This PAARE grant will strengthen an existing partnership between researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Texas at Austin. The research areas of the proposed work are related to interacting binary stars, in particular the study of accreting black holes and neutron stars in X-ray binary systems. Observations will be conducted primarily at the McDonald Observatory which is operated by UT-Austin; however, this research will be supplemented by work done at the UTEP campus observatory. The proposed research has broad scientific impact since the formation and growth of massive black holes is related to the formation of galaxies, quasars, and gamma-ray bursts in ways that are not yet understood.
The partnership will strive to attract and include Hispanic astronomers and educations to the program through access to the front-line research capabilities of McDonald and the well-known reputation of UT-Austin as a center for astronomy research. The main goal of this partnership is the development of a sustainable astronomy and astrophysics program at UTEP that emphasizes both astrophysical research and a culture of education and outreach within the program. The team will reach out to the local Hispanic community by providing direct observational experience to students at UTEP and McDonald, by providing promising students a path to a career in astronomy through UTEP to UT-Austin or other schools, and by establishing the UTEP astronomy program that will continue on after this PAARE grant is finished. An additional ~500 students per year will gain astronomy experience by performing night-time observing at the UTEP facility.
