MSU Variable Star Group
Welcome to the home of the Variable Star Research Group at
the Michigan State University Department of
Physics and Astronomy. This page gives some information about our group and
our research. You will also find copies of recently presented posters and a
list of recent publications. Note that much of this work has been supported by
grants from the National Science Foundation, which is not, however, responsible
for the specific views and opinions presented on this webpage.
Group Members
Here
is a list of the members of our group, clicking on the name of the group member
will take you to their personal webpage if they have one that is related to
this work.
Faculty:
Current
Grad Students:
Current
Undergrads:
Kristina Looper, Kyra Dame, Ty Jones, Chris Bilinski,
Brandon Wendorf, Eileen Gonzales, Jim Howell
Former
Grad Students:
Nathan De Lee
- Currently at University of Florida (Post-doc)
Former
Undergrads:
Katie Rabidoux - Currently at West Virginia University (Grad
student)
Current Projects
We
currently have several ongoing projects within the group.
Period Change in Type II Cepheids
The Blazhko Effect in RR Lyrae Stars
Photometric Metallicity Determinations of RR Lyrae in the
SDSS Filter System
RR Lyrae in LMC Globular Clusters
RR Lyrae Stars in SDSS Supernova Stripe 82
Variable Stars in the Dwarf Galaxy Companions of the Milky
Way
RR Lyrae Stars in Globular Clusters of M31
These projects involve observations with the campus 24-inch
telescope, the SOAR 4-m telescope, other ground-based telescopes, and the
Hubble Space Telescope.
Apogee Alta CCD camera mounted on the 24-inch Boller &
Chivens telescope of the campus observatory.
RR Lyrae Stars
Much of our research is related to RR Lyrae stars, old
pulsating stars that are in the core helium burning stage of their existence
and on the horizontal branch in the HR diagram. Basic information about RR Lyrae stars can be found in the book RR Lyrae Stars by Horace Smith (1995,
Cambridge University Press). However,
our observational knowledge of RR Lyrae variables has expanded in many areas
since that book was written.
Updates on
recent work on the Blazhko effect of RR Lyrae stars can be found at The Blazhko Project.
Information
on tracing the halo of the Milky Way using RR Lyrae stars in SDSS supernova
stripe 82 can be found here.
An
excellent recent review of horizontal branch stars, including RR Lyrae stars,
can be found in this
paper by M. Catelan.
Recent Posters and
Talks
Here
is a list of recent posters and talks given by group members. Clicking on the
name of the poster/talk will allow you to view it as a pdf.
40
Years of Variable Star Observing at the MSU Campus Observatory, MSU
Variable Stars Meeting, March, 2010
The
Oosterhoff Dichotomy in the Milky Way and Other Local Group Galaxies,
AAS 2010
RR
Lyrae Stars in Stellar Systems, Santa Fe pulsation meeting, 2009
Clouds,
Lights, and Variable Stars: Student Research at the Michigan State Campus
Observatory, AAS 2009
Variable
Stars in the LMC Globular Cluster NGC 2210, AAS 2009
Type
II Cepheids in the Globular Clusters M3 and M5, MSU Senior Thesis
Presentation 2008
The
Type II Cepheid Project: Connecting Undergraduate Research and Stellar
Evolution, MSU Undergrad Research Forum 2008
Period
Changes and Light Curves of Type II Cepheids in Globular Clusters, AAS
2008
Variable
Stars in the Milky Way Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy Satellite Canes Venatici I,
Vancouver Variable Stars Conference 2007
Variable
Stars in the LMC Globular Cluster NGC 1754, AAS 2007
RR
Lyrae in Globular Clusters: Seven Decades After Oosterhoff, The
Hoffleit Centennial: A Year of Celebration 2006
Links to a few recent papers published by members of the
variable star group: