The American University of Sharjah (AUS) and the International Astronomy Center (IAC) in Abu Dhabi, UAE signed a research and educational collaboration agreement in October 2023, and within less than 8 months, researchers and students of the two institutions produced a number of research papers and telegrams that were published on specialized international websites or accepted at a major international conference to be held in South Korea in mid-July 2024. 

The agreement included conducting observations of explosive phenomena of astronomical objects, such as supernovas and gamma-ray bursts, at IAC’s Al-Khatim Astronomical Observatory (AKO), as well as the training of AUS Physics students on image processing and analysis. The joint team would then aim to publish the research by following up with analysis of the data, and modeling and interpretation of the results, in established international websites, important international conferences, or well-regarded peer-reviewed journals. 

A number of students have indeed been trained to process astronomical images of celestial bodies, to produce light curves, what is known as photometry, as well as determining precise locations and motions of celestial objects, what is known as astrometry. The objects of interest are those that are identified by international bodies that specialize in transient astronomical phenomena and regularly issue notifications to observatories around the world.

Prof. Nidhal Guessoum, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at AUS, stated that three scientific papers resulting from this collaboration have been accepted at the big international COSPAR Scientific Assembly, which will be held in South Korea next July. This is a major conference, held every two years since 1958, where some 3,000 researchers from tens of countries take part.
Eng. Mohammad Shawkat Odeh, Director of the IAC, added that as a result of this joint work, eight telegrams of observations and results obtained by the joint team were published in NASA’s General Coordinates Network (GCN) website. 

The attached image number 1 is data analysis conducted by the students, showing the variation in the luminosity of the supernova SN 2023wrk over the course of 16 days, using two different filters, one in near-infrared radiation and one in green light. 

Image number 2 shows the variation in the “magnitude” (brightness) of the asteroid “349 Dembowska” over time as observed at AKO, from which the period of rotation of the asteroid around itself can be determined; a student’s analysis found it to be 4.7 hours, matching very precisely the approved global value for the asteroid’s rotation. 

This high quality of the team’s work shows the importance of such joint research between scientific institutions in the country and the Arab world, work of international standards by both specialists and students, benefiting everyone. 

The team, AUS, and IAC are looking forward to continuing this collaboration in the coming months and years and producing more solid scientific research and results.

Click Here to read this news on the AUS website.