Dr. Derck Massa, at Applied Research Corporation, and Dr. Edward Fitzpatrick, at Princeton University will carry out new observations toward stars at near infrared wavelengths which will be used with data obtained at ultraviolet wavelengths to construct and analyze extinction curves. Interstellar dust is an important constituent of the interstellar medium (ISM), and it plays a major role in determining the physical conditions of the ISM. Understanding the properties of interstellar dust is critical to understanding many basic astrophysical processes. The observations of Drs. Massa and Fitzpatrick will increase our understanding of the size distribution and chemistry of interstellar dust grains.
