Drs. Carlton Pryor and Theodore Williams at Rutgers University will carry out a set of observations to study processes in globular clusters of stars. They will determine the mass functions of stars and the frequency of binary stars in specifically chosen clusters for comparison to a more average population of clusters. The mass functions will be studied by measuring mass-to-light ratios, and binaries will be discovered through surveys for stars with variable radial velocities. The stars in globular clusters represent one of our best samples of the early generations of stars in our Galaxy. We study them to better understand more distant old stellar populations and because they are among our few clues to conditions during the formation of the Galaxy. Globular clusters are also an excellent laboratory for studying stellar dynamics. Significant dynamical evolution in the cluster has already taken place. This research will address three questions about globular clusters. What is the frequency and spatial distribution of primordial binary stars? Has dynamical evolution modified the mass function in low-concentration clusters? How common are steep increases of the velocity dispersion in the cusps of clusters?
