The Chemical Compositions of Galactic Halo Field and Cluster Stars

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Two major surveys of Galactic field halo stars will be carried out in order to illuminate and constrain models of early chemical evolution in the Milky Way Galaxy. In one, a detailed study of high resolution spectra of over 100 stars with known space motions and metallicities less than 1/300 that of the sun will be undertaken, with the goal of discovering abundance trends with kinematic properties of the stars. The second is a comprehensive survey of very evolved so-called horizontal branch stars using multi-object spectra of about 10 globular clusters. The Broader Impacts of this program include dissemination of computer codes and atomic line data to the astronomical community, and participation in a program involving secondary school teachers.