REU 2006
Wisconsin's 2006 REU students. Pictured from left to right are [back row]: Luis Vargas (University of Kansas), Joyce Coppock (Duke University), Travis Fischer (University of Wisconsin, Whitewater), Tanya Hall (Saint Cloud State University), Christopher Trinh (University of California, Berkeley), [Front Row]: Dalit Engelhardt (Boston University), Meagan Morscher (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee), Kirsten Larson (The College of Wooster), Felipe Colazo (Fisk University), Nicholas Hall (University of Oklahoma); 2006 Program Director: Edwin Mierkiewicz
Projects:
| Student Research Webpage | Final Talk (title) |
| Felipe Colazo | Experimental X-Ray Astrophysics |
| Joyce Coppock | Observations of HI in IC10 |
| Dalit Engelhardt | The Wisconsin Small Telescope Array for Radio-Waves (WSTAR) |
| Travis Fischer | Models of Gaseous Accretion in Galaxies |
| Tanya Hall | Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 O(1D) and H2O Production Rates |
| Nicholas Hall | Velocity Field Statistics of Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence |
| Kirsten Larson | A Multi-Wavelength Study of Blazars with WIYN - VERITAS - IceCube |
| Meagan Morscher | Binaries in the Open Cluster NGC 6819 |
| Christopher Trinh | The Structure of Polar Ring Galaxies |
| Luis Vargas | A Multi-wavelength Study of a Galactic Plane Region |
Schedule:
Week 1
Tue, May 30 Travel to Madison
Tue, May 30 7:00 pm Meet at Tripp Circle
Pizza dinner for Astrophysics REU participants. Meet in front of Tripp Hall at Tripp Circle, Pizza in Upper Carson Gully. After, walk along lakeshore path to UW-Memorial Union Terrace.
Wed, May 31 9:00 – 11:00 am Sterling 4534A
Astrophysics REU program orientation. Bagels, coffee, and juice! Brief tour of astronomy and physics departments. Introduction to the Astronomy Library with Kerry Kresse (10:45-11:00).
Wed, May 31 11:00 – Noon UW-Union South
Walk to Union South to get ID cards
Wed, May 31 Noon – 1:00 pm UW-Memorial Terrace
Lunch at UW-Memorial Terrace.
Wed, May 31 1:30 – 3:30 pm Meet with Advisors
Wed, May 31 3:45 pm Upper Carson Gully (across the circle from Tripp Hall)
Bus pass distribution
Wed, May 31 5:30 pm Upper Carson Gully (across the circle from Tripp Hall)
All-Programs University Welcome Dinner
Wed, May 31 9pm [Washburn Observatory (uphill from Adams Hall)]§
Public night (weather and telescope permitting). Every Wednesday night during the summer, Washburn Observatory has public viewing sessions. These sessions are usually run by a graduate student from the Astronomy Department
Thu, June 1 1:30 – 3:30 pm Sterling 4534A
Introduction to IDL with Nick Murphy. The basic syntax of IDL, how to write a simple program, function, or script, how to plot things, and commands that Nick finds useful.
Sat, June 3 6am-2pm [Capitol Square]
Farmer’s Market. Held every Saturday morning during the summer, you can get all manner of fresh produce, as well as cheese curds so fresh they make your teeth squeak! (http://www.madfarmmkt.org/)
Week 2
*Mon, June 5 10:45am Sterling 4534A
Astronomy Seminar series: Dr. Matt Haffner, Department of Astronomy, Title: The WIM with WHAM
Mon, June 5 1:30 – 3:00 pm Sterling 4534A
Introduction to IRAF with Thomas Nelson.
Tue, June 6 1:30 – 3:00 pm Sterling 4534A
IRAF training Part II, computer lab with Thomas Nelson.
Sat, June 10 6:00 pm Meet at Tripp Circle; Field Trip: Universe in the Park, Governor Dodge State Park
Week 3
Mon, June 12 9:00 – 10:45 am Sterling 4534A
Web Page Design with Prof. Bob Benjamin.
Mon, June 12 10:45am Sterling 4534A
Astronomy Seminar series: Prof. Eric Wilcots, Department of Astronomy, “The IGM and other stuff”
Wed, June 14 1:00 pm Roof of Sterling Hall
Training for Rooftop telescope
Sat, June 17 6:00 pm Meet at Tripp Circle rain date; Field Trip: Universe in the Park, Lake Kegonsa State Park
Week 4
Mon, June 19 10:45 am Sterling 4534A
Astronomy Seminar series: Prof. Bob Benjamin, Department of Physics, Univ. of Wisconsin – Whitewater, “A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy”
Week 5
Mon, June 26 10:45 am Sterling 4534A
Astronomy Seminar series: Prof. Dan Mccammon, Department of Physics, “The Hot Interstellar Medium”
Wed, June 28 7:00 pm [Capitol Square]
Concert on the Square: The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra starts their weekly series of outdoor classical music concerts. Bring a picnic dinner and a blanket, or buy your dinner there. The series continues weekly through August 2.
Thu, June 29 3:00 pm Sterling 4534A
Grad School panel discussion. We will have a panel discussion of current graduate students and faculty who have served on the graduate admissions committee to discuss when, how, and where to apply for Astronomy and Physics graduate schools. You are also encouraged to check out www.physicsgre.com before next week’s session on the Physics GRE.
