South Texas Partnership in Multi-messenger Astronomy

得克萨斯大学格兰德河谷分校（UTRGV）和得克萨斯州最南学院（TSC）将建立一个新的天文学研究和教育伙伴关系，以开展多信使和时域天文学研究。 这种伙伴关系将为南德克萨斯州的西班牙裔社区大学生提供一条积极参与天文学研究的途径。该计划的一个显着特点是加强社区内建立的自然STEM生态系统。 该伙伴关系将提供并维持几项协调活动：（1）每周定期与UTRGV导师举行会议（2）一个夏季讲习班，培训学生测光、天体测量、观测技术和天文学中的Python编码，包括机器学习技术;（3）在UTRGV运营的克里斯蒂娜·托雷斯纪念天文台（CTMO）进行定期观测，（4）每月举办相关天文学和天体物理学主题的研讨会，以及（5）参与学生在区域会议上进行年度演讲。 该伙伴关系也有能力接触到南德克萨斯州的大量观众。当CTMO向公众开放时，参与的学生将被要求协助公园的定期天文活动。公园的天文学是与南德克萨斯州天文学会（STARS）联合组织的，该协会是一个非营利性的业余天文学家组织。该项目为西班牙裔社区大学生创造了一条明确的研究途径，这是一个在天文学方面代表性很低的群体。学生将参与的研究项目是在时域天文学领域，特别是引力波事件的光学跟踪。两颗中子星（或一颗中子星星和一个黑洞）合并产生的电磁辐射的快速定位和精确表征，对理解核r过程产生重元素有重要贡献。相关的引力波信息有可能产生对宇宙膨胀率（哈勃常数）的估计，这是对现有技术的补充和竞争。拟议的活动将使这些学生成为多信使天文学发展的相关贡献者。 该奖项反映了NSF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。

A new research and education partnership in astronomy will be developed between the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and Texas Southmost College (TSC) to conduct research in multi-messenger and time domain astronomy. This partnership will provide a pathway for Hispanic community college students in South Texas to actively participate in astronomy research. A distinctive feature of the program is the strengthening of a natural STEM ecosystem built within the community. The partnership will provide and sustain several coordinated activities: (1) regular weekly meetings with the UTRGV mentors (graduate students and the principal investigator) and the TSC participating students and faculty; (2) one summer workshop to train students in photometry, astrometry, observational techniques and python coding in astronomy, including machine learning techniques; (3) regular observations at the Cristina Torres Memorial Astronomical Observatory (CTMO), operated by UTRGV, (4) monthly seminars in relevant astronomy and astrophysics topics and (5) annual presentations at regional meetings from participating students. The partnership also has the capacity to reach a large audience in South Texas. The participating students will be asked to assist with the regular Astronomy at the Park events, when the CTMO is open to the public. Astronomy at the Park is organized jointly with the South Texas Astronomical Society (STARS), a nonprofit amateur astronomer organization.This project creates a clear pathway into research for Hispanic community college students, a group with very low representation in astronomy. The research projects in which students will be involved are in the area of time domain astronomy, and in particular, the optical follow-up of gravitational wave events. The rapid localization and accurate characterization of electromagnetic emission associated with the merger of two neutron stars (or a neutron star and a black hole) can make significant contributions to the understanding of the production of heavy elements through nuclear r-processes. The associated gravitational wave information has the potential to yield estimates of the expansion rate of the Universe (the Hubble constant), which complement, and are competitive with current techniques. The activities proposed will make these students relevant contributors to the development of multi-messenger astronomy. This award advances the goals of the Windows on the Universe Big Idea.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.