Research topics in Variable stars

AI Thread Summary
Undergraduate physics and astronomy students are seeking research topics in variable stars, specifically those that yield interesting results. Delta Scuti stars are recommended as ideal candidates due to their short periods, making them suitable for semester-long projects. The discussion emphasizes the potential of combining spectroscopic data with photometric observations from available telescopes. Previous projects, such as studying HT Cas, highlight the importance of selecting stars with less-known characteristics for meaningful research. Engaging with these variable stars could lead to valuable insights in the field.
bsleis01
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Hey,

I am an undergraduate physics & astronomy student. I am looking for a good research topic to work on for this semester. I have access to a .5 m telescope in Louisville, Ky (38 deg N), a .5 m telescope, and possibly another with a built in spectroscopy as well as photometry capabilities, both in Australia.

I am curious as to how to find a good star for research, particularly variable but anything that could bring up interesting results would be great.

Any ideas are welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks,

Brian
 
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Delta Scuti stars are excellent candidates for study. They are very short period variables making them ideal for a limited term project. If you could get spectroscopic data to go with b and v band data from your local scope it could be quite interesting.
 
Thanks a lot for the idea. I will continue to look into them and see if there are any good candidates for this fall season and also if there are any previously in researches ones.

A year ago, as a project for a lab, my group worked on HT Cas which is a 108 min period, eclipsing binary, but really didn't have too much not known about it.
 
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