The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $168,673 Project Grant to Lowell Observatory, a non-profit research institution in Flagstaff, Arizona, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049). The three-year grant supports a collaborative research program to study "Thorne-Zytkow Objects" (TZOs) - a novel model for how the interiors of stars can function. Key activities include running computer simulations of binary star systems that may form TZOs, using telescopes to search for these rare stellar objects, and working with high school students on related research projects. This research aims to transform understanding of the evolution, death, and chemical enrichment caused by massive, cold stars. As part of the broader impacts, the investigators will engage with high school students to present their TZO research at science fairs.
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