NStars: Spectroscopic Abundances in Nearby Solar-Type Stars

University Of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas NV

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT King, Jeremy "NStars: Spectroscopic Abundances in Nearby Solar-Type Stars" AST-0086576 Dr. King is measuring photospheric chemical abundances for 5000 solar-type stars within 60 parsecs of the Sun using low-resolution spectroscopy. Additional high resolution spectroscopy is performed for a subset of these stars to examine the frequency of chromospheric activity, multiplicity, kinematics, rotation rates, ages, and metallicities with which to address issues concerning planetary companions, circumstellar environment, and the Galactic chemical evolution history. The project also seeks to address how these parameters vary among stars in nearby open clusters. The necessary observations are performed at NSF-supported Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, and the Lick, Keck and McDonald Observatories. The large quantity of information on stars in the solar neighborhood that is collected in the course of this project is incorporated into the NStars database, where it is widely available to the astronomical community. Funding for this project was provided by the NSF Stellar Astronomy & Astrophysics (AST/SAA) program through the joint NSF/NASA "Nearby Stars (NStars)" initiative, and the NSF Mathematical & Physical Sciences Directorate Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (MPS/OMA).