The research to be conducted in this program involves observations at the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO), Flagstaff Station to monitor 12 gravitationally lensed quasars at optical wavelengths. Under the supervision of Dr. Morgan, undergraduates at the US Naval Academy will measure the flux of the multiple images of each quasar using point-spread function modeling, developing detailed light curves over time . Time delays between lensed images will be used to place constraints on the mass profiles and dark matter content of the lensing galaxy and will provide independent measurements of the Hubble Constant. Microlensing by stars in the lensing galaxies will also be addressed via uncorrelated variations, leading to constraints on quasar accretion disks.
Broader impacts include training of undergraduate students and community outreach. The investigator is active in the local community through open observatory nights and AstroKids, a hands-on astronomy program for elementary school children. The grant will also provide a portion of the funding for an instrumentation lab to support the newly formed astrophysics major.
