Research Opportunities for Fresno State Students
(Fresno State
Physics)
Mentor: Dr.
Ringwald
E-mail:
ringwald[at]csufresno.edu
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Phone: 278-8426
Also: 278-2371
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Office: McLane Hall, Room 11, in the new Building J (or
"J-wing")
Current Opportunities:
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(1) Sierra Remote Observatories. Click the following for:
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The eight Sierra Remote Observatories were built in 2007. The project was
founded by Dr. Greg Morgan, Dr. Keith Quattrocchi, and
Dr.
Mel Helm, all of whom are members of the Central Valley Astronomers.
The observatories are at a dark site at 4610' altitude, near Shaver Lake.
Fresno State's telescope is in Observatory #7. We operate it mainly from
campus, 47 miles away, by remote control over the Internet. The 16-inch f/8 telescope is
by DFM Engineering. It has an
STX-16803
camera by SBIG.
Science programs include:
Time-resolved photometry of
cataclysmic variables, including the discovery of apsidal superhumps and nodal
superhumps in several systems (with Fresno State students Kenia
Velasco, Jonathan Roveto, Michelle Meyers, Jerry Rude, and Dillon
Trelawny).
Time-resolved photometry of the
outbursts of soft X-ray transients/black hole candidates (with Fresno State
graduate student Dillon Trelawny).
Searches for superflares
and related chromospheric activity in solar-like stars, suspected to be
enhanced by magnetized planets such as hot Jupiters (with Fresno State
graduate students Randy Clark, Jerry Rude, and Dillon Trelawny).
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(2) Fresno State's Campus Observatory.
Click the following for:
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The Campus Observatory is on the grounds of the Downing Planetarium, at
longitude 119.7447 degrees West, latitude 36.8147 degrees North, and
elevation 398 feet (121 m). (The local mean time correction is +1m 01.3s.)
Its main telescope is a 16-inch Meade
LX200. The Campus Observatory is well instrumented, with a wide variety
of cameras and other equipment. For an equipment list and a description of
their performance, see here. For a
description of the science programs, see here.
Ongoing science programs include:
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Target-of-opportunity observations of the eruptions of classical
novae, with Dr. Greg Morgan and Fresno State undergraduate student
Matthew Garrett.
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Discovering and timing transits of
extrasolar planets, with Fresno State undergraduate students Jesse
Rorabaugh and Matthew Garrett.
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Variable star searches, particularly for hot, high-gravity stars
that heat cool companions that have undergone common
envelope evolution, with Fresno State graduate students Dan Chase and
Scott Endler.
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Campaigns with the Center for Backyard
Astrophysics, hosted by Columbia University. CBA is a
global network of small telescopes, dedicated to observing cataclysmic
variable stars and their outbursts. This includes timing the spins,
disks, and orbits of cataclysmic variables, particularly SU UMa stars and intermediate
polars (listed
here). The Fresno State students involved were Randy Clark, Sarah
Lin, and Zachary Girazian.
Completed science programs include:
If you're interested, please read the following:
On many projects we collaborate with the Central Valley Astronomers, Fresno's
amateur club, who are a huge help!
If you are a Fresno State student or CVA member and have your own ideas for
projects, particularly if they describe a specific, plausible path from
telescope to finished scientific objective, which we can do with the
equipment we have now, please contact Dr. Ringwald.
(3) Other astronomical observing, as the opportunities arise:
Last updated 2013 June 10. Web page by Dr. Ringwald
(ringwald[at]csufresno.edu)
Department of Physics, California State University, Fresno.
Please read this disclaimer.
Time-resolved photometry of
cataclysmic variables, including the discovery of apsidal superhumps and nodal
superhumps in several systems (with Fresno State students Kenia
Velasco, Jonathan Roveto, Michelle Meyers, Jerry Rude, and Dillon
Trelawny).
