Dr. Finn is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The primary research goal of this project is to measure the amount and radial dependence of star-formation in galaxy clusters as a function of redshift in order to investigate the dominant physical processes that affect star formation and galaxy evolution in cluster environments. She is developing a technique to use narrow-band, near-infrared imaging to derive star-formation rates for these distant galaxies from the H-alpha emission of ionized hydrogen. The project will target galaxy clusters between redshifts of 0.5 and 0.8.
In addition to her research, Dr. Finn will design and teach a project-based undergraduate course on observational techniques consisting of three modules on distance indicators. One module on Cepheid Variables will be adapted for use by high-school students and will be transferred to teachers through an existing teacher-training program. ***
