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Governs the Making of Photocopies Or Other Reproductions of Copyrighted Materials Warning Concerning Copyright Restrictions The Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research. If electronic transmission of reserve material is used for purposes in excess of what constitutes "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. University of Nevada, Reno A Photometric Survey and Analysis of the M29 and M52 Open Star Clusters at the University of Nevada, Reno A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Physics by Matthew N. Tooth Dr. Melodi Rodrigue, Ph.D., Thesis Advisor December, 2012 UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA THE HONORS PROGRAM RENO We recommend that the thesis prepared under our supervision by Matthew N. Tooth entitled A Photometric Survey and Analysis of the M29 and M52 Open Star Clusters at the University of Nevada, Reno be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science, Physics ______________________________________________ Melodi Rodrigue, Ph.D., Thesis Advisor ______________________________________________ David Bennum, Ph.D., Thesis Reader ______________________________________________ Tamara Valentine, Ph.D., Director, Honors Program December, 2012 ! i! Abstract One of the many tools at an astronomer’s disposal is photometry. By measuring the magnitudes of stars in star clusters in various wavelength filters we can obtain data that can provide important pieces of information about groups of stars. Conclusions can be obtained through photometry through the production of a color magnitude diagram, which can provide information about star clusters specifically. Given the expense involved in astronomy missions, obtaining inexpensive photometric measurements is of great interest to the scientific community to develop cheap, efficient, and accurate methods to obtain photometric data. This thesis aims to determine if these measurements can be taken at the university level, and if the measurements taken can be used to obtain the ages of the Messier 29 and Messier 52 open star clusters. I developed and implemented a method of obtaining color magnitude diagrams for M29 and M52, but I could not make strong conclusions about the ages of the clusters. ! ii! Acknowledgements I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Melodi Rodrigue for being there for me when I needed advice the most. She has always been supportive, and was a better advisor than I could’ve hoped for. I would also like to thank the University of Nevada, Reno Physics Department and Honors Program for assisting me in completing this thesis. Dr. Tamara Valentine and Dr. David Bennum have furnished me with a great deal of help and advice that has helped me to perform this research. I would also like to thank my father, Paul Tooth, and the rest of my family for encouraging me to explore the world around me and to always ask, “Why?” Some other people who have helped me along the way: Teddy Rodrigue, Tony Berensen, Ryan Berensen, Emil Petkov, Steve Keim, Kyle Swanson, and many others. “The cosmos is full beyond measure of elegant truths; of exquisite interrelationships; of the awesome machinery of nature” -Carl Sagan, Cosmos ! iii! Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. ii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. iii List of Figures .....................................................................................................................v Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................1 Photometry .............................................................................................................1 Motivation and Purpose ........................................................................................2 Chapter 2: Theory ..............................................................................................................3 Stellar Evolution and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram .................................3 Star Clusters ...........................................................................................................4 Photometry .............................................................................................................6 Chapter 3: Observational Methodology ..........................................................................8 Necessary Equipment and Computer Programs ................................................8 Observational Procedure .......................................................................................8 Chapter 4: Data Analysis ................................................................................................10 Analysis of Raw Data ...........................................................................................10 Obtainment of Values from Data .......................................................................10 B-V and Magnitude Calculations .......................................................................14 Sources of Error ...................................................................................................14 ! iv! Chapter 5: Results ............................................................................................................16 M29 Magnitude Diagram and Analysis .............................................................16 M52 Magnitude Diagram and Analysis .............................................................18 Summary of Results .............................................................................................19 Future Work .........................................................................................................20 Bibliography .....................................................................................................................22 Appendix A: Raw Data ....................................................................................................24 Appendix B: Data Reduction ..........................................................................................30 ! v! List of Figures Figure 1: Hertzsprung Russell Diagram ..........................................................................4 Figure 2: Hubble Telescope Image of Messier 10 ...........................................................5 Figure 3: UVBRI System ...................................................................................................7 Figure 4: Color Magnitude Diagram ...............................................................................7 Figure 5: Dark Frame Image ..........................................................................................11 Figure 6: M52R Photo .....................................................................................................13 Figure 7: M52B Photo .....................................................................................................13 Figure 8: Color Magnitude Diagram for M29 ..............................................................16 Figure 9: Color Magnitude Diagram for M29 From Literature .................................17 Figure 10: Color Magnitude Diagram for M52 ............................................................18 ! 1! Chapter 1: Introduction Photometry The study of the stars and space has piqued the human race’s interest since before the ability to study them through scientific inquiry emerged. Humanity’s ancestors sought to understand what they observed in the night sky, and how celestial objects may affect them. One of the early methods for studying the stars was called photometry, which is the study of the relative brightness of stars. Photometry has been in use since 137 CE, and was used by scientists such as Ptolemy to observe the stars. Some historians believe that Hipparchus first developed photometry in 130 BCE, but Hipparchus’s work on the subject was not referenced by Ptolemy and the original catalog was lost [1]. Early photometric observations were crude, and used a night-adjusted human eye instead of modern telescopes. The magnitudes of stars obtained by these early measurements were off by a fraction of a magnitude, and remained above one-half magnitude of error until the first visual photometers were developed [1]. The first optical/mechanical system developed to perform photometric measurements used crossed polarizers to determine magnitudes, and was created by Freidrich Zollner in 1861 [1]. In the 19th century scientists began to use films to obtain useful and accurate measurements of the brightness of the stars. Instruments for performing photometry developed significantly through the 20th century, which featured the development of the Charge Coupled Device camera. With the ability to obtain reliable data scientists have turned photometry into a reliable and accurate tool for the study of stars that is still used in modern scientific studies.
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