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Solar System and exoplanets
The summer student will work on a project related to the following topics: the formation of exoplanets; the dynamics of exo-planetary systems; history of the Solar System; formation of Pluto-Charon-moons and other Kuiper belt objects; and the formation of debris disks.
The project will be supervised by Prof. Yanqin Wu, Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics (DAA).[/two_thirds_last] [bra_border_divider top=’15’ bottom=’15’] [one_third]
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Star and planet formation in stellar multiple systems
Today, we know of more than 1000 planets that orbit stars outside our Solar System, so-called “extrasolar planets” or in short “exoplanets.” In fact, it has been suggested that all the stars in the Milky Way Galaxy may be host to one or more exoplanets. Still, the exact planet forming process is unknown. Some of the open questions are “How long does the formation of a planet take?” and “How do planets end up in the orbit they occupy today?”
A few facts about planet formation, however, seem to be secure. For example, the formation of a planet appears to be deeply entangled with the formation of its host star. A central feature of this common process is a disk of gas and dust around the forming star. Observations have shown that these disks live for only a short time. Since this is the material that is used to form planets, time for planet formation is limited.
Another interesting fact is that most stars, unlike our Sun, are bound in systems of two or more stars. There is good evidence that the lifetime of circum-stellar disks around these systems is even shorter than around ordinary single stars. Yet, many planets have been found in these systems, demonstrating that the planets can form on very short timescales. How short? We don’t yet know.
The project aims at estimating the time available for planet formation. It does so by measuring how frequently we observe signs of circum-stellar disks around multiple stars at a defined age. The student will work with observational data from one of the largest optical telescopes, the Gemini-North Telescope. The student will learn data-reduction techniques, the extraction of physical information through photometry, and will help to compare the results to studies of single and multiple stars at different ages.
The project will be supervised by Sebastian Daemgen, DAA.[/two_thirds_last] [bra_border_divider top=’15’ bottom=’15’] [one_third]
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The Green Bank Ammonia Survey of the Gould Belt star-forming clouds
Most stars in our galaxy do not form in isolation. Instead, stars are born in groups and clusters embedded within dense filaments and clumps in molecular clouds. To understand how stars form in clusters, we need to understand how these filaments accrete mass from the surrounding environment, funnel material to star-forming “hubs”, and fragment to form dense cores that may form only a few stars each. Through observations of molecular emission lines that are excited in dense, cold environments, we can trace the flow and gravitational collapse of gas in star forming environments.
The Gould Belt is a ring of young stars and star-forming regions that contains nearly all the ongoing, predominantly low-mass star formation within 500 pc of the Sun. We have begun to survey all the high density molecular gas within the Gould Belt through the Green Bank Ammonia Survey (GAS), a Large Program on the 100-metre Green Bank Telescope. The interested student will work on calibrating and imaging some of the first data from this survey, and will identify those regions where the gas filaments and dense cores are gravitationally unstable and likely to form new stars. Over the summer, the student will gain familiarity with data cubes, spectral line analysis, and dark cloud chemistry.
The project will be supervised by Dunlap Fellow, Rachel Friesen.[/two_thirds_last] [bra_border_divider top=’15’ bottom=’15’] [one_third]
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Diamonds around neutron stars
Neutron stars are the degenerate relic cores of massive stars that ended their life in a supernova explosion. Neutron stars are both tiny and big; they have a radius of only 10 to 15 km, and yet they outweigh the entire Solar System. Consequently, they are extremely dense objects—in fact denser than anything that has existed ever since ~2 seconds after the Big Bang.
Quite surprisingly, in recent years, two neutron stars have been found to orbit “diamond stars”—dense, ultra-cool carbon objects thought to descend from white dwarfs with carbon cores. There is only one problem: white dwarfs are believed to crystallize only after they’ve cooled down significantly and the Universe in not yet old enough for this to have happened. This tells us there may be an interaction with the neutron-star companions that helps these stars cool faster.
