The DCT astronomical research mission will address fundamental questions about the evolution of the solar system, the formation and evolution of stellar and planetary systems, and the evolution of galactic building blocks such as dwarf galaxies. A set of key observational projects are currently being defined that in turn address each of these major research categories. 

Detailed instrumentation specifications to meet the requirements of the key projects are being compiled by Lowell Observatory scientists and extended into conceptual instrument designs. For example, several advanced imaging surveys planned for the wide-field Prime Focus Camera (PFC) capability have been described, including exploration of the Kuiper Belt, extending the search for Near-Earth Objects, the study of Galactic clusters and OB associations, and discovering extrasolar planets.

Kuiper Belt The Kuiper Belt is a system of small, icy bodies orbiting the sun beyond the reaches of Pluto.  These objects, known as Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs), hold clues to the origin and orbital evolution of the outer solar system. The first step in investigating these clues is determining the orbits of the KBOs.  To date, only approximately 750 KBOs and their orbital paths have been identified, but researchers are eager to discover the tens of thousands more that are theorized to exist. With the DCT Prime Focus Camera, it is expected that at least 750 KBOs will be discovered in a single week of observing time -- a rate 5-6 times as fast as the current Deep Ecliptic Survey project. Kuiper Belt Objects  Near-Earth Objects The Lowell Observatory Near-Earth-Object Search (LONEOS) is an ongoing search for asteroids and comets that can approach our planet. These bodies, collectively called near-Earth objects (NEOs), have bombarded Earth throughout history, sometimes with devastating consequences. A mass extinction of more than half the species on Earth, including the dinosaurs, about 65 million years ago was likely precipitated by the impact of a 15 kilometer (km) asteroid or comet in the Yucatan peninsula. There are thought to be roughly 1,000 near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) larger than 1 km. As of 2003 July, about 655 have been found. One kilometer is considered the threshold size for an asteroid that would have globally catastrophic consequences if it hit Earth. Finding these large asteroids is the first step towards averting future catastrophic impacts. That task requires a network of telescopes searching the night sky for these potentially hazardous objects. LONEOS is part of that effort. The DCT, with its powerful wide field capability, will be able to discover 10-20 NEAs per hour -- ten times the discovery rate of all current programs combined! For more information about LONEOS, click here. Galactic Structures A major area of astronomical interest is determining the structure of various types of galaxies. Specifically, Lowell astronomers are researching the basic structure of dwarf irregular galaxies to determine if they are disks seen at an angle or ellipsoids. Another related area of research is determining if galaxies have an actual edge (since models suggest that star formation should have a sharp end) or if they fade out toward some indefinite horizon. Utilizing new high resolution Ritchey-Chrétien (RC) and PFC instrumentation on the DCT, Lowell astronomers will have a powerful new tool to research these and other mysteries of galactic structures in much greater detail. DDO 133: Dwarf irregular galaxy Dwarf irregular galaxy Extrasolar Planets The search for extrasolar planets and researching massive star evolution are other highly popular fields of modern astronomy.  Since the first discovery of a planet around a Sun-like star in 1989, nearly 130 extrasolar planets have  been found. Perhaps the most important (and surprising) result from the study of those planets was that most extrasolar planetary  systems discovered so far are very unlike our solar system.

 

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