Thu, June 29 7:00 pm Pine room-lower Carsons
Scientific Ethics Movie Night: “Double Helix”
Sat, July 1 7:00 pm [Warner Park]
Rhythm & Booms: Madison’s premier firework show. Although you can see the fireworks from the UW-Memorial Union, for the full effect you’ll want to bus or bike over to Warner Park. Warning: It can get crowded, and be sure to bring mosquito repellent. (http://www.rhythmandbooms.com/index.php)
Week 6
Mon, July 3 Meeting with Dorothy Sanchez
UW Graduate School, 11:00 a.m., Bascom Hall, Room 350
Tue, July 4 All day
University holiday (Independence Day observed)
Wed, July 5 4:30 – 5:30 pm Sterling 4534A
Practice Physics GRE. All rising seniors are highly encouraged to take a practice GRE Physics exam. Participation by rising sophomores and juniors is optional. (Prof. Bob Benjamin)
Thu, July 6 9:00 – 10:45 am Sterling 4534A
Physics GRE advice. Scores from the practice exam will be discussed, and suggestions on how to prepare for this exam will be discussed. (Prof. Bob Benjamin)
Thu, July 6 10:45am Sterling 4534A
Astronomy Seminar series: Prof. Ed Churchwell, Department of Astronomy, and “Bubbles in the Interstellar Medium”
Thu, July 6 1:20 pm [Sterling 6515A]
“Informal Education and Public Outreach in the Physical Sciences.” This course intends to provide graduate students with the opportunity to think about outreach situations and appropriate approaches and to plan and execute some outreach programs. It will be a service-learning course, with students required to participate in ongoing community outreach programs such as the Astronomy Department's Universe in the Park, Washburn Observatory public viewing, and Space Place programs.
Thu, July 6 2:00 – 3:00 pm Memorial Union, check TITU
General GRE workshop
Thu, July 6 3:30 – 5:00 pm Great Hall, Memorial Union
Graduate School Fair
Thu, July 6 5:30 pm Meet at Tripp Circle
Field trip: Yerkes Observatory. One of the last and greatest refractors in the world, this telescope was built in Wisconsin by the University of Chicago. (A book on the history of the telescope is on the bookshelf in REU central.) You can marvel at the telescope design, the architecture, and the fact that the site is still used for scientific research.
Week 7
Mon, July 10 10:45am Sterling 4534A
Astronomy Seminar series: Prof. Teresa Montarulil, “Ice Cube”
Tue, July 11 1:20 pm [Sterling 6515A]
“Informal Education and Public Outreach in the Physical Sciences.”
Thu, July 13 9:00 am Meet at Tripp Circle
Field Trip: Synchrotron Radiation Center and Physical Sciences Laboratory. Come see one of the largest synchrotron sources in the country, run by the University of Wisconsin-Madison on behalf of the National Science Foundation. At the Physical Sciences Laboratory, you can see where they are making components of Ice Cube, a neutrino telescope at the South Pole. (With Steve Anderson, in the past Steve has made a stop a local grocery store… stock up on supplies!)
Thu, July 13 1:20 pm [Sterling 6515A]
“Informal Education and Public Outreach in the Physical Sciences.”
Thu, June 13 7:00 pm Pine room-lower Carsons
Scientific Ethics Movie Night: TBA
Week 8
Mon, July 17 10:45 am Sterling 4534A
Astronomy Seminar series: Prof. Andy Sheinis, Department of Astronomy, title “TBA”
Tue, July 18 1:20 pm [Sterling 6515A]
“Informal Education and Public Outreach in the Physical Sciences.”
Thu, July 20 6:30 am Meet at Tripp Circle
Field Trip: Fermilab. Fermilab is one of the top particle physics laboratories in the world, and also has been a major partner in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, one of the most important sky surveys of the last decade.
Thu, July 20 1:20 pm [Sterling 6515A]
“Informal Education and Public Outreach in the Physical Sciences.”
Week 9
Mon, Jul 24 10:45 am Sterling 4534A
Astronomy Seminar series: Dr. Kelle Cruz, American Museum of Natural History, “Introduction to Brown Dwarfs”
Tue, July 25 1:20 pm [Sterling 4534A]
“Informal Education and Public Outreach in the Physical Sciences.”
Thu, Jul 27 9:30 – 10:30 am Sterling 4534A
How to Put Together Your Final Presentation
Thu, July 20 1:15 – 2:15pm
Field trip: UW Space Place. Part of the Informal Education and Public Outreach in the Physical Sciences class. All are welcome!
Thu, July 27 7:00 pm Pine room-lower Carson
Scientific Ethics Movie Night: “Contact” (Astro students MUST attend)
Fri, Jul 28 3:00 – 4:30 pm WAA back porch
The Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) invites all REU students to their back porch for an Babcock Ice Cream Social.
Where?: WAA back porch (Follow lake from Memorial Union past the Red Gym. The WAA is the next building over). Come enjoy the lake and UW's own Ice Cream on a Friday afternoon!!
Week 10
Mon, July 31 10:45am Sterling 4534A
Astronomy Seminar series: Prof. Ellen Zweibel, Department of Astronomy, title “TBA”
Mon, July 31 Noon – 1 pm Sterling 4534A
Scientific Ethics Discussion, moderated by John Fields (Dept of Philosophy)
PIZZA provided
Tue, Aug 1 1:20 pm [Sterling 4534A]
“Informal Education and Public Outreach in the Physical Sciences.”
Thu, Aug 3 2:00-3:00pm Sterling 6515
Final Presentations, Part 1. Coffee and cookies at 1:45 pm.
Thu, Aug 3 3:15-4:15pm Sterling 6515
Final Presentations, Part 1I. Coffee and cookies at 3:00 pm.
Fri, Aug 4 Noon Sterling
Farewell pizza lunch! Roof of Sterling Hall (Rain location: Sterling 5517)
Sat, Aug 5 All-day Tripp Circle
Depart for airport. Airport transportation arrangements will be e-mailed to everyone.