Engaging undergraduate non-science majors and high school students in multi-messenger astronomy with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array
Abstract
As the new field of multi-messenger astronomy - learning from the combined signals of gravitational and electromagnetic waves from the same astronomical source - takes off, we present an in-class activity designed to engage undergraduate non-science majors and high school students in the field. We use images collected with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array during the follow-up of GW170817, the first binary neutron star merger detected by the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors. We demonstrate to our target students how the radio sky appears and the need for interferometry in radio astronomy, as well as provide an opportunity for the students to develop data analysis and research skills, numeracy, and problem-solving. A first round of testing of this newly developed in-class activity at Texas Tech University and local high schools in rural Lubbock, TX clearly shows enthusiasm and engagement of non-science majors and high school students in the topic. These tests also highlight the effectiveness of including undergraduate science majors in the development of the activity itself. Observed challenges include unexpected student weakness in mathematics, student difficulty grasping the distance scale of the universe, and student difficulty adjusting to a hands-on activity in a primarily lecture-based course. Formal assessment of student learning and additional testing with new groups of students represent our next steps. Our ultimate goal is to distribute this activity broadly to the general public and teachers of West Texas.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #233
- Pub Date:
- January 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AAS...23345901S