Published: June 15, 2007
Seniors Matt Pellegrino and Vinay Patel wrote up the results of their year-long study of star formation rate and morphology of three clusters observed with Spitzer. The results were accepted for publication in the RBSE Journal, a publication of the NOAO's Research Based Science Education Program.
They also completed a milestone map for the project, describing the performance milestones that needed to be met and documenting resources for achieving them. The map is meant to make it easier for subsequent students to climb the learning curve and push the project forward next year. The team had hoped to submit an observing proposal for a future round, but have instead handed off that project to willing students from next year's class. Next Fall Matt will attend the University of Chicago, and Vinay will head to the University of Michigan. Congratulations to both for an excellent year's work.
A report on the year's work will be presented to the astronomy working group (two additional teachers, two high school student, and one graduate student) in the context of the Notre Dame extended Research Community's (NDeRC's) summer activities. NDeRC is an NSF-sponsored GK-12 project; the five-year project begins its funding cycle on July 1st, 2007. The proposal was written by high school teachers at the Notre Dame QuarkNet Center. NOAO's TLRBSE projects will be available to local teachers in partnership with an astronomy graduate student from the University of Notre Dame. Spitzer Teacher Loughran is coPI on the project.