The Haystack Observatory as an REU Site for Astronomy and Atmospheric Science

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

Proposal ID: AST 0138506 PI: Joseph Salah Dr. Salah is awarded funds to continue a successful Research Experiences for Undergraduates site and associated Research Experiences for Teachers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Haystack Observatory. Funding is provided jointly through the Division of Astronomical Sciences, the Division of Atmospheric Sciences, and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities. Over the next five years, seven undergraduate interns and four K-12 science teachers will be hired per year at the observatory to do summer research projects in radio astronomy, atmospheric science, and instrumentation. Each undergraduate student will be paired with a staff mentor, and will participate in a seminar series. Research projects in radio astronomy will include investigations of star-forming regions, active galactic nuclei, and envelopes of evolved stars. Atmospheric science projects will include investigations of the structure of the upper atmosphere, space weather, and the effect of atmospheric delays on satellite transmissions. Instrumentation and software projects will include new designs for digital radio receivers, software radar, and signal processing. At the end of the summer each student will prepare a detailed report and give a presentation, and will be encouraged to present the results at a national meeting. The participating teachers will spend eight weeks at the site their first summer, and four weeks the following summer. During the first summer, the teachers will participate in a group research project and develop curriculum for their classroom that is related to the underlying scientific concepts of the research project. During the following school year, the teachers will test their lesson plans and then refine the plans during the next summer.