RUI: Accuracy of Methods Determining Eclipsing Binary Times of Conjunction

这项拨款涉及到双星的食。 卡顿会改善的 从日食数据中提取更精确时间的方法 光的最小值和对该时间的误差的估计。 的 程序将使用威尔逊的计算机程序开发 和Devinney为具有偏心轨道和斑点的双星 星 观察计划将继续进行。 大多数恒星都是成对出现的。 几个双星在每个星系中移动 使一颗星星遮住另一颗。 的时机 日食产生的轨道周期，这告诉我们， 恒星，有时轨道周期随时间变化， 通知我们有关气体离开系统或从一个 星星到另一个。 这笔赠款是为了寻求更准确的方法 来探测轨道周期的缓慢变化 补助金是由 本科院校研究（RUI）计划 这是第一个天文学研究基金， 调查员和他的机构。

This grant concerns eclipsing binary stars. Caton will improve on methods to extract from eclipse data a more nearly exact time of light minimum and an estimate in the errors of that time. The procedure will be developed using the computer program of Wilson and Devinney for binaries with eccentric orbits and spotted stars. An observing program will be continued. Most stars occur in binary pairs. A few binaries move about each other so that one star eclipses the other. The timing of eclipses yields orbital periods, which inform us about the stars, and sometimes changes in orbital periods with time, which inform us about gases leaving the system or transferring from one star to the other. This grant is to seek more accurate methods to detect the slow changes in orbital periods. The grant is made under the Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) Program and is the first astronomy research grant both to this investigator and to his institution.