Research Opportunities

Independent study and honors work are encouraged for all majors. Opportunities for theoretical and observational work are available in cosmology, radio astronomy, planetary science, computational astrophysics, astronomical instrumentation, stellar astrophysics, and extra-galactic astronomy.

Local facilities available to qualified students include several small optical telescopes equipped with CCD cameras. In addition, a 1-m class optical telescope located in the south-western part of the US is used for some student research projects.

Astronomy also operates locally several high-performance parallel Beowulf-type computers for computational studies. These computer clusters are currently used to simulate the growth of structure in a cold dark matter-dominated universe and to study galaxy dynamics and interactions.

The University is the U.S. partner in an international collaboration with Mexico to build and operate a 50-m diameter telescope designed to work at millimeter wavelengths. The Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) is now operational and obtaining exciting science data. Its enormous collecting area and high angular resolution enable cosmological studies of forming galaxies in the early universe, as well as detailed mapping of galaxies in the local universe with unprecedented sensitivity. Undergraduates have been involved in both the development of the scientific instruments and well as the use of the telescope to do science.

Opportunities for summer research internships are also available. Original publications have resulted from undergraduate research.