Browsing by Author "Marshall, Jennifer"

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    Research Project
    Enabling Precision Calibration of Massively Multiplexed Spectroscopicsurveys
    Physics And Astronomy; https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14641/370; National Science Foundation
    Modern astronomy has taught us much about the physics that governs the Universe. Recently, many discoveries have been made by inspecting images produced by surveys that collect images of large areas of the nighttime sky. The next step is to study many of the objects discovered in those images in more detail using spectroscopy. Several such facilities are currently being planned, each able to collect thousands of such spectra of astrophysical objects simultaneously. A key challenge for such work is to ensure that the spectra are well calibrated so that this data can be interpreted accurately. In this project the proposed next-generation Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE) facility is used as a baseline to develop the required calibration and measurement techniques. This work will enable precision scientific spectroscopic measurements to be made using MSE and other similar facilities. The work will engage one graduate student and many undergraduates, providing them with significant STEM educational opportunities. Massively multiplexed spectroscopic facilities on large aperture telescopes represent the future of ground-based optical astronomy. In the era of the Vera Rubin Observatory and other wide-field imaging surveys, the follow-up spectroscopic study of vast numbers of objects with brightness comparable to or fainter than the sky background is required. In order for these studies to be executed efficiently, thousands of spectra per pointing must be acquired, a feat that can be accomplished using fiber-fed spectroscopic instruments. Careful calibration will be needed to disentangle the signal generated by the target of interest from the background noise that is the result of sky signal and scattered light induced by the instrumentation. This project plans to fully assess these noise sources and develop a procedure to minimize the limitations they induce through careful measurement of the relevant properties of the fibers. Results of the proposed study will be applicable to all future massively multiplexed spectroscopic instruments, thus enabling the science programs of multiple next-generation facilities. The Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer is a direct application for this work. The project will support one graduate student and many undergraduates thus providing significant training in instrumentation development and engineering techniques.
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    Research Project
    REU SITE: Astronomical Research and Instrumentation at Texas A&M University
    Physics And Astronomy; TAMU; https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14641/370; National Science Foundation
    Texas A&M University (TAMU) will host a summer REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program in astronomy. Students will complete individual research projects with a faculty mentor. They will also benefit from interaction with summer students in 14 other TAMU REU programs, such as the REU Summer Scholars Program (weekly informal lunch discussions focusing on ethnic minority issues) and the university-wide summer REU Poster Session. This program will benefit society by enhancing the education of undergraduates through research and professional development programs, by involving them in the development of advanced astronomical instrumentation, and by extending these opportunities to students from institutions otherwise unable to offer such experiences, which will be a primary focus of the recruitment efforts. The summer will begin with a 3-day workshop that will give them a hands-on introduction to data visualization and computational data analysis. Students will also have the opportunity to design, construct, test, and deploy a variety of instruments to be used at astronomical observatories around the world. TAMU astronomy faculty are involved in most of the current and future large-scale observational astronomy collaborations. All of the REU students have the opportunity to spend one week observing at McDonald Observatory in west Texas, and they will be invited to participate in public outreach activities.