Rui Jorge Agostinho
Assistant Professor at the Department
of Physics,
Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade
de Lisboa (FCUL)
Member of Grupo
de Astronomia & Astrofísica (Dep. Physics-FCUL)
Responsable for two Graduate courses of the
Masters
Degree in Astronomia & Astrofísica, at the Department of
Physics-FCUL.
My current research is done at:
Observatório Astronómico
de Lisboa (UL)
Tel: 351-1- 3616739 (secretary)
Tel: 351-1- 3616742 (direct)
Fax:351-1- 3616752
How to reach me:
The best way is by Phone or Fax to
Observatório Astronómico de Lisboa (where my office
is),
or by E-mail to: rui.agostinho (at) oal.ul.pt
Fields of Research:
i) Stellar Populations in the Galaxy
Since 1990 that we are involved in a large scale survey with the goal
of studying the vertical structure of our Galaxy. We use Schmidt objective
prism photographic plates going to magnitudes B<13. For this kinematically
unbaised large sample we derive the atmospheric parameters Teff, log g
and [Fe/H], positions and proper motions of high accuracy, as well
as radial velocitites for a few thousand stars. It also requires
intermediate resolution spectroscopy and photometry ( BVRI and Stomgren
uvby),
of several hundred stars.
This is a joint project with James A. Rose (UNC-CH, USA), Jurgen Stock
(Venezuela) and Art Upgren (Van Vleck Observatory, USA)
ii) Primordial Lithium Abundance
We are obtaining data on lithium, oxigen and iron abundances on halo
stars (dwarfs), in order to: a) Constrain stellar evolution models
by comparing them with the observational data. b) Study how the
Spite plateau can be used to infer the primordial lithium abundance (Big
Bang nucleosynthesis). This study requires high resolution Echelle spectra
and visual electronic-CCD imaging, in order to derive accurate chemical
abundances.
This is a joint project with Suchitra Balachandran (Ohio State University,
USA) and Bruce Carney (Univ. North Carolina-CH, USA).
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