2012 Summer Undergrad Program

Summer 2012 Undergrad Research Projects

The Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics (DI) at the University of Toronto is currently offering 4 research grants for undergraduate students with interests in observational and instrumental astronomy, to work on cutting-edge research projects in summer 2012. We also accept students with an NSERC grant in our program.

Possible summer projects include:

The search for planets around cool stars

Software development for new instruments and surveys

Building astronomical instrumentation for the Canadian Arctic

The full list of available projects is available at the bottom of this page.

Additional Information

The DI is in the process of developing an extended summer student program which, apart from a research project, will offer activities and workshops for summer students to improve their research and communication skills. These activities include weekly summer student meetings to discuss your research results and progress with your peers, a lecture series on recent developments in astronomical research, workshops on science communication and presentation styles. You will also be given the opportunity to participate in public outreach events.

The research grants will provide monthly stipends of 2250 Canadian dollars, additional grants for travel costs to Toronto are available. The start date is anticipated to be early May 2012 and the program will run for 16 weeks full-time.

The DI is a young, dynamic institute, working closely together with the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics (DAA) and the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA). The proximity of these three astronomical research facilities guarantees a lively and stimulating science environment. As a DI summer student, you will have the opportunity to interact with staff and students of all three institutions, and participate in seminars, journal clubs and discussion groups.

For enquiries, contact Dr. Anne-Marie Weijmans.

Browse the activities we offered in Summer 2011.

Applying

To apply, send a cover letter indicating your interests and motivation for the DI summer program, as well as your CV and academic transcripts.
These can be sent electronically to summer@di.utoronto.ca.
For the transcripts, a copy will suffice, but we will need an official transcript if we offer you a position.

In addition, two letters of reference must be sent to this same e-mail address before the due deadline on 31 January 2012. The letters of reference can be sent by the referees directly or via the applicant.

Canadians can also apply for funding from NSERC: please follow the instructions on the Department's website.

List of Research Projects Available for Summer 2012

1- GPI

Preparing for the Gemini Planet Imager data analysis

The Dunlap Institute is actively engaged in the development of the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), a high-contrast imaging instrument designed for detection and characterization of extrasolar planets orbiting nearby stars. Built for the Gemini telescope, GPI is equipped with an extreme adaptive-optics imaging polarimeter and integral-field spectrometer, which will provide near-infrared diffraction-limited data. The GPI instrument has entered this year in a phase of extensive tests of its components. First light on the sky is expected fall 2012.

The student is expected to participate in the preparation of upcoming Gemini Planet Imager observations. He or she will take part in the development of astronomical data reduction and analysis, through available data reduction tools, simulations and test data. The student will be involved in the optimization of photometric and astrometric measurement techniques, and will also be encouraged to take part in the analysis of calibration data to optimize instrumental performances.

The project will be supervised by Dr. Jerome Maire, Dr. Quinn Konopacky and Prof. James Graham.
For more information, contact Dr. Jerome Maire and visit the GPI website.

2- PTF/M-dwarfs

Searching for exoplanets around very-low-mass stars with the Palomar Transient Factory

PTF/M-dwarfs is searching for transiting giant planets orbiting ~100,000 cool, small stars, and for rocky planets orbiting a subset of these targets. The project has collected many terabytes of data and is searching through it for interesting objects. We are offering several projects which will improve the data analysis of the survey, help us interpret our results, and search for unusual objects, such as planets, stars and more exotic things...

For more information on this project, contact Dr. Nick Law.

Credits: NASA, ESA and G. Bacon (STScI)

3- Extremely Cool Astronomy

Building Instruments for an Observatory Near the North Pole

As part of an ongoing effort to perform the first large astronomical survey from the High Canadian Arctic, in 2012/2013 the Dunlap Institute will field a robotic 20-inch telescope and other instruments at the PEARL research station on Ellesmere Island. The site offers continuous darkness in winter and excellent conditions for astronomy, particularly for searching for transiting exoplanets. We are offering projects involving testing and/or building astronomical instruments for the site.

For more information on this project, contact Dr. Nick Law.

4- Sketching out MaNGA

Design Simulations and Software Development for SDSS

Over the past 10 years the Sloan Digital Sky Survey has systematically mapped the sky, cataloguing galaxies from our nearest neighbours to the most distant reaches of the Universe. In 2014, the SDSS will take us in a radical new direction: INSIDE nearby galaxies. MaNGA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO) is a next-generation component of SDSS-IV that will obtain integral-field spectra for 10,000 nearby galaxies, mapping the velocities of their stars and gas, and measuring their chemical composition. MaNGA will consist of 15 integral-field units assembled from 20-100 fibers, with additional fibers dedicated to sampling the background sky. The survey will run for 6 years and will yield millions of individual spectra.

We are looking for two students to help us work on the development of data simulations and reduction software to both inform the optimal construction of the integral field units and to prepare for the data-flow that MaNGA will deliver. The students will gain expertise in working with integral-field kinematic data, as well as analysis software to extract kinematical and chemical information of the observed galaxies out of the spectra. A background in astronomy is preferred, as is a familiarity with scientific programming languages (in particular IDL), but students from other disciplines who have a strong interest in extragalactic astronomy will also be considered.

For more information, contact Dr. David Law or Dr. Anne-Marie Weijmans.

5- WIFIS

The Wide Integral-Field Infrared Spectrograph

In this project, the students will participate in the characterization and assembly of the Wide Integral-Field Infrared Spectrograph (WIFIS) which we expect to commission for real astronomical observations at an observatory in 2012 fall. This project will be conducted in a basement laboratory of the Astronomy Building by a team consisting of a professor, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduate students.

The required work includes characterization and alignment of complicated optical components inside a clean room, cryogenic tests of the detector and part of optical components, operation of the detector readout electronics, simple mechanical design of cryostat, development of software to control the hardware, and final assembly of the WIFIS. Necessary techniques and skills, including professional design and analyses software, will be taught at the beginning of the project.

For more information on this project, contact Prof. Dae-Sik Moon or Dr. Suresh Sivanandam.

6- TMT

Design Study of the Thirty Meter Telescope

In this project, the students will participate in the optical and mechanical design studies of the science calibration system for the adaptive optics and near-infrared instruments of the Thirty Meter Telescope.

The students will learn basic principles of optics/mechanics as well as optical/mechanical design software at the beginning of the project before they start working on their own design work of the calibration system. This will provide the students an opportunity of working on one of world's most advanced instrument project in astronomy.

For more information on this project, contact Prof. Dae-Sik Moon.

7- Resolving Brown Dwarf Binaries with Keck

Since 2006, we have been monitoring a set of 20 brown dwarf binaries using the W.M. Keck Observatory laser guide star adaptive optics (LGS AO) system. The goal of this observing program is to constrain the fundamental properties of these fascinating substellar objects, including their masses, radii, and temperatures. Our unique data set relies on the ability of the LGS AO system to provide excellent spatial resolution on optically faint targets, see the animation on the right.

We are looking for a student to participate in the analysis and interpretation of this extensive data set, with a particular focus on spatially resolved spectroscopy obtained with Keck's high resolution, near infrared spectrograph, NIRSPEC. The student will help derive temperatures and radii for these objects, which are essential parameters for understanding their formation and evolution.

For more information on this project, contact Dr. Quinn Konopacky