These stars will probably end up as supernovae, but she's interested in how and where they form, and how they live. As their distances in most cases are based on their poorly determined membership in OB associations and clusters, a better understanding of the associations they appear to inhabit is important. The next step in this project will be to examine the photometrically selected hot stars via spectroscopic observations. Philip Yecko is an astrophysicist whose research mixes fluid mechanics, astronomy and geophysics. His recent activities focus on convection in stars, the flow of air over water such as forms waves and sea-spray, and the interaction of water and sediment.
Students can do research on similar topics.
Phil teaches about waves and about the physical processes that shape our solar system. Karen Vanlandingham obtained her B.S. from New Mexico Tech in 1991 and her Ph.D. from Arizona State University in 1997. Karen's main field of research is classical novae. Her studies include recent and old novae. She is active in observations of novae and has observed at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, the Multiple Mirror Telescope on Mt. Hopkins, Arizona and Kitt Peak Observatory near Tucson.