Undergraduate Research Projects
AST 410, Senior Thesis, is a requirement for a degree in astronomy. Students may complete either a review of astronomical literature for 3 credits (the default) or a research project (described below) for 4 credits. AST 410 fulfills the University’s Tier-II writing requirement.
Goals
- You shall work through a refereed paper from the astronomical literature and demonstrate good understanding of the context, motivation, and execution of the study.
- You shall demonstrate an understanding of how the conclusions of the study are supported by the evidence provided.
- You shall demonstrate sufficient understanding of astronomy to be able to explain the study to your peers.
- You shall display competence in technical writing at a professional level and familiarity with conventions regarding the communication of mathematical and graphical data.
Requirements
- Meet regularly with thesis advisor and provide progress reports; regularly participate in research group meetings. Come prepared to participate actively in these meetings.
- Submit an outline, including an abstract and annotated bibliography, of the thesis by the end of the first semester.
- Submit at least two drafts of the final thesis for feedback starting a month before the final deadline.
- Give at least two short presentations on the thesis topic at research group meetings.
The final thesis shall be 15–20 pages in length; shall be written in a professional style; and shall conform in language, mathematics, and graphics to the standards of The Astrophysical Journal or The Physical Review.
Standards
- To receive a 3.0, you must...
- ...meet the above requirements; in addition your thesis must, at a minimum, apply astrophysical concepts learned in the undergraduate courses to explain the motivation and execution of the selected paper(s).
- To receive a 3.5, you must...
- ...meet the above requirements; in addition your thesis must survey the selected papers and not only apply concepts to explain their motivation and execution, but also compare the papers and differentiate their motivation, scope, and findings.
- To receive a 4.0, you must...
- ...exceed the above requirements; your thesis must not only differentiate the motivation, scope, and execution of the selected papers, but also analyze them and critically appraise their context and scientific merit.
Research option
There is an option to do original research for AST 410. To qualify for this option (with research under my supervision), you must meet the following requirements by the middle of the first semester.
- Perform at a 4.0 level, as shown by, e.g., quality of participation in group meetings and evaluation of the literature.
- Install MESA and successfully work through the “getting started” and “using pgstar” tutorials.
Students doing original research should enroll in AST 410 for 4 credits total.