R2 - Small Astro Program
Peter Frinchaboy
p.frinchaboy@tcu.edu
The TCU Galaxy Evolution Lab is a partnership within the Department of Physics and Astronomy involving the research groups of Kat Barger, Mia Bovill, and Peter Frinchaboy which study various aspects of galaxy evolution, including the Milky Way and its satellite galaxies, to understand the major components and evolution of galaxies, stars, gas, and dark matter. TCU Astronomers work with a variety of "big data" astronomy data sets, like Gaia, 2MASS, WISE, Pan-STARRs, including proprietary access to the SDSS-IV, SDSS-V, and WHAM survey data, plus utilize local and world-class computing resources to explore cosmological galaxy evolution. Prof. Frinchaboy, a leader of SDSS-IV & -V, is planning to use Rubin-based data to explore LSST-identified research in Stellar Populations and the Milky Way and Local Volume Structure, primarily in the areas of star clusters, binary stars, and Galactic structure. Prof. Bovill investigates the formation evolution and fate of the first stars and galaxies using cutting edge numerical simulations. She will use data sets from the Rubin Observatory to search for signals of the first stars at high redshifts and learn more about the faint relic galaxies of reionization in the Local Group. Prof. Barger's science focuses on understanding the evolution of gas within the Magellanic Clouds that will also incorporate SDSS-V/Local Volume Mapper data, plus she is currently PI of an HST Treasury program to analyze UV spectra of hot stars to probe gas evolution in the Clouds.
