본 연구는 현직 및 예비 지구과학교사의 H-R도와 별의 진화에 대한 개념 이해 상태를 알아보기 위해 개념 지위 분석틀을 활용하여 수행하였다. 이해 가능성 영역에서 현직교사의 비과학적 용어 사용이 다수 발견되었고, 그래프 작성에서 낮은 과학적 탐구 능력과 개념에 대한 비과학적 비유가 발견되어 교수 과정에서 잘못된 개념 전달의 가능성이 확인되었다. 예비교사는 중등교육과정 연계 문항에서 다수의 오류를 보였으며, 이와 관련하여 학교 현장에 적용이 더 잘될 수 있도록 예비교사 교육 과정의 개선이 필요하겠다. 개연성 영역에서, 두 집단 모두 별의 진화가 갖는 우주론적 의미를 이해하고 있었으나, 예비교사의 별의 실제기작에 대한 설명이 구체적이지 않았다. 유용성 영역에서, 현직교 사는 지구과학의 학문적 특성을 반영한 교육적 고민을 하고 있었고, 지식을 현실 문제해결에 활용, 적용하려는 경향이 높았다. 반면, 예비교사는 높은 무응답률을 보여 H-R도와 별의 진화를 실용적 개념으로 파악하지 않는 것으로 확인되었다. 결과적으로, 두 집단 모두에서 H-R도와 별의 진화에 대한 비과학적 개념이 다수 발견되어 교사 교육 및 교수 학습 계획 수립 시 주의가 필요함을 확인할 수 있었다.

We have conducted a near-infrared monitoring campaign at the UK InfraRed Telescope (UKIRT), of the Local Group galaxy M33. The main aim was to identify stars in the very nal stage of their evolution, and for which the luminosity is more directly related to the birth mass than the more numerous less-evolved giant stars that continue to increase in luminosity. The pulsating giant stars (AGB and red supergiants) are identified and their distributions are used to derive the star formation rate as a function of age. These stars are also important dust factories; we measure their dust production rates from a combination of our data with Spitzer Space Telescope mid-IR photometry. The mass-loss rates are seen to increase with increasing strength of pulsation and with increasing bolometric luminosity. Low-mass stars lose most of their mass through stellar winds, but even super-AGB stars and red superginats lose ~40% of their mass via a dusty stellar wind. We construct a 2-D map of the mass-return rate, showing a radial decline but also local enhancements due to agglomerations of massive stars. By comparing the current star formation rate with total mass input to the ISM, we conclude that the star formation in the central regions of M33 can only be sustained if gas is accreted from further out in the disc or from circum-galactic regions.

We study the influence of rotation on the dynamical evolution of collisional single-mass stellar clusters up to core-collapse by using N-body simulations. Rotating King models which are characterized by dimensionless central potential parameter Wo and the rotation parameter Wo are used as initial models. Our results show that inner shells slowly contract until core-collapse phase is reached, followed by a slow expansion. Angular momentum is transported outward, while the core is rotating even faster than before, as predicted by gravogyro catastrophe theory. We confirm that rotation plays an important role in accelerating the dynamical evolution of stellar cluster, in particular in accelerating the core collapse.

Precise masses, radii, and luminosities from eclipsing binaries and colour-magnitude diagrams for open clusters are classic tools in empirical tests of stellar evolution models. We review the accuracy and completeness required for such data to discriminate between current models and describe some recent. results with implications for convection theory.

Effect of the ratio of mixing length to the pressure scale-height α =l/HP on the effective temperature has been investigated under some simplifying assumptions. The result is compared with that of the existing model calculations. The role of convection zone in the stellar evolution is briefly summarized.