| NSF Org: |
AST Division Of Astronomical Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | June 2, 2017 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | April 20, 2023 |
| Award Number: | 1716718 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Hans Krimm
hkrimm@nsf.gov (703)292-2761 AST Division Of Astronomical Sciences MPS Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences |
| Start Date: | July 1, 2017 |
| End Date: | September 30, 2023 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $202,834.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $202,834.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1000 E UNIVERSITY AVE LARAMIE WY US 82071-2000 (307)766-5320 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
1000 E. University Laramie WY US 82071-2000 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | STELLAR ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSC |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.049 |
ABSTRACT
Novae are stars that brighten dramatically almost overnight. The investigators predict that the star KIC9832227 will become a nova early in the year 2022 with an uncertainty of about six months. This star has been identified as a binary (two stars orbiting each other), with the two stars practically touching. The period of revolution of the two stars is decreasing in a manner similar to that of another star which did become a nova; the research team predicts that in 2022 they will actually merge to become one star, emitting an enormous amount of energy. The team plans to study the star further using the Hubble Space Telescope, the Very Long Baseline Array, and several other telescopes. They will determine the properties of the two stars and monitor the changing period of revolution. They will also test models for how stars merge. They will collaborate with educators to produce education materials, consistent with science standards, for 6-12 grade students and teachers. Undergraduates at their two institutions will be involved in the research.
The investigators determined that the period of revolution of KIC9832227 was decreasing in an exponential manner similar to an earlier nova, V1309 Sco. Archival research enabled researchers to determine that the period of this earlier nova also decreased exponentially. The team has considered other factors, such as additional companion stars, that could have caused the period change. They propose to monitor the period changes with small telescopes. They will also study the system further using large telescopes with spectrographs to rule out faint, as yet undiscovered, companion stars. Most novae have undergone previous mass loss, and they are proposing to use infrared and coronographic studies to detect the effects of dust around the star.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Most stars in the universe exist in close pairs--binary stars--bound together by gravity in a mutual orbit. Some binary stars orbit so closely that their outer atmospheres touch, making them "contact binary" stars. These are the most common type of binary stars that change in brightness as one star eclipsese the other. Such stars exchange mass, with one star gaining mass as the other loses mass until the mass-losing star becomes about 1/10th the mass of the mass-gaining star. At this point the stars marge, creating a spectacular event known as a luminous red nova. Only one such event has ever been observed directly. Our research has proposed a new model for how close binary stars live their lives and culminate in red nova explosions. We have tested this model by using telescope data and supercomputer modeling to measure themasses and radii of hundreds of contact binary stars. Our results produced with the help of graduate and undergraduate students have refined the predicted lower mass limit just prior to the stellar merger, enabling us to better predict which among the 100 billion stars in our galaxy will be the next to merge. We expect this work will help astronomers find and observe the next stellar merger in our galaxy as it happens. Such a merger might be visible to the human eye, making it an accessible and popular event for the world's sky watchers.
Last Modified: 10/31/2023
Modified by: Henry A Kobulnicky
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