Dr. Suzanne Hawley at the University of Washington, and Dr. Ian N. Reid, at the Space Telescope Science Institute, will undertake a project to determine the luminosity and mass functions for low-mass stars. To accomplish this goal, photometry from several modern, large-scale surveys will be combined to produce the largest of combined optical and infrared photometry for low-mass stars (~3 million stars). The sample will allow for an investigation of the luminosity and mass functions with as of now unattained statistical significance. The purpose of the study is to place constraints on star formation processes, the star formation history and the initial mass function in the disk of the Galaxy, Galactic formation and evolution, and the mass to light ratio of external galaxies.
This work will form the core component of a PhD thesis. Additionally, new software tools will be developed that are applicable to the National Virtual Observatory (NVO), and they will be made freely available. An exercise on galactic structure and star counts, as well as simulated fly-by's of the ~3 million stars in the sample, will be incorporated into the general undergraduate teaching curriculum at the University of Washington (UW). Finally, research projects and summer support will be provided for students in a program designed for entering UW freshmen who are interested in math and science, and who are traditionally underrepresented in astronomy.
