Lithium and Metallicities of Older Open Clusters

Indiana University, Bloomington IN

Investigators

Abstract

AST-0607567 INSTITUTION: Indiana University PI: Constantine Deliyannis TITLE: Lithium and Metallicities of Older Open Clusters ABSTRACT Dr. Constantine Deliyannis, at Indiana University, will study the abundance of the chemical Lithium (Li) in 7 primary and several secondary open star clusters, to address key issues in stellar structure and evolution that might ultimately have significant implications for light element chemical evolution, globular cluster ages, big bang nucleosynthesis, dark matter and cosmology. Specific areas of research address issues that follow from Dr. Deliyannis' work with the Wisconsin-Indiana-Yale-NOAO (WIYN) Open Cluster Study. Two graduate students and at least six undergraduates will be trained and encouraged to pursue careers in science. Dr. Deliyannis has a record of recruiting women and minorities, and this is expected to continue. Dr. Deliyannis will also conduct exit and later interviews for assessment of student training, and he will incorporate his research results in classrooms, and give various public talks based, in part, on the research.