CTIO was humming this summer (the January through March Chilean summer, that is!) with the activities of many enthusiastic students. The NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at CTIO supported four US undergraduates, who joined a total of seven Chilean students to make this year's REU/Summer Student Program the largest we've ever had. This year's participants, and their projects, included:
Jomel Atienza-Rosel (California State University, Los Angeles) - "Integrated Photometry of Globular Clusters in the LMC and M33" (Advisors: Bob Schommer and Nick Suntzeff)
Amanda Jefferson (University of Maryland, College Park) - "Searching for Supernova Remnants in the Magellanic Cloud Emission-line Survey" (Advisor: Chris Smith)
Aaron Steffen (University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire) - "Multicolor Light Curve of the Type Ia Supernova 1997e" (Advisors: Nick Suntzeff and Mark Phillips)
Patrick Welti (Mankato State University) - "Developing an All-Sky Monitor Camera System" (Advisors: Roger Smith, Tom Ingerson, and Steve Heathcote)
These US undergraduates were joined by a masters student from the University of Chile and four Chilean undergraduates from the University of La Serena:
Juan Cortes (University of Chile) - "Near-IR Study of Magellanic Cloud Star-forming Regions" (Advisors: Ron Probst and Monica Rubio)
Javier Barahona, Danilo Castillo, Alejandra Peralta, and Sergio Pizarro (all from the University of La Serena) - "Photometry of Nearby Open Clusters" (Advisors: René Mendez and Chris Smith, with help from Ricardo Covarrubias and 1996 REU participant Roger Leiton)
Two Chilean engineering students, doing internships at CTIO, also participated in the summer student program. Daniel Quevedo (University of Santa Lucía) worked on a quantum efficiency calibration unit, and Juan Pablo Gómez (University of Santa Lucía) worked on an image-tube protection circuit for the All-Sky camera.
In addition to their individual projects, all students participated in observing runs on Cerro Tololo, including a 3-4 night "orientation" run on the Curtis Schmidt telescope to introduce them to observing techniques and the instrumentation and CCD control system at CTIO. Other activities included weekly scientific seminars for the students by CTIO staff members and a tour of the Gemini South site on Cerro Pachon (thanks to Paul Gillett). Highlights of the 1998 CTIO REU program, and more information about the students and their projects, can be found on the CTIO REU Web page (http://www.ctio.noao.edu/REU/reu.html) .
The exposure to the international astronomical community, working side by side with students from other countries, is a key component of the CTIO REU experience for all these young scientists, many of whom will make up the next generation of astronomers in an era of international telescope projects (Gemini, SOAR, and others). Although not all US students have degree programs flexible enough to accommodate an academic term REU program, for those who are interested in a special opportunity to explore research in an observational and international environment, we offer a unique REU experience. Operating the program during the Chilean summer allows us to provide a rich scientific and educational program for both Chilean and US students.
We are now starting to plan for next year's REU program, for January through March 1999. Look for announcements in future Newsletters, and check our CTIO REU Web page (http://www.ctio.noao.edu/REU/reu.html) for the most up-to-date news on the program.
Chris Smith (csmith@noao.edu)
and the CTIO Student Advisors