Collaborative Research: Spatially Resolving the Mechanisms of Star Formation Quenching Using Molecular Gas Observations

合作研究：利用分子气体观测空间解析恒星形成淬灭的机制

• 批准号: 2307441
• 负责人: Alberto Bolatto
• 金额: $ 57.86万
• 依托单位: University of Maryland, College Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-15 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2307441&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Spatially; Resolving; Mechanisms

When we look deep into space with modern telescopes, the finite speed of light enables us to see galaxies as they appeared in the distant past. What we have learned from such observations is that most galaxies experience rapid star formation in their youth and declining star formation as they age. Still, there are wide variations in how quickly star formation stops, and we do not fully understand why the rate of star formation in galaxies changes. Have aging galaxies just run out of fuel, or has the fuel become unusable for some reason? One way to advance our knowledge is to make connections between the star formation rate and the cold hydrogen gas which is the fuel for star formation. The project investigators will take advantage of recently completed surveys of nearby galaxies, as well as state-of-the-art computer models, to pursue this goal. Through research experiences and mentoring, the project will expand pathways to scientific careers for students from minority backgrounds. The research experiences are designed for soldiers transitioning from the military to STEM fields.The team plans a wide variety of observations, including spatially resolved measurements of CO emission, which trace the molecular gas content, and optical integral field unit (IFU) spectroscopic surveys, which trace the young and old stellar populations. The investigators have merged their measurements into the Extragalactic Database for Galaxy Evolution (EDGE) and are now poised to extend these studies to galaxies with much lower gas content and star formation activity. They will conduct and analyze high-resolution simulations that match evolutionary scenarios to observational predictions, allowing factors such as galaxy structure and environment to be considered quantitatively. Among the key questions to be addressed are whether the cessation of star formation is driven largely by exhaustion of the available gas supply or by changes to the properties of the gas reservoir.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.

当我们用现代望远镜深入太空时，有限的光速使我们能够看到遥远过去的星系。 我们从这些观察中了解到，大多数星系在年轻时都会经历快速的恒星形成，而随着年龄的增长，恒星形成会逐渐减少。 尽管如此，恒星形成停止的速度仍然存在很大差异，而且我们并不完全理解为什么星系中恒星形成的速度会发生变化。 衰老的星系是否已经耗尽了燃料，或者燃料由于某种原因变得无法使用？ 增进我们知识的一种方法是将恒星形成速率与作为恒星形成燃料的冷氢气联系起来。 项目研究人员将利用最近完成的附近星系调查以及最先进的计算机模型来实现这一目标。 通过研究经验和指导，该项目将为少数族裔背景的学生拓展科学职业的途径。 这些研究经验是为从军队过渡到 STEM 领域的士兵而设计的。该团队计划进行各种观测，包括追踪分子气体含量的 CO 排放的空间分辨测量，以及光学积分现场单元 (IFU) 光谱调查，追踪年轻和古老的恒星群体。 研究人员已将他们的测量结果合并到河外星系演化数据库（EDGE）中，现在准备将这些研究扩展到气体含量和恒星形成活动低得多的星系。 他们将进行和分析高分辨率模拟，将演化场景与观测预测相匹配，从而定量考虑星系结构和环境等因素。 需要解决的关键问题包括恒星形成的停止主要是由于可用气体供应的耗尽还是气藏性质的变化引起的。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过评估被认为值得支持利用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准。