NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute for FY 2012 in New Zealand

这项行动资助了威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的Nicholas Ryan Hill于2012年夏天在新西兰克赖斯特彻奇的坎特伯雷大学开展一项名为“改进脉动恒星特性识别方法”的研究项目。主持的科学家是凯伦·波拉德博士。本课题的智力优势在于利用图形处理单元（GPU）加速光谱合成计算机代码来研究非径向脉动恒星。为了确定这些恒星的特性和脉动模式，科学家必须生成合成光谱来与观测到的恒星的光谱进行比较。由于合成的计算成本很高，目前只能分析有限数量的光谱数据。因此，GPU加速这项任务将使科学家能够研究更多这样的恒星，以更好地了解它们的环境和演化。EAPSI奖学金的广泛影响包括为研究员提供美国以外的第一手研究经验；介绍该地区的科学、科学政策和科学基础设施；以及对社会、文化和语言的了解。这些活动符合美国国家科学基金会的目标，即在其科学家、工程师和教育工作者的职业生涯早期培养国际合作，从而确保美国科学劳动力具有全球意识。此外，在这个研究项目中开发的GPU光谱合成代码将公开提供给其他人在他们的工作中使用。

This action funds Nicholas Ryan Hill of the University of Wisconsin-Madison to conduct a research project, entitled "Improving Identification Methods of Pulsating Star Properties," during the summer of 2012 at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. The host scientist is Dr. Karen Pollard.The Intellectual Merit of the research project lies in using a graphics processing unit (GPU) accelerated spectral synthesis computer code to study non-radially pulsating stars. To identify properties and pulsation modes of these stars, scientists must generate synthetic spectra to compare to the spectra of an observed star. Since the synthesis is computationally expensive, only limited amounts of spectral data can currently be analyzed. GPU acceleration of this task will thus allow scientists to study more of these stars to better understand their environments and evolution.Broader Impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Additionally, the GPU spectral synthesis code developed during this research project will be made openly available for others to use in their work.