NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2012A-0473
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2012A-0473 |
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PI: Adam A. Miller, UC Berkeley, amiller@astro.berkeley.edu
Address: Astronomy Department, B-20 Hearst Field Annex Astronomy Department, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411, USA
CoI: Joseph Richards, UC Berkeley
CoI: Sharmodeep Bhattacharyya, UC Berkeley
CoI: Dan Starr, UC Berkeley
CoI: Joshua Bloom, UC Berkeley
Title: The Automated Detection of R Cor Bor Stars - Spectroscopic Confirmation
Abstract:
In this era of synoptic optical surveys, large volumes of time
series data require efficient algorithms to successfully maximize
scientific output. To this end we have developed machine-learning (ML)
algorithms to identify rare variable sources from large photometric
datasets. In this proposal we focus on our discovery of R Coronae
Borealis (RCB) stars observed during the All Sky Automated Survey. RCB
stars are very rare hydrogen deficient supergiants that exhibit
irregular declines of several magnitudes in their optical brightness;
this is thought to be related to the formation of dust grains in
outflowing material from these stars. They are believed to be formed
via one of two scenarios: the merger of two white dwarfs or in
association with the final He shell flash of a low mass star. In either
scenario, RCB stars are of great (and growing) interest because they
represent a short lived, but important, stage in stellar evolution.
Using our ML algorithms we have identified 10 RCB candidates, for which
we propose to obtain low resolution spectra to confirm or deny the
identity of these candidates as RCB stars.
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2012A-0473 |
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