ENCANTO: Enhancing and Nurturing Careers in Astronomy with New Training Opportunities

The University Of Central Florida Board Of Trustees, Orlando FL

Investigators

Abstract

Enhancing and Nurturing Careers in Astronomy with New Training Opportunities (ENCANTO) is a partnership to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups from Puerto Rico and Central Florida who succeed in astronomy and planetary physics. It will involve an intense research and educational program and provide guidance regarding future graduate programs. The partners are Arecibo Observatory (AO), and three Minority Serving universities - the University of Puerto Rico, the University of Central Florida (UCF) and the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. Opportunities provided through ENCANTO will include a wide choice of research and instrumentation projects, and the opportunity to work year-long on a project with a university professor and an AO scientist, exposure to another major research facility through a visit to Green Bank Observatory, and the chance to present at a professional conference in the field. Students will participate in cutting-edge research using the observing facilities and archival data at AO. Selected senior undergraduates will each choose a research project from a wide range of science topics using the 12-m telescope and AO archival data. Two of the 12-m telescope projects represent multi-messenger astrophysics: timing bright millisecond pulsars to detect and characterize nHz gravitational waves from supermassive black hole binaries and the primordial stochastic background; and very-long-baseline interferometry studies to image binary active galactic nuclei and predict their evolution and gravitational wave detectability via a pulsar timing array. Other projects include habitability of red-dwarf exoplanets, surveys of Galactic CH and prebiotic molecules, and studies of solar bursts and coronal mass ejection propagation. Instrumentation projects include modeling/simulation of a new solar radar and upgrading the e-Callisto solar spectrograph. The ENCANTO partners are well-qualified for improving minority access to astronomical research, given their expertise in mentoring students from diverse backgrounds. 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.