Tennessee State University
Center of Excellence in Information Systems
Nashville, Tennessee 37209

This report covers the interval July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014.

The TSU Automated Astronomy Group within the TSU Center of Excellence in Information Systems concentrates on stellar astrophysics using photometric, spectroscopic, imaging, and interferometric techniques to study cool giants, chromospherically active stars, solar-type stars, planetary-candidate host stars, binary and multiple stars, and pulsating variables. Data for these programs have been acquired with robotic telescopes and instrumentation developed in coordination with Louis Boyd, the Director of Fairborn Observatory in southern Arizona. Astronomy staff at the Center during this interval were Geoffrey S. Burks, Michael R. Busby (Center Director), Francis C. Fekel, Gregory W. Henry, Matthew W. Muterspaugh, and Michael H. Williamson. Burks and Muterspaugh hold joint faculty appointments in the TSU Department of Physics & Mathematics. Edward J. (Ted) Maxwell (Indiana U.) continues as Post-Doctoral Research Scientist working with Muterspaugh. Student Research Assistants during this period were Samba Fall, Dan Fishler, E. Victor Garcia (Vanderbilt U.), Robert Turner, Chelsea Harrison, Forrest Hoff, Randall Seigler, Vamsi Subraveti (MLK High School), Sam Swihart (Vanderbilt REU student from U. Michigan), and Arin Whitehurst. Harrison graduated in May with her Bachelor's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Busby retired June 30 after 28 years as Center Director.

OBSERVING FACILITIES

Center of Excellence astronomers continue to develop and operate automated telescopes and instrumentation at Fairborn Observatory in the Patagonia mountains of southern Arizona. Fairborn Observatory is a non-profit Educational Corporation directed by Louis J. Boyd and dedicated to the design, construction, and operation of automated telescopes. Operational TSU telescopes include the T3 0.40 m automated photometric telescope (APT) for Johnson BV photometry, the T4 0.75 m APT for Stromgren by photometry, the T8, T10, T11, and T12 0.80 m APTs, also for Stromgren by photometry, the T13 2.0 m automatic spectroscopic telescope (AST) for high-resolution echelle spectroscopy, and the Celestron 14-inch (C14) automated imaging telescope (AIT). C14 completed its third year of operation at Fairborn Observatory after two years of operation at Dyer Observatory in Nashville. This system was put together and automated by M. Williamson and enables CCD imaging of astronomical objects. It is used to achieve precision photometry of stars too faint for the APTs. The table below gives the number of years each telescope has been operational and the current observing program(s).

The AST's operation has be augmented with the addition of new instrumentation installed over the last year in the recently constructed instrument room. These include the new guest instrument EXPERT3 built by Jian Ge's group at the University of Florida (UF). A high-resolution (R=110,000), vacuum-enclosed, temperature-stabilized spectrograph covering visible wavelengths (0.38-0.9 microns simultaneous), it has already demonstrated performance levels equal to or better than any other system in the world. The UF group has also delivered a second guest instrument, FIRST, a spectrograph similar to EXPERT3 but operating at near-infrared wavelengths (0.8-1.8 microns) with R=70,000. By fall 2014, we also anticipate installing and commissioning TSU's EDI-Testbed instrument, a new cutting-edge technology for precision spectroscopy with applications to the discovery of extrasolar planets.

Development of the EDI-Testbed instrument by Maxwell and Muterspaugh continues in anticipation of commissioning by fall 2014. The interferometer section has been built and tested in the lab using preliminary software for remote computer control. Simulations in conjunction with development of the analysis pipeline are being used to finalize specifications for the spectrograph section, and parts are currently being ordered for assembly in the lab.

