Burke Student Helps Discover New Pulsating Stars

BURKE, VA—A student hailing from Burke is among researchers that discovered eight new pulsating stars using a new method during a research trip in Chile.

Rising High Point University physics seniors Thomas Boudreaux of Burke, Kyle Corcoran and assistant professor of astrophysics Dr. Brad Barlow, traveled to the Andes Mountains to observe stars at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a well-known observation site for astronomers.

The researchers identified eight new pulsating white dwarfs, stars that are near the end of their nuclear burning stage, using a CTIO/SMARTS 0.9-meter telescope. Their new method of identifying the stars entailed applying data from the European Space Agency's spacecraft Gaia and code written by Corcoran. The pulsations help determine properties of the star like mass, radius, temperature and density.

The two students plan to publish their finding in a peer-reviewed astrophysics journal.

"We discovered more new variable stars during this past research trip than I had in my entire career up to date,” says Barlow. "Even more rewarding to me than the thrill of our scientific discoveries was seeing the excitement on my students' faces each time they processed a new batch of data and saw evidence of pulsations. Discovering something new in the universe using data you've taken yourself using a telescope under your control is an indescribable feeling."

Boudreaux has conducted three years of research with Barlow, as well as with with Dr. Scott Fleming, a data scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute. His research has led to multiple local, national and international conference presentations and publications. After graduating in spring 2019, Boudreaux plans to pursue a Ph.D. in astrophysics and conduct research in computational astrophysics/cosmology.

High Point University students Kyle Corcoran (left) and Thomas Boudreaux (right) stand with Dr. Brad Barlow, assistant professor of astrophysics, (center) outside the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in the Andes Mountains of Chile. Image via High Point University