National Science Olympiad Astronomy Event – 2019 State Directors & Event Supervisors Guide Stellar Evolution in Normal & Starburst Galaxies

Sponsored by the NASA Astrophysics Division Universe of Learning STEM Outreach Program http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/ http://chandra.si.edu/

Astronomy C Event 2019 & Stellar Evolution Webinars chandra.si.edu/edu/olympiad.html

ASTRONOMY, DIVISION C: Event Description - 2019 DESCRIPTION: Teams will demonstrate an understanding of stellar evolution in Normal & Starburst Galaxies A TEAM OF UP TO: 2 APPROXIMATE TIME: 50 minutes EVENT PARAMETERS: Each team may bring two computers (of any kind), two 3-ring binders (any size) containing information in any form from any source, or one computer and one 3-ring binder. The materials must be inserted into the rings (notebook sleeves are permitted). Each team member is permitted to bring a programmable calculator. No internet access is allowed; however teams may be accessing a dedicated NASA data base.

relationship to calculate distances. The Competition: Using information which may include Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams, spectra, light curves, motions, cosmological distance equations and relationships, stellar magnitudes and classification, multi-wavelength images (X-ray, UV, optical, IR, radio), charts, graphs, animations and JS9 imaging analysis software, teams will complete activities and answer questions relating to: a. Stellar evolution, including stellar classification, spectral features and chemical composition, luminosity, blackbody radiation, color index and H-R diagram transitions, star formation, Cepheids, RR Lyrae stars, Type Ia & Type II supernovas, neutron stars, pulsars, stellar mass black holes, supermassive black holes, X-ray & gamma-ray binary systems, ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs), globular clusters, stellar populations, normal & starburst galaxies, galactic structure and interactions, gravitational waves. b. Use Kepler’s laws, rotation and circular motion to answer questions relating to the orbital motions of binary systems and galaxies; use parallax, spectroscopic parallax, the distance modulus, the period-luminosity relationship, Hubble’s law, and the Tully-Fisher relationship to calculate distances. http://store.soinc.org/c-2-k-12-rules-manuals.aspx c. Identify and answer questions relating to the content areas outlined above for the following objects: M51/NGC 5195, IC 10, SPT 0346-52, M81/M82, SN2014J, Phoenix Cluster, NGC 4993, 47 Tucanae/X9, Chandra Deep Field South, Cen A, M100, Abell 400/NGC 1128 & 3C 75, Antannae Galaxies, ESO 137-001, Sagittarius A*

2019 State Director/Event Supervisor Guide for Astronomy Event Information: Description: Teams will demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts of stellar evolution in normal & starburst galaxies Rules: • Rules are available from your State and/or Tournament Director. • 2019 should appear at the bottom by the page number. • Read the Event Parameters so you will know what resources students are allowed to bring to the competition. • Read the Event Description for current content and deep sky objects (DSOs) and construct the test to target the content and DSOs described. • Rules clarifications are available at www.soinc.org under event information. If you have questions about the rules, this site will provide you with answers. Rotation: Every 1-2 years the specific focus changes; however, the general content focus is always stellar evolution. 2019 is the first year for star formation in normal and starburst galaxies. The content is aligned with the NGSS standards. This topic will be repeated for the 2020 competition year – only the DSOs will change. Format: These events are usually a written test; however, image sets, charts and graphs are used which requires room to spread out the materials.

Event Needs: Room Type: A room with tables, or a lecture room with large table space. The teams need room to spread out materials such as charts and graphs. Astronomy teams are allowed to bring laptops, so there should be access to electrical outlets. If outlets are not available, the teams should be told before the event so they will have time to charge their laptops. There are 2 members per team and each team will have 2 laptops, or 2 binders, or a laptop and a binder plus the materials provided with the test and adequate space is needed for the teams to spread out their materials and work comfortably. Helpers: There should be 2-3 helpers to proctor, keep track of the time, pass out the materials before the event, collect the materials at the end of the event, and score. Equipment: The event should be in a room with outlets for computers to be plugged in as some teams may need an outlet. Time Needed for Setup: It is a good idea to be in the room an hour before the event in order to determine where the teams should sit. The event materials should be laid out and upside down so teams can start working as soon as the event starts.

