Asteroseismology is the only observational tool in astronomy that can probe the interiors of stars, and is a benchmark method for deriving fundamental properties of stars and exoplanets. Over the ...coming decade, space-based and ground-based observations will provide a several order of magnitude increase of solar-like oscillators, as well as a dramatic increase in the number and quality of classical pulsator observations, providing unprecedented possibilities to study stellar physics and galactic stellar populations. In this white paper, we describe key science questions and necessary facilities to continue the asteroseismology revolution into the 2020's.
We present a summary of the splinter session on "touchstone stars" -- stars with directly measured parameters -- that was organized as part of the Cool Stars 18 conference. We discuss several methods ...to precisely determine cool star properties such as masses and radii from eclipsing binaries, and radii and effective temperatures from interferometry. We highlight recent results in identifying and measuring parameters for touchstone stars, and ongoing efforts to use touchstone stars to determine parameters for other stars. We conclude by comparing the results of touchstone stars with cool star models, noting some unusual patterns in the differences.
This is a collection of articles that were originally published in the Newsletter of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) between May 2008 and September 2011 by the Committee on Employment. ...Authors representing a wide range of career paths tell their stories and provide insight and advice that is relevant to success in various job sectors. Although all of these articles are available individually from the AAS archives, we are posting the complete collection here to make them more accessible as a resource for the astronomy community. The collection includes the following articles: (1) Changing Priorities: the Hard Money Wild Card, (2) Beyond Ivory Towers, (3) Astronomers Working in Public Outreach, (4) Bush-Whacking a Career Trail, (5) Science Communication as a Press Officer, (6) Jobs in Industry, (7) Back to School: A Ph.D. Enters the Classroom, (8) Working at a Soft-Money Institute, (9) Balancing Research and Service at NOAO, (10) Succeeding in a Large Research Collaboration, and (11) Preparing for the College Teaching Job Market. The final published versions of the articles can be found at http://aas.org/career/
