Collaborative Research: The Virgo Cluster as a Testbed for the Study of Galaxy Formation and Evolution

合作研究：处女座星团作为星系形成和演化研究的试验台

• 批准号: 2206328
• 负责人: Puragra Guha Thakurta
• 金额: $ 27.91万
• 依托单位: University of California-Santa Cruz
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2206328&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Virgo; Cluster; Testbed

Galaxies and clusters of galaxies are visible because of the light emitted by stars and hot gas. However, the mass of stars and gas in these structures is greatly exceeded by the mass of dark matter. Dark matter cannot be observed directly, but the gravitational effects of dark matter can be observed in the distribution and motion of stars, gas, and stellar clusters such as globular clusters (GCs). A team from the University of the Pacific and the University of California Santa Cruz will use spectroscopic observations of GCs to probe the dark matter content of the nearby Virgo cluster of galaxies with the goal of understanding the assembly history of massive galaxy clusters. The team will continue working with high school students through the Science Internship Program (SIP) at UC Santa Cruz. In addition, they will involve undergraduates from both the University of the Pacific and the University of California Santa Cruz in research relating to this project. Finally, they will participate in traditional outreach events such as public talks and workshops, with special emphasis on reaching Hispanic and Latino communities.The project will use GCs to study the assembly of structures in the Virgo cluster. This takes advantage of the large numbers of GCs, their relatively high surface brightness, and their extended radial distribution. The main scientific goals include: (i) determining the dark matter content of dwarf early-type and ultra-diffuse galaxies; (ii) testing the dynamical friction scenario for the formation of galaxy nuclei from mergers of GCs; and (iii) understanding the effects of the cluster environment through analysis of clustering, substructures, and asymmetries found in the GC population, and the study of cluster-centric radial trends of the stellar populations of Virgo dwarf ellipticals.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

由于星星和热气体发出的光，因此可以看到星系的星系和星系簇。但是，这些结构中的恒星和气体的质量大大超过了暗物质。无法直接观察到暗物质，但是在恒星，气体和恒星簇（例如球状簇（GC））的分布和运动中可以观察到暗物质的重力效应。来自太平洋大学和加利福尼亚大学圣克鲁斯分校的团队将使用GC的光谱观测来探测附近处女座星系集群的暗物质含量，以了解大型星系群的组装历史。该团队将通过加州大学圣克鲁斯分校的科学实习计划（SIP）继续与高中生合作。此外，他们将涉及太平洋大学和加利福尼亚大学圣克鲁斯分校的本科生与该项目有关的研究。最后，他们将参加传统的外展活动，例如公众谈判和讲习班，特别强调到达西班牙裔和拉丁裔社区。该项目将使用GCS研究处女座集群中的结构组装。这利用了大量的GC，它们相对较高的表面亮度及其扩展的径向分布。主要的科学目标包括：（i）确定矮人早期型和超湿星系的暗物质含量； （ii）测试来自GCS合并的星系核形成星系核的动力摩擦场景； （iii）通过分析GC人群中发现的聚类，子结构和不对称性的效果，以及对以群集为中心的以群集径向趋势的研究研究，这是处女座矮人椭圆形的恒星种群。这是NSF的法定任务，反映了通过评估范围的Infection Merit and Funderiatial and Fundertial and Fundertial and Funltion and Intellit and Intellit and Intellit and Intellit and Intellit and Interviatial的支持。