Roberto Avila
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| Teaching Assistant |
| Entered: | 2005 |
| Office: | 101 Astronomy |
| Phone: | (575)646-4438 |
| Fax: | (575)646-1602 |
| |
| E-mail: | ravila |
| (append "@nmsu.edu") |
| |
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| B.S. | University of Hawaii at Hilo, | 2003 |
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Research
I studied a number of interesting astronomical problems while an undergraduate
student at Hilo. I served as one of the primary observers on the Whole Earth
Telescope (WET) project at the University of Hawaii 0.6-meter telescope site,
collecting CCD photometry of the hot blue sub-dwarf variable star Nu
Eridani. I also worked with Michael West on the formation history of
elliptical galaxies, using data obtained with SuprimeCam on the Subaru 8-meter
Telescope to search for intergalactic globular clusters in galaxy clusters.
After graduation I worked as a Telescope Operator at the Subaru Telescope for
a few years, focusing on optical and infrared observations with the CISCO,
FOCAS, and SuprimeCam instruments. I also served as a volunteer at the Mauna
Kea Visitor Information Station (conducting star gazing programs, leading
summit tours, and working to improve the dialogue between the public and the
scientific communities in Hawaii).
I began my graduate work in fall 2005, working with Dr. Jon Holtzman.
My primary interests lie at optical and infrared wavelengths, and I have
a strong interest in extragalactic astronomy.
I am currently working with multiband photometry obtained with the Advanced
Camera for Surveys on board the Hubble Space Telescope, analyzing four fields
in the disk of nearby galaxy M33. By studying the positions in the color
magnitude diagrams of the most massive Main Sequence stars and examining the
colors of the red giant branches, we can derive maximum ages for the youngest
stars in each field and make an initial estimate of the metallicity gradient
across the four fields. We are also combining near UV photometry of
individual stars in each field obtained with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2
to make reddening maps of the four fields, to study the extinction properties.
We will then examine whether there is any correlation between the observed
reddening and HI maps of the fields.
Publications
Asteroseismology of the Beta Cephei star Nu Eridani - I.
Photometric observations and pulsational frequency analysis,
G. Handler, [16 authors], R. Avila, [4 authors] 2004, MNRAS, 347, 454
Meetings
January 2007: American Astronomical Society meeting, Stellar Populations of the Disk of M33
R.J. Avila, J.A. Holtzman, D.R. Garnett, & A. Sarajedini
Future Work
I received an M.S. degree in August 2009. I am presenting pursuing positions at several
national optical and infrared facilities.
