The mysterious radio source N3 appears to be located within the vicinity of the Radio Arc region of the Galactic Center. To investigate the nature of this source, we have conducted radio observations with the VLA and the VLBA. Continuum observations between 2 and 50 GHz reveal that N3 is an extremely compact and bright source with a non-thermal spectrum. Molecular line observations with the VLA reveal a compact molecular cloud adjacent to N3 in projection. The properties of this cloud are consistent with other galactic center clouds. We are able to rule out several hypotheses for the nature of N3, though a micro-blazar origin cannot be ruled out. Robotic Telescope systems are now seeing widespread deployment as both teaching and research instruments. While these systems have traditionally been able to produce high quality images, these systems have lacked the capability to conduct spectroscopic observations. To enable spectroscopic observations on the Iowa Robotic Observatory, we have developed a low cost (~ $500), low resolution (R ~ 300) spectrometer which mounts inside a modified filter wheel and a moderate cost (~ $5000), medium resolution (R ~ 8000) fiber-fed spectrometer. Software has been developed to operate both instruments robotically and calibration pipelines are being developed to automate calibration of the data. The University of Iowa offers several introductory astronomy laboratory courses taken by many hundreds of students each semester. To improve student learning in these laboratory courses, we have worked to integrate active learning into laboratory activities. We present the pedagogical approaches used to develop and update the laboratory activities and present an inventory of the current laboratory exercises. Using the inventory, we make observations of the strengths and weaknesses of the current exercises and provide suggestions for future refinement of the astronomy laboratory curriculum.

This thesis presents the CfAIR2 data set, which includes over 4000 near-Infrared (NIR) \(JHK_s\)-band measurements of 104 Type Ia Supernovae (SN Ia) observed from 2005-2011 using PAIRITEL, the 1.3-m Peters Automated InfraRed Imaging TELescope at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO) on Mount Hopkins, Arizona. While the discovery of dark energy and most subsequent supernova cosmology has been performed using optical and Ultraviolet wavelength observations of SN Ia, a growing body of evidence suggests that NIR SN Ia observations will be crucial for future cosmological studies. Whereas SN Ia observed at optical wavelengths have been shown to be excellent standardizeable candles, using empirical correlations between luminosity, light curve shape, and color, the CfAIR2 data set strengthens the evidence that SN Ia at NIR wavelengths are essentially standard candles, even without correction for light-curve shape or for reddening. CfAIR2 was obtained as part of the CfA Supernova Program, an ongoing multi-wavelength follow-up effort at FLWO designed to observe high-quality, densely sampled light curves and spectra of hundreds of low-redshift SN Ia. CfAIR2 is the largest homogeneously observed and processed NIR data set of its kind to date, nearly tripling the number of individual \(JHK_s\) band observations and nearly doubling the set of SN Ia with published NIR light curves in the literature. Matched only by the recently published Carnegie Supernova Project sample, CfAIR2 complements the large and growing set of low-redshift optical and NIR SN Ia observations obtained by the CfA and other programs, making this data set a unique and particularly valuable local universe anchor for future supernova cosmology. / Astronomy

Submitted by Ricardo Cedraz Duque Moliterno (ricardo.moliterno@uefs.br) on 2018-01-29T22:11:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ALBERTO AMORIM FINAL - DISSERTA??O VERS?O FINAL.pdf: 8568799 bytes, checksum: 532838187e697dfca1fc76718559ba44 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-01-29T22:11:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ALBERTO AMORIM FINAL - DISSERTA??O VERS?O FINAL.pdf: 8568799 bytes, checksum: 532838187e697dfca1fc76718559ba44 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-29 / The current work is about remote and robotic telescopes as a school activity. In its development, it is based in the consolidated experiences of the Telescopes at School, from Brazil, and MicroObservatory, from United States of America. In order to support the diffusion of remote observation technology in Brazilian education, it recommends the study of the Messier Catalog and the Moon. The research was attended by eleven high school students from the AstroEngenharia Project of the Teot?nio Vilela State School in Feira de Santana, a city of Bahia, Brazil. To this research the author used both qualitative and quantitative approach. As a reference for learning, the postulates of Leon Vygotsky, that emphasizing the role of the school in the formation of scientific concepts and the teacher?s performance in the zone of proximal development (ZPD). The products include tutorials, forms and spreadsheets, as well as activities with image in false color, the calculation of the diameter of the lunar craters and the creation of the images bank. / O presente trabalho aborda o uso de telesc?pios remotos e rob?ticos como atividade escolar. No seu desenvolvimento busca amparo nas experi?ncias consolidadas dos Telesc?pios na Escola no Brasil e do MicroObservatory nos Estados Unidos da Am?rica. Para subsidiar a difus?o da tecnologia de observa??o remota, na educa??o brasileira, recomenda o estudo do Cat?logo Messier e da Lua. A investiga??o contou com a participa??o de onze estudantes do Ensino M?dio do projeto denominado AstroEngenharia do Col?gio Estadual Teot?nio Vilela. A pesquisa fez uso da abordagem qualitativa e quantitativa. Como referencial de aprendizagem foram utilizados os postulados de Leon Vygotsky por enfatizar o papel da escola na forma??o dos conceitos cient?ficos e na atua??o do professor na Zona de Desenvolvimento Proximal (ZDP). Os produtos elaborados consistem em tutoriais, formul?rios e planilhas, assim como em atividades com imagens em falsa cor, o c?lculo do di?metro das crateras lunares e a cria??o do banco de imagens.