20140103
Program for the January 3, 2014, OAS meeting
Exploring Variations in Star Formation Rates
By Jordan Concannon
Abstract:
From Fall 2012 through Spring 2013, Jordan studied how variations in the abundances of the interstellar medium and the initial mass function (IMF) could modulate star formation rates (SFRs). Jordan used existing data and data collected with the University of Hawai'i 2.2m telescope on Mauna Kea under the mentorship of Dr. Marianne Takamiya of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. The project title is "Studying the Effects of IMF and Metallicity on the SFRs of Star-forming Regions with Unusually Low Balmer Decrements."
Speaker Bio:
Jordan Concannon is a junior at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo. She is majoring in Physics and Astronomy. Jordan grew up in Papillion, NE. She did an internship in Nantucket, MA with the Maria Mitchell Association during the summer of 2013, where she studied galaxy clusters for Dr. Margaret Geller from the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Jordan then gave a presentation at the 20th Nebraska Star Party on “Galaxy Clusters.” Jordan says she is excited about giving a presentation at the January OAS meeting and also to get reacquainted with some of the people she has met at past Nebraska Star Parties.