Collaborative Research: Stellar Clouds as New Probes of the Milky Way's Accretion History and Mass Distribution

合作研究：恒星云作为银河系吸积历史和质量分布的新探测器

• 批准号: 1312863
• 负责人: Steven Majewski
• 金额: $ 7.94万
• 依托单位: University of Virginia Main Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-01 至 2016-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1312863&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Stellar; Clouds; New

What are the radial profiles, shapes, extents and orientations of the dark matter halos that surround galaxies? This fundamental question is particularly difficult to address in the outskirts of galaxies where there are few visible tracers. Perhaps the most promising approach is to use stellar debris from the destruction of satellite galaxies, and the most promising place to try this approach is the Milky Way - the one galaxy in the Universe where a halo's 3-dimensional structure (rather than a 2-dimensional projection) can be directly probed.This award will support a combined observational and theoretical approach to providing a new and powerful perspective on accreted halo substructures, and, in particular, poorly-studied stellar clouds. The observational program focuses on obtaining radial velocities for stars in known stellar clouds, and making connections between debris structures - from the Solar vicinity to the outer Galaxy, and from one side of the Galaxy to another. Such connections will yield the first comprehensive maps of these stellar debris structures on Galactic scales. Interpreting these maps with a systematic suite of simulations will fill in our missing knowledge of the Galaxy's accretion history and matter distribution.This award will support the training of one minority student in their transition from undergraduate to graduate school through participation in Columbia's "Bridge to the PhD" program. It will also enable the PIs to actively engage students, amateur astronomers and the general public in building an understanding of the history of our home galaxy.

围绕星系的暗物质晕的径向轮廓、形状、范围和方向是什么？在几乎没有可见示踪剂的星系外围，这个基本问题尤其难以解决。也许最有希望的方法是利用卫星星系毁灭中产生的恒星碎片，而最有希望尝试这种方法的地方是银河系——宇宙中唯一一个拥有光晕的 3 维结构（而不​​是 2 维结构）的星系。维度投影）可以直接探测。该奖项将支持观测和理论相结合的方法，为吸积晕子结构，特别是研究不足的恒星云提供新的、强有力的视角。该观测计划的重点是获取已知恒星云中恒星的径向速度，并在碎片结构之间建立联系——从太阳附近到外星系，从银河的一侧到另一侧。这种联系将产生银河尺度上这些恒星碎片结构的第一张综合地图。通过一套系统的模拟来解释这些地图将填补我们对银河系吸积历史和物质分布的缺失知识。该奖项将支持一名少数族裔学生通过参加哥伦比亚大学的“通往银河系的桥梁”，从本科生过渡到研究生院。博士”计划。它还将使 PI 能够积极吸引学生、业余天文学家和公众，以了解我们银河系的历史。