Probing galaxies with quasar absorption lines

用类星体吸收线探测星系

• 批准号: 261489-2007
• 负责人: Ellison, Sara
• 金额: $ 3.38万
• 依托单位: University of Victoria
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2011-01-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=479847
• 关键词: Probing; galaxies; quasar; absorption; lines

Distant quasars (also sometimes called QSOs) can be used as lighthouses at the edge of the universe to study galaxies that lie between them and the Earth. My research focuses on using the imprints of intervening galaxies on the spectra of quasars to study their formation and evolution. Whilst this technique is several decades old, my research is finding novel applications of the idea. For example, my team has perfected a technique for finding rare cases where the background QSO probes highly metal-enriched regions of an intervening galaxy. These sight lines are also expected to be rich in molecules which we can use to model the physical characteristics of the galaxy and even trace evolution of fundamental constants with time. In very extreme cases, we can even see the signatures of organic compounds and we have recently made the first detection of such features at cosmological distances.

远处的类星体（有时也称为QSO）可以用作宇宙边缘的灯塔来研究它们与地球之间的星系。 我的研究重点是将介入星系的烙印在类星体的光谱上研究它们的形成和进化。 尽管这项技术已经有几十年了，但我的研究是找到了这个想法的新应用。 例如，我的团队完善了一种发现罕见情况的技术，背景QSO探测了中间星系的高度金属增强区域。 这些视线也有望富含分子，我们可以用来对银河系的物理特征进行建模，甚至可以随时间的时间对基本常数的痕量进化。 在非常极端的情况下，我们甚至可以看到有机化合物的特征，最近我们在宇宙学距离上首次发现了此类特征。