Full Stream Name: Exploring the Universe with White Dwarf Stars

Research Educator: Michael Montgomery

Principal Investigator: Don Winget

Credit Options: Spring & Fall

What can white dwarfs tell us about exotic processes in stars?

Students in this stream will make astronomical observations of pulsating white dwarf stars and those in close binary systems. They will analyze the data and participate in building theoretical models through which we will explore physical processes in stars (e.g., convection, crystallization, and diffusion) as well as various relativistic effects (gravitational radiation, doppler beaming).  In addition they will perform numerical experiments to study how pulsations allow us to “see beneath the surface” of these stars.

Click here to read more about the White Dwarf Stars Stream.