Three Union students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy were engaged in advanced, hands-on research recently as part of Union’s new membership in the NASA NY Space Grant Program.
“The program gives our students opportunities to participate in research in space-related fields at Union and affiliate institutions and to apply for national Space Grant Consortium internships at NASA centers,” said Rebecca Koopmann, associate professor of physics and astronomy, who is administering grant activities at the College.
NASA NY Space Grant is headquartered at Cornell University under the direction of Yervant Terzian and has 20 affiliate members across New York state.
This summer, John Robens ’09 worked with Koopmann on a project titled “Searching for Optical Counterparts of Galaxies and Tidal Streams Detected by the ALFALFA Survey.”
He analyzed images obtained at Cerro Tololo Observatory in Chile, via the Small and Moderate Aperture Research Telescope System, to search for possible optical matches of galaxies detected at radio wavelengths at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.
“The research I did furthered my understanding in physics and astronomy by leaps and bounds. I came in with some very basic knowledge, and I left with moderate and even some advanced knowledge in the field,” said Robens.
“I learned more than I could have hoped for this summer, not only about physics and astronomy, but also about research in general,” he added. “My work helped to further the overall research goal, and my results were helpful in limiting the brightness of possible optical matches.”
David Barker ’09 and Daniel Barringer ’11 used the Union College Observatory 20-inch telescope in their research with Professor and Observatory Manager Francis Wilkin.
Barringer’s project, “Searching for Eclipses of Extrasolar Planets,” targets stars known to have planets to search for slight dimming when a planet passes between Earth and the star.
Barker’s project, “CCD Photometry of Variable Stars and Transiting Planets,” is aimed at tracking how the light output of variable sources changes in time. Barker is continuing the search for extrasolar transiting planets as his senior thesis for his major in physics and astronomy.
NASA initiated the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, known as Space Grant, in 1989 to expand opportunities for Americans to understand and participate in its aeronautics and space projects by supporting and enhancing science and engineering education, research and public outreach.