For this project, the student will analyze photometric data taken with the Very Large Telescope (VLT) to determine the temperature of a new candidate, ultra-cool white dwarf companion to a neutron star. Depending on their interest, the student may also perform numerical simulations with a stellar-evolution code with the goal of determining the processes that may accelerate the cooling rate of these objects.
The project will be supervised by Dunlap Fellow, John Antoniadis.[/two_thirds_last] [bra_border_divider top=’15’ bottom=’15’] [one_third]
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Digital telescope algorithm development
The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) is part of a new generation of telescopes, where massive computing back-ends are beginning to supplant the mirrors that focus light in a traditional instrument. By shifting from analog processing of light to digital, whole new regimes of inquiry open up.
CHIME is built primarily to study the large-scale structure of the Universe through the red-shifted 21cm line of neutral hydrogen, observing half the sky daily over a band from 400 to 800MHz. Because it is a digital telescope, CHIME’s entire data set can be forked and re-processed in many ways. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of the raw data means it must be processed in real-time or discarded.
This project involves researching, developing and implementing various algorithms to allow studies of the time-variable radio sky. The ideal candidate will be comfortable with various programming languages and willing to learn interferometry, Fourier-space algorithms, and GPU programming.
The project will be supervised by Prof. Keith Vanderlinde, Dunlap Institute.[/two_thirds_last] [bra_border_divider top=’15’ bottom=’15’] [one_third]
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Microwave instrumentation development
The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) has proven a treasure-trove of cosmological information, both supporting and helping to refine the current LCDM model of cosmology. It’s the oldest light in the Universe, and provides our best window into the workings of the early cosmos. Telescopes mapping the CMB, however, require detectors with exquisite sensitivity, collecting minute amounts of microwave power.
The South Pole Telescope (SPT) will soon be soon be upgrading with a new camera, the third detector array since its inception. The SPT-3G camera will allow observations an order-of-magnitude more sensitive than any to date, mapping out a large patch of sky with sufficient precision to detect the elusive B-mode polarization patterns.
Working toward SPT-3G and future CMB experiments, a host of microwave-detection, calibration and characterization tools are needed. These range from calibrated emitters and detectors, to sub-Kelvin cryogenic environments, to polarized Fourier Transform Spectrometers. Students will develop components of a microwave test environment according to their skillset.
The projects will be supervised by Prof. Keith Vanderlinde, Dunlap Institute.[/two_thirds_last] [bra_border_divider top=’15’ bottom=’15’] [one_third]
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Galaxy clusters
Galaxy clusters constitute some of the densest regions in the Universe and offer a unique chance to probe the evolution of galaxies in their most extreme environment. Galaxies that reside in high-density environments have markedly different evolutionary histories from isolated field galaxies. This has been substantiated through the correlation of galaxy properties such as stellar mass, star-formation rate, colour and morphology with local density. Moreover, these relationships evolve with redshift.
We are involved in four large international collaborations of galaxy cluster surveys: RCS, RCS-2, SpARCS, and an ongoing spectroscopic campaign, GOGREEN. Combined, these surveys have discovered thousands of galaxy cluster candidates, out to a redshift of 1.7. Furthermore, multi-wavelength follow-up data from optical to far-infrared wavelengths exist for many of the cluster fields.
Various projects dealing with the evolution of galaxy populations within clusters are possible, including (1) examining star-formation rate indicators at different wavelengths and (2) searching for close galaxy pairs in different environments to study the effect of mergers on cluster galaxies.
Each of these would be analyzed as a function of various galaxy properties (colour, isolated- versus cluster-galaxies, position within the cluster, etc). The summer research student will learn how to process large catalogs of data; gain familiarity on working with multi-wavelength data from various telescopes including Gemini, Spitzer, Herschel, CFHT and CTIO; and analyze the effect of environment on star formation.
Projects will be supervised by Prof. Howard Yee, Chair, DAA, and Alison Noble, DAA.[/two_thirds_last][bra_border_divider top=’15’ bottom=’15’] [one_third][/one_third] [two_thirds_last]
Black holes and gravitational waves
I work on theoretical problems in General Relativity, with a focus on black holes and gravitational waves. My past work has involved the visualization of curved space-time, how a black hole “rings” by emitting gravitational waves after it is perturbed, and the oscillations of neutron stars. With an active group at CITA, I have also begun to investigate the in-spiral and collision of pairs of black holes, using large numerical simulations. The summer student will work on a project related to these topics.
The project will be supervised by Aaron Zimmerman, CITA.[/two_thirds_last][bra_border_divider top=’15’ bottom=’15’] [one_third]
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Gemini Planet Imager data analysis
The Dunlap Institute is actively engaged in the Gemini Planet Imager https://planetimager.org/ (GPI), an instrument designed to directly observe the infrared light emitted from hot giant planets in the process of forming, in orbit around nearby stars. GPI was designed, built and optimized for imaging faint planets next to bright stars and probing their atmospheres. It will also be a powerful tool for studying dusty, planet-forming disks around young stars. It is the most advanced instrument of its kind to be deployed on one of the world’s biggest telescopes—the 8-metre Gemini South telescope in Chile. GPI is being used for the groundbreaking GPI Exoplanet Survey (GPIES), a three-year campaign to detect exoplanets around young, nearby stars.
The student will participate in the preparation of upcoming GPIES observations. The student will learn data-reduction techniques and take part in the development of astronomical data-reduction and analysis. The student will have the opportunity to be involved in the optimization of photometric and astrometric measurement techniques. Depending upon the student’s interests, they will be also be encouraged to take part in the analysis of calibration data to optimize instrumental performances, model system performance, and improve current reduction techniques.
The projects will be supervised by Dunlap Fellows Jérome Maire and Jeffrey Chilcote, and Max Millar-Blanchaer.[/two_thirds_last][bra_border_divider top=’15’ bottom=’15’] [one_third]
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The study of young, peculiar supernovae
Supernovae (SN) studies have been central in advancing our understanding of the Universe, ranging from deciphering the origin of most of the elementary particles to the discovery of the cosmic acceleration; i.e. “seeding the elements and measuring the Universe.” They will continue to play a major role in future astronomy, as exemplified by the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope project, centred on SN observations.
In this project, undergraduate students will participate in investigating young (less than a few hours from the explosion), peculiar supernovae that will be discovered by the KMTNet facility. KMTNet is a network of three new wide-field telescopes in Chile, Australia and South Africa equipped with one of the world’s largest CCD cameras. The network is optimized for discovering young, peculiar supernovae due to its unique 24-hour, continuous sky-coverage. It will commence operation in January 2015.
These young, peculiar supernovae are of great interest because they still bear untainted footprints from supernovae explosions that can tell us how supernovae really explode and the latter provide opportunities for investigating diverse astronomical conditions wherein supernovae can be produced.
Depending on their background and interest, summer students will participate in diverse activities related to the supernovae research, including data analyses, modeling of supernova light-curves, advanced programming on supernova search algorithms, statistical and literature investigation, etc. Adequate training on various aspects of the research (e.g., programming, supernovae astrophysics, statistics, etc.) will be provided at the beginning of the program.
Projects will be supervised by Prof. Dae-Sik Moon, DAA.[/two_thirds_last][bra_border_divider top=’15’ bottom=’15’] [one_third]
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Algonquin pulsar Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI)
An international campaign is underway to combine the world’s largest radio telescopes—including the Algonquin Radio Telescope in Algonquin Park—to measure pulsar scintillation properties. This nascent field of pulsar VLBI scintillometry opens a window for pico-arcsecond measurements, improving our understanding of the interstellar medium, pulsar properties and gravitational waves. This project involves observing trips to Algonquin park, analysis of data, and data management.
The project will be supervised by Prof. Ue-Li Pen, CITA.
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