Preparation for Competition: Time Line for Planning: You will need to know the number of teams that are competing. Astronomy has 2 team members, and a complete set of materials is needed for each team. Allow yourself time to prepare the questions, answer sheets and answer keys, and print enough copies for the number of teams. Always have enough extra copies in case a team has a missing page. Extra copies are also good for proctors or scorers to use in case teams need any verification. If you are using any technology make sure well in advance that it is working. Knowledgeable proctors and scorers are invaluable. It is helpful to go over the test and answers with all proctors and scorers before the event. Scorers should score the same set of questions for all teams for consistency. Organizing Content: • The Science Olympiad website www.soinc.org has rules clarifications and study information for students which may be helpful to you in preparing for the event. • Balance the content so it includes most of the material described in the Event Description in the rules. Teams are expecting to see all of the topics in the rules to be reflected in the competition. This is important for teams that will go on to state and/or national competition. • Develop questions that are easy to grade as the scoring needs to be completed in time for event and team winners to be calculated for the awards ceremony.

Organizing Content Continued: • Objective questions can be quickly graded. Some short answer questions can be used as long as they are not subjective. • Images, charts, and graphs should be used for identification of DSOs as well as higher level questions (state level) involving synthesis of information from different content areas. • Some questions that require the application of different content and calculations using a combination of charts, graphs and content should be incorporated at the state level as well. • Be sure that all questions, images, charts, and graphs are clearly numbered to avoid any confusion in interpretation. Tests using the same numbering system as nationals help teams that will be moving on to national competition. • Tie-breakers should be pre-determined before the competition by assigning different weights to selected questions. Weighting all questions in tie-breaking order ensures that all ties will be easily broken. Writing Questions: • The content should not emphasize rote memorization. The majority of the event should be inquiry based using process skills and 2-step/3-step problem solving with the content as described in the rules. [PPT shows should not be used!] • The best design for competition is a test that focuses on DSOs along with graphs and/or data that requires both identification and interpretation skills. The webinar on the Chandra website on Stellar Evolution for SO coaches/teams explains this.

MIT Invitational Test – 2018 Competition

MIT Invitational Test – 2018 Competition

Golden Gate Invitational & Vermont State Tests – 2018 Several Invitational, Regional & State Tests

National Science Olympiad WWW.soinc.org/astronomy_c Resources: Coaches & Event Supervisors WWW.soinc.org/astronomy_c

http://chandra.harvard.edu/edu/formal/index.html http://chandra.harvard.edu/edu/formal/index.html

Stellar Evolution Image Set: http://chandra.harvard.edu/edu/formal/stellar_ev/imageset_introduction.html

https://js9.si.edu/

http://js9.si.edu/

Astronomy 2018 DS9/JS9 Question

Getting Started with JS9 Dhruva Karkada https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_nT0oWUPG6Y2_i9U8L1Uv767W9M8QI-v0P27jf_Iby0/edit

Analyzing X-Ray Pulses From Stellar Cores http://chandra.harvard.edu/edu/formal/index.html

Ultraluminous X-Ray Sources in the Cartwheel Galaxy http://chandra.harvard.edu/edu/formal/index.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpAhFA5_pDk http://webhome.phy.duke.edu/~kolena/light_curves_and_power_spectra.html

Resources http://soinc.org chandra.harvard.edu http://www.stsci.edu/hst/ apod.nasa.gov http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/ https://public.nrao.edu/ https://Js9.si.edu

National Astronomy Event Supervisors: Tad Komacek – tkomacek@gmail.com Donna L Young – dlyoung.nso@gmail.com Connor Todd – cepheidwatch@gmail.com Rules clarifications: available at www.soinc.org under event information Event Preparation: Read the Event Description for content and allowable resources. Use the Webinars (Chandra) and/or PowerPoints (NSO) for an overview of the content topics, deep sky objects & resources. 3. Use the Astronomy Coaches Manuel (NSO) and the Chandra education website as a guide for background information. 4. Use the resources listed in the event description for images and content.

Event Preparation Continued: 5. The Astronomy 2017 and 2018 events focused on Type Ia and Type II supernovas. For those who did not participate in the Astronomy event those two years, studying these tests will help with the stellar evolution content. 6. The Stellar Evolution resources discussed in the presentation are all useful for learning about stellar evolution. Webinars have been posted on the Chandra website to describe how to use the cards, as well as a webinar posted with the Astronomy and Solar System called Stellar Evolution for Science Olympiad Coaches and Teams. 7. YouTube has many videos related to the Astronomy 2019 content. 8. Invitationals. 9. Tests from invitationals and other competitions will be posted on the NSO website before March for teams to use for practice. 10. Scioly test exchange https://scioly.org/wiki/index.php/2017_Test_Exchange