RESEARCH

The Automated Astronomy Group continues to develop robotic telescopes and instrumentation and apply them to several key fields of research including (1) the search for and the characterization of extrasolar planetary systems and their host stars, (2) the long-term photometric study of luminosity cycles in solar-type stars (3) the spectroscopic and photometric study of pulsating variables, particularly the relatively new class of Gamma Doradus stars, (4) the long-term photometric, spectroscopic, and interferometric study of chromospherically active stars, (5) the spectroscopic and interferometric study of binary, eclipsing, and multiple star systems and more.

With the near future closing of the Kitt Peak National Observatory, the TSU 2m AST continues to be Fekel's primary source of spectroscopic observations for the measurement of binary and multiple star velocities. Orbital results from such velocities are important for assessing models of binary star formation, the statistics of multiple stars, and an understanding of their origins.

Eclipsing binary analyses continue to be an important research focal point. Fekel, Henry, and Sowell (Georgia Tech) plus collaborators at other institutions have combined precise spectroscopy and photometry from TSU's Fairborn Observatory to obtain the orbits of bright eclipsing binaries and derive the basic parameters of their components, including their masses, sizes, and evolutionary status. During the past 12 months two papers, one on VV Crv, which is part of a multiple system, and one on ES Lib, a contact binary with unequal temperatures, have been published. Upgrades over the past several years to the 2m AST by Muterspaugh and Williamson have enabled work on much fainter eclipsing binaries in collaboration with Claud Lacy (Univ. of Arkansas). For that research radial velocities from Fairborn are being combined with photometry provided by Lacy. During the current period this collaboration resulted in a paper on AP And, while a paper on V501 Her has just been submitted, and additional papers on AL Leo and IM Per are in preparation.

Fekel continues to obtain radial velocities of 20 multiple systems, which have long periods ranging from about 1 year to decades. This data, combined with astrometric observations, particularly from NPOI and the CHARA array, will produce three dimensional orbits and in many cases result in accurate masses and a precise distance to the system. Fekel, Muterspaugh, and Williamson recently published a paper on the triple system 1 Gem.

Fekel and Williamson continue to collect spectra at Fairborn Observatory of 28 known spectroscopic binaries with orbital periods between 3.3 and 926 days. Such stars are likely targets of optical interferometers such as NPOI and the CHARA array. The new radial velocities will be used to determine significantly improved orbital elements so that good three-dimensional orbital solutions can be determined. The eighth paper in this series was published during the past 12 months and two more papers are currently in preparation. A status report on this project as of June 2014 was just presented at Cool Stars 18 in Flagstaff, AZ.

The upcoming closing of Kitt Peak National Observatory because of a loss of NSF funds, will bring to an end an observing program by Fekel and astronomers at Kitt Peak National Observatory that acquired high-resolution infrared spectroscopy of symbiotic stars, binaries consisting of a cool giant star and a compact white dwarf. The final observing run for this project was in June 2014. In the near future with the data in hand, final orbits for at least 15 systems will be determined and papers written concerning those results.

Muterspaugh and Maxwell have overseen the development of a new physics concepts and problem solving course meant to decrease the time to graduation by supplementing students with weak physics backgrounds with enough understanding to allow them to succeed in TSU calculus-based physics courses. Sample size is currently small, but ongoing monitoring of students progress in future semesters will provide feedback on the efficacy of the course.

PUBLICATIONS 2013-2014

J. T. Armstrong, D. J. Hutter, E. K. Baines, J. A. Benson, R. M. Bevilacqua, T. Buschmann, J. H. Clark, A. Ghasempour, J. C. Hall, R. B. Hindsley, A. M. Jorgensen, D. Mozurkewich, K. J. Johnston, M. W. Muterspaugh, S. R. Restaino, P. D. Shankland, C. Tycner, G. T. Van Belle, H. R. Schmitt, and R. T. Zavala, "The Navy Precision Optical Interferometer (NPOI): An Update," Journal of Astronomical Instrumentation, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1340002, 2013. (paper)

Biddle, L. I., Pearson, K., Crossfield, I., Barman, T. S., Fulton, B. J., Ciceri, S., Eastman, J., Howard, A., Mann, A., Henry, G. W., Williamson, M. W., Sinukoff, E., Dragomir, D., Vican, L., Greenberg, A., Turner, J., Thompson, R., Mancini, L., Taylor, B. W., Levine, S., and Webber, M. W., "Warm Ice Giant GJ 3470b: Revised Planetary and Stellar Parameters from Optical to Near-infrared Transit Photometry," American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 223, #131.08, 2014. (abstract)

Burks, Geoffrey S., "An Experiment with Open-Source Introduction to Astronomy," American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 222, #120.14, 2013. (abstract)

Cabrera, N. E., Sowell, J. R., Williamon, R. M., Collins, T. F., Fekel, F. C., Williamson, M. H., and Muterspaugh, M. W., "Orbital Solutions and Absolute Elements of the Short-Period Eclipsing Binary ES Librae," Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 126, 121, 2014. (paper)

Fekel, F. C., Henry, G. W., and Sowell, J. R., "Absolute Properties of the Eclipsing Binary VV Corvi," Astronomical Journal, 146, 146, 2013. (paper)

Fekel, F. C., Tomkin, J., and Williamson, M. H., "New Precision Orbits of Bright Double-Lined Spectroscopic Binaries. VIII. HR 1528, HR 6993, 2 Sagittae, and 18 Vulpeculae," Astronomical Journal, 146, 129, 2013. (paper)

Garcia, E., van Belle, G., Muterspaugh, M. W., Swihart, S., "VISION: Next Generation Beam Combiner for the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer," American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 223, #154.26, 2014. (abstract)

Ge, Jian, Powell, S., Zhao, B., Wang, J., Fletcher, A., Chang, L., Groot, J., Wan, X., Jakeman, H., Myers, D., Grafer, E., Liu, J., Varosi, F., Schofield, S., Moore, A., van Olphen, M., Katz, J., Muterspaugh, M. W., Barnes, R., and Blake, C., "Habitable Earth-like Planet Surveys with Next Generation Extremely High Resolution and High Doppler Precision Optical and Near IR Spectrographs," American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 221, #109.05, 2013. (abstract)

Ge, J., Varosi, F., Powell, S., Zhao, B., Schofield, S., Liu, J., Warner, C., Sithajan, S., Li, R., Muterspaugh, M. W., Williamson, M. W., Avner, L., Jakeman, H., "Early Doppler Performance from New Generation High Resolution Optical and near Infrared Planet-hunting Spectrographs," American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 223, #326.03, 2014. (abstract)

Hinkel, N. R., Ciardi, D., Dragomir, D., Fischer, D., Henry, G. W., Howard, A., Jensen, E. L., Kane, S. R., Laughlin, G., Mahadevan, S., Pilyavsky, G., von Braun, K., Wang, X., and Wright, J., "TERMS and Conditions of Transiting Exoplanets," American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 221, #343.05, 2013. (abstract)

Huitson, C. M., Sing, D. K., Pont, F., Fortney, J. J., Burrows, A. S., Wilson, P. A., Ballester, G. E., Nikolov, N., Gibson, M. P., Deming, D., Aigrain, S., Evans, T. M., Henry, G. W., Lecavelier des Etangs, A., Showman, A. P., Vidal-Madjar, A., & Zahnle, K., "An HST Optical-to-Near-IR Transmission Spectrum of the Hot Jupiter WASP-19b: Detection of Atmospheric Water and Likely Absence of TiO," Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 434, 3252, 2013. (paper)

Kajatkari, P., Hackman, T., Jetsu, L., Lehtinen, J., and Henry, G. W., "Spot Activity of the RS Canum Venaticorum Star sigma Geminorum," Astronomy & Astrophysics, 562, A107, 2014. (paper)

Lacy, C. H. S., Torres, G., Fekel, F. C., and Muterspaugh, M. W., "Absolute Properties of the Eclipsing Binary Star AP Andromedae," Astronomical Journal, 147, 148, 2014. (paper)

Lane, B. F., Muterspaugh, M. W., Griffin, R. F., Scarfe, C. D., Fekel, F. C., Williamson, M. W., Eaton, J. A., Shao, M., Colavita, M. M., and Konacki, M., "The Orbits of the Triple-Star System 1 Geminorum From Phases Differential Astrometry and Spectroscopy," Astrophysical Journal, 783, 3, 2014. (paper)

Lindborg, M., Mantere, M. J., Olspert, N., Pelt, J., Hackman, T., Henry, G. W., Jetsu, L., and Strassmeier, K. G., "Multiperiodicity, Modulations, and Flip-Flops in Variable Star Light Curves II. Analysis of II Pegasus Photometry During 1979-2010," Astronomy & Astrophysics, 559, A97, 2013. (paper)

Lockwood, G. W., Henry, G. W., Hall, J. C., and Radick, R. R., "Decadal Variations of Sun-Like Stars," in New Quests in Stellar Astrophysics III: A Panchromatic View of Solar-like Stars, With and Without Planets, ASP Conf. Ser. 472, eds. M. Chavez, E. Bertone, O. Vega, and V. De la Luz (San Francisco: ASP), p. 203, 2013. (paper)

Muterspaugh, M. W., Maxwell, T., Williamson, M. W., Fekel, F. C., Ge, J., Kelly, J., Ghasempour, A., Powell, S., Zhao, B., Varosi, F., Schofield, S., Liu, J., Warner, C., Jakeman, H., Avner, L., Swihart, S., Harrison, C., and Fishler, D., "The New Instrument Suite of the TSU/Fairborn 2m Automatic Spectroscopic Telescope," American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 223, #148.33, 2014. (abstract)

Nikolov, N., Sing, D.K., Pont, F., Burrows, A.S., Fortney, J.J., Ballester, G., Evans, T. M., Huitson, C.M., Wakeford, P.A., Wilson, P.A., Aigrain, S., Deming, D., Gibson, N.P., Henry, G.W., Knutson, H., Lecavelier des Etangs, A., Showman, A.P., Vidal-Madjar, A., and Zahnle, K., "Hubble Space Telescope Hot Jupiter Transmission Survey: A Detection of Na and Strong Optical Absorption in HAT-P-1b," Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 437, 46, 2014. (paper)

Parks, J., White, R. J., Plavchan, P., Monnier, J. D., Baron, F., Henry, G. W., Kloppenborg, B. K., Che, X., Schaefer, G., Zhao, M., Jones, J., Pedretti, E., Thureau, N., Ten Brummelaar, T., Farrington, C. D., McAlister, H. A., Sturmann, J., Sturmann, L., Turner, N. H., and Ridgway, S. T., "Stellar Rotation and Proto-Planetary Disks: What Interferometric Imaging and High Cadence Photometry Can Tell Us," American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 221, #137.02, 2013. (abstract)

Pont, F., Sing, D. K., Gibson, N. P., Aigrain, S., Henry, G., and Husnoo, N., "The Prevalence of Dust on the Exoplanet HD 189733b from Hubble and Spitzer Observations," Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 432, 2917, 2013. (paper)

Sahlmann, J. and Fekel, F. C., "Astrometric Mass Ratios for Three Spectroscopic Binaries," Astronomy & Astrophysics, 556, A145, 2013. (paper)

Sing, D.K., Lecavelier des Etangs, A., Fortney, J.J., Burrows, A.S., Pont, F., Wakeford, H.R., Ballester, G.E., Nikolov, N., Henry, G.W., Aigrain, S., Deming, D., Evans, T.M., Gibson, N.P., Huitson, C.M., Knutson, H., Showman, A.P., Vidal-Madjar, A., Wilson, P.A., Williamson, M.W., and Zahnle, K., "HST Hot-Jupiter Transmission Spectral Survey: Evidence for Aerosols and Lack of TiO in the Atmosphere of WASP-12," Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 436, 2956, 2013. (paper)

Sithajan, S., Ge, J., Muterspaugh, M. W., Varosi, F., Li, R., Ma, B., Thomas, N. B., Wang, J., Barnes, R., Maxwell, T., "Survey of Close-in Super-Earths Using a New Generation Optical High Resolution Spectrograph," American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 223, #326.04, 2014. (abstract)

A. Sodor, P. De Cat, D. J. Wright, C. Neiner, M. Briquet, R. J. Dukes, F. C. Fekel, G. W. Henry, M. H. Williamson, M. W. Muterspaugh, E. Brunsden, K. R. Pollard, P. L. Cottrell, F. Maisonneuve, P. M. Kilmartin, J. M. Matthews, T. Kallinger, P. G. Beck, E. Kambe, C. A. Engelbrecht, R. J. Czanik, S. Yang, O. Hashimoto, S. Honda, J.-N. Fu, B. Castanheira, H. Lehmann, N. Behara, H. Van Winckel, S. Scaringi, J. Menu, A. Lobel, P. Lampens, and P. Mathias, "Extensive Spectroscopic and Photometric Study of HD 25558, a Long Orbital-Period Binary with Two SPB Components," in Precision Asteroseismology, IAU Symposium No. 301, eds. J. A. Guzik, W. J. Chaplin, G. Handler, and A. Pigulski, p. 491, 2013. (paper)

A. Sodor, P. De Cat, D. J. Wright, C. Neiner, M. Briquet, P. Lampens, R. J. Dukes, G. W. Henry, M. H. Williamson, E. Brunsden, K. R. Pollard, P. L. Cottrell, F. Maisonneuve, P. M. Kilmartin, J. Matthews, T. Kallinger, P. G. Beck, E. Kambe, C. A. Engelbrecht, R. J. Czanik, S. Yang, O. Hashimoto, S. Honda, J.-N. Fu, B. Castanheira, H. Lehmann, Zs. Bognar, N. Behara, S. Scaringi, H. Van Winckel, J. Menu, A. Lobel, P. Mathias, S. Saesen, M. Vuckovic, and the MiMeS collaboration, "Extensive Study of HD 25558, a Long-Period Double-Lined Binary with Two SPB Components," Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 438, 3535, 2014. (paper)

Swihart, S., Muterspaugh, M. W., Garcia, E., van Belle, G., Stassun, K., "A Catalog of Stellar Targets and Calibrators for Next Generation Optical Interferometers," American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, 223, #256.05, 2014. (abstract)

Vogt, S. S., Butler, R. P., Rivera, E. J., Kibrick, R., Burt, J., Hanson, R., Meschiari, S., Henry, G. W., and Laughlin, G., "A Four-Planet System Orbiting the K0V Star HD 141399," Astrophysical Journal, 787, 97, 2014. (paper)

Wakeford, H. R., Sing, D. K., Deming, D., Gibson, N. P., Fortney, J. J., Burrows, A. S., Ballester, G., Nikolov, N., Aigrain, S., Henry, G. W., Knutson, H., Lecavelier des Etangs, A., Pont, F., Showman, A. P., Vidal-Madjar, A., and Zahnle, K., "HST Hot Jupiter Transmission Spectral Survey: Detection of Water in HAT-P-1b from WFC3 near-IR Spatial Scan Observations," Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 435, 3493, 2013. (paper)

Wakeford, H. R., Sing, D. K., Deming, D., Gibson, N. P., Fortney, J. J., Burrows, A. S., Ballester, G., Nikolov, N., Agrain, S., Henry, G. W., Knutson, H., Pont, F., Showman, A. P., Vidal-Madjar, A., and Lecavelier des Etangs, A., "Water in the Atmosphere of Hot Jupiter Exoplanets," Exoclimes III: The Diversity of Planetary Atmospheres, Davos, Switzerland, February 9--14, 2014. (poster)