Observations of Active Galactic Nuclei

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Observations of Active Galactic Nuclei via a
Student Operated Remote Observatory Whitney
Wills Michael Carini-Faculty Mentor Department
of Physics and Astronomy Western Kentucky
University
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Abstract
I will describe an astronomical observatory run
by undergraduate students under the supervision
of faculty mentors. The facility is operated
remotely from the campus of Western Kentucky
University. Undergraduate students operate a 0.6m
telescope equipped with a CCD camera to obtain
data for key science projects. Our primary goal
is the monitoring of the brightness variations of
Active Galactic Nuclei and using these variations
to investigate the physics at work in these
objects. Working from a control room on WKU's
campus, the telescope and camera are controlled
over the internet. The scientific data is stored
at the observatory and transferred via the
internet to WKU's campus, where it is archived
and analyzed by undergraduate students. I will
report on the results of our first few months of
monitoring AGNS.
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Telescope Specifics

• 0.6 meter diameter primary mirror
• f/11
• Manufactured by Group 128
• Equatorial mount
• Ash Dome
• Installed in 1988
• Located 12 miles SW of Bowling Green

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Refurbishment Work

• Astronomical Consultants and Equipment Inc.
  contracted to refurbish and automate the
  telescope
• Refurbishment work began July 1999
• First light for refurbished telescope came in
  October, 2000
• Refurbished telescope dedicated November 22, 2000

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Telescope Status

• Telescope is fully functional
• Remote and onsite observing capability
• 4 WKU undergraduate students routinely operating
  the telescope remotely and obtain data Whitney
  Wills, Ashley Atkerson, Tala Monroe Wes Ryle

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What is an AGN?

• Take a normal Galaxy
• At the center add
• 1 supermassive BlackHole
• (mass 105 - 109 times mass
• of the sun)
• 1 accretion disk
• 2 relativistic jets of material
• 1 Active Galactic nucleus (AGN)

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What is a BL Lac Object?

• The most extreme example of an AGN
• Highly variable continuum emission at all
  wavelengths
• Featureless optical spectra
• Highly variable polarization

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Why Study these Objects?

• Featureless continuum means continuum radiation
  is the only diagnostic
• They vary, so why not?
• Variability is not regular, cant get a few
  cycles and be finished
• Theoreticians need to be kept busy-models need
  data.

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Observations

• Data obtained with the WKU Bell 0.6m Telescope,
  operated from WKUs campus
• Axiom AP2e CCD(charge coupled device) camera

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Data Reduction

• Used Image Reduction and Analysis Facility(IRAF)
  Software
• Removed background and thermal noise from the
  pictures(Bias and Dark levels)
• Removed non-linearity(Flat Field)
• Measured the brightness inside a circular
  aperture centered on the star

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Results

• Light curve(plot of brightness vs time)
  constructed
• Shows a decline in brightness of 0.4 magnitudes
  followed by a brightness increase of 0.5
  magnitudes over the 2 months of observing

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Bell Observatory from above
The Bell 0.6m Telescope
Whitney Wills and Lindsey Hopper at the Telescope
External View of the Observatory
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Mr Rico Tyler and Dr. David Barnaby watch Mr.
Tylers Franklin-Simpson High School Astronomy
students operate the telescope from WKUs control
room during the observatory dedication ceremony
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Acknowledgements

• This project has been supported by NASA, the
  Kentucky Space Grant Consortium and the Applied
  Research and Technology Program (ARTP) at WKU