in mentoring students from diverse backgrounds.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.