6B - The Multi-Wavelength Universe! (MWU!): Radio Observing Experiences for Undergraduate Students

Abstract: For the past 16 years, UNC-Chapel Hill has been developing a unique, survey-level astronomy curriculum, primarily for undergraduate students. Called “Our Place In Space!”, or OPIS!, this curriculum leverages “Skynet” – a global network of ≈20 fully automated, professional-grade telescopes that we have deployed at some of the world’s best observing sites. OPIS! has now been adopted by ≈30 institutions, and in recent years we have received (1) $1.85M from NSF's IUSE program to expand it nationwide, and (2) $3M from DoD’s NDEP program (a) to integrate a global network of 10m – 30m diameter radio telescopes into Skynet, and (b) to develop a follow-up curriculum to OPIS!. Both grants come with funding for new instructors.

Astrophotography of the Multi-Wavelength Universe (MWU!) is for students who have already completed OPIS!, and as such is able to provide this smaller group of students more telescope time per student, making possible deeper, color-imaging and radio-mapping, inquiry-based explorations. MWU! consists of a dozen observing experiences (half optical, half radio, and a gravitational-wave experience that uses archival LIGO data), on characterizing solar-system objects; star birth, evolution, and death; galaxy characterization and evolution; and light-emitting mechanisms. Astrophotography serves as this curriculum’s primary “hook”.

In this workshop, participants will learn how to queue radio observations on Skynet, and will carry out two of MWU!’s radio experiences – measuring periods and polarizations of pulsars, and doppler imaging and spectroscopy of edge-on spiral galaxies. Other MWU! radio activities will be overviewed more quickly.