Precise Stellar Parameters in the Era of Planet Formation

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

The investigators seek to understand the formation of stars and planets. Astronomers study planet formation by observations of the composition and speed of material forming these solar systems. The first stage is the collapse of a vast cloud of gas in a galaxy. This gas contracts, heats up and forms a disk rotating around the densest regions. The planets form while the stars are still young. The disk breaks up into clumps and the clumps form planets. In our solar system there are many types of planets, from rocky planets like the Earth to gas giant planets like Jupiter. The investigators seek to better understand what causes these types of planets to form. The type of planets formed depends on the magnetic fields and elements present in the clouds when the initial collapse begins. The investigators will focus on a key aspect of planet formation, the lifetime of the disk of material before in breaks up into planets. The investigators have designed and constructed a special purpose device to precisely measure the properties of Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) as they form. The device the investigators built is a very sensitive optical spectrometer, called the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrometer (IGRINS). The investigators have observed hundreds of YSOs in the Taurus and Ophiuchus star forming regions. Their IGRINS device has been installed on many of the most sensitive telescopes in the world. Their observations simultaneously determine the temperature, magnetic field strength, surface gravity, and rotation rates with great accuracy. The investigators will analyze the entire IGRINS YSO Survey and create a public archive of reduced spectra. The investigators plan to consistently calibrate and process their observations into a library of useful measurements of the process of star and planet formation. The investigators will make astronomical concepts more accessible to the broadest audience. By working with an expert in Universal Design at Northern Arizona University, in collaboration with the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI), they will augment astronomy lesson plans with tactile graphical devices. This effort will include graduate student volunteers and will be implemented in TSBVI classrooms and at Austin public elementary schools. The accessibility and adoption of these tools by students will be documented and presented at national conferences. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.