NMSUAstronomy

As an SDSS astronomer-observer, Dr. Krzesinski performs observations for Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), work on SDSS data (including searches for variable stars: white dwarfs, hot white dwarfs, subdwarfs, pulsating stars DAV, DBV, DOV, in spectroscopic and photometric data). He also implements follow up projects and other observations with the APO 3.5m telscope. These include DBV candidates, light curve analysis, mode identification of Beta Cephei stars and 3.5m telescope echelle observations. He also performs additional work to help keep the SDSS project running smoothly (seeing monitoring, adding additional hardware -if necessary, and Sloan Photometric Telescope data reduction).

Research Highlights

• New data treatment of photometric minima of double eclipsing binaries with apsidal motion.
• Construction of an autoguiding system on the 0.6/7.5 m telescope at Mt.Suhora observatory (in cooperation with K. Wojcik - a programmer and electronic specialist).
• Construction of a CCD photometer and the creation of CCD data acquisition software for time series photometry.
• Development of CCD aperture analysis software for bright stars.
• Adjustment of DAOPHOT and DOPHOT software packages to work with CCD data collected at Mt. Suhora Observatory, Cape Town University and South African Astronomical Observatory.
• Discovery of several new Beta Cephei, SPB and other variables stars in h and chi Persei clusters during cluster a survey with my own designed photometer and software.
• Some achievements with vacuum technology for CCD purposes (preparing a system to make a vacuum in a CCD head).
• Experience in spectroscopic observations with an echelle type (GIRAFFE) spectrographs at SAAO 1.9m and APO 3.5m telscopes.
• Large experience in CCD and photoelectric observations (& experience in observations in global network observations: WET, DSN)
• Knowledge of SDSS software and hardware systems (telescopes, spectrographs, imager/CCDs, PT)
• New software to reduce PT CCD data using variable aperture method, which allows to remove the effect of bad telescope pointing.
• Extraction and spectro analysis of new hot DO type white dwarf stars in Sloan data and other white dwarf stars.