The Rise and Fall of Star Formation in Galaxies

星系中恒星形成的兴衰

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-03046
• 负责人: Man, Allison
• 金额: $ 2.84万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=742347
• 关键词: Rise; Fall; Star; Formation; Galaxies

Galaxies are complex celestial objects that require knowledge of physics from quantum to cosmological scale to understand. Nearly a century after the first distance measurement to external galaxies, astronomers now routinely survey the stellar and gaseous content of galaxies from the first billion years after the Big Bang until the present day. Despite the wealth of observations of distant galaxies, fundamental questions remain. What are the key processes regulating star formation in galaxies? How and when did galaxies reionize the Universe? Answering these questions is the long-term objective of my research program. The study of distant galaxies is about to enter a transformative era with the imminent launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the long-anticipated successor of the Hubble Space Telescope. Moreover, a Canadian consortium is constructing the Gemini Infrared Multi-Object Spectrograph, a powerful instrument with new capabilities for surveying distant galaxies. Astronomers will probe distant galaxies at unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. To fully capitalize on these opportunities, I will train a new generation of astronomers in skills to tackle pressing questions on galaxy evolution. My short-term objectives are to obtain deep and resolved views of distant galaxies using state-of-the-art techniques and instruments across the electromagnetic spectrum. Building on my experience, we will leverage gravitational lensing to obtain the deepest views of distant galaxies. By measuring their dense molecular gas fraction and ionized gas outflows, my program will unravel how star formation is regulated in distant galaxies. Furthermore, we will obtain the most resolved view of distant galaxies with adaptive optics and interferometry --- both techniques provide superior spatial resolution that enabled the discovery of a supermassive black hole in the Galactic Center (Nobel Prize in Physics 2020). We will scrutinize how active supermassive black holes heat and expel gas from their host galaxies and measure rotation curves for primeval galaxies that probe their dark matter content and turbulence. Altogether, my program will bring about profound and novel insights into distant galaxies, informing future surveys and instrument designs. My emphasis on international collaborations will provide invaluable training opportunities for students and lay the foundation for Canada to play a leading role in constructing and using next-generation facilities. The HQP