Collaborative Research: Exploring the Compositions of Exoplanetary Systems with Observations and Modeling of Dusty Circumstellar Disks

合作研究：通过尘埃环星盘的观测和建模探索系外行星系统的组成

• 批准号: 2307612
• 负责人: Alycia Weinberger
• 金额: $ 50.39万
• 依托单位: Carnegie Institution of Washington
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-01 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2307612&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Exploring; Compositions; Exoplanetary

The goal of this proposal is to determine the composition of rocky material orbiting other stars. When rocks collide, they release small dust particles that reflect and absorb starlight. This project will involve both observations of this dust around other stars and modeling of that dust. The location of dust is interesting because it reveals where small rocky asteroids formed and were left unperturbed by planets. Modeling of the dust can reveal what it is made of, such as the amounts of silicon, oxygen, ice, and carbon. Small rocky bodies are the building blocks of planets. Dust and asteroid compositions provide a window into the types of planets that may also orbit those stars. At Carnegie, each summer an undergraduate student who does not have access to research at their home institution will participate in this research program and be part of a cohort of students who will participate in professional development and team-building activities designed to enhance their research experience. A graduate student will benefit from co-mentorship that includes training in astronomical instrumentation at University of Arizona and in interdisciplinary scientific research a Carnegie’s Earth and Planets Laboratory.The investigators will use a new imaging system, MagAO-X, at the Magellan Telescope. This system removes the distorting effects of the Earth’s atmosphere so that images of other stars are as sharp as possible. Disks of dust around other stars faintly reflect the light of their stars, and MagAO-X can observe the color of this reflected light. To interpret the images, the investigators will make models of how dust of different composition reflects starlight. A graduate student and undergraduate students will work on the project. They will get training in interdisciplinary astronomical and planetary sciences and in telescope hardware.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.

该提案的目的是确定绕其他恒星绕的岩石材料的组成。当岩石碰撞时，它们会释放出反射和吸收星光的小灰尘颗粒。该项目将涉及对其他恒星周围的灰尘的观察以及对灰尘的建模。灰尘的位置很有趣，因为它揭示了小的岩石小行星形成的地方，并被行星不受干扰。灰尘的建模可以揭示其制成的东西，例如硅，氧，冰和碳的量。小岩石的身体是行星的组成部分。灰尘和小行星组成为行星类型提供了一个窗口，这些行星也可能绕那些恒星绕。在卡内基，每年夏天，一名本科生都无法在其家庭机构进行研究，将参加该研究计划，并成为一群学生的一部分，他们将参加旨在增强其研究经验的专业发展和团队建设活动。一名研究生将受益于亚利桑那大学和跨学科科学研究的天文仪器培训的会员制。调查人员将在麦哲伦望远镜上使用新的成像系统Magao-X。该系统消除了地球大气的扭曲作用，以使其他恒星的图像尽可能锋利。其他恒星周围的灰尘圆盘清楚地反映了恒星的光，Magao-X可以观察到这种反射光的颜色。为了解释图像，研究人员将制作模型，以了解不同组合物的灰尘如何反映星光。研究生和本科生将从事该项目。他们将接受跨学科的天文学和行星科学以及望远镜硬件的培训。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响评估标准，被认为值得通过评估。