The Mass-Radius Relation of Young Stars from K2

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

Modern astronomy depends on theoretical models of the life cycles of stars. These models are then used to suggest new ways to study planets around other stars and to determine our own Solar System compares with other planetary systems. Their predictions can be tested by observing pairs of stars orbiting each other. Their orbital speed reveals the masses of the stars, while the dimming produced when they eclipse each other reveals their sizes. This team will study a large sample of very young eclipsing binary star systems in order to measure fundamental stellar properties. Undergraduate students will be involved at all stages of the investigation. The Principal Investigator (PI) will bring the scientific discovery process into his classroom, serving the national interest by promoting STEM education and improving the retention of members of underrepresented groups in STEM fields. Predictions from evolutionary models of pre-main sequence stars remain largely untested, especially for masses below that of the Sun. The investigation will characterize 15 young eclipsing binary systems observed by K2 (the repurposed Kepler mission) in the Upper Scorpius star-forming region, measuring masses, radii, luminosities, temperatures, and magnetic field strengths. The proposed program also will compare observed magnetic field strengths to the values required in new magnetized stellar evolutionary models. The PI will use upper-level undergraduate classes in stellar astrophysics to test new experiential learning techniques and as a gateway for recruiting students to become involved in this research, joined by summer interns recruited from underrepresented/underserved populations at other institutions. The on-campus research students will then serve the following year as peer mentors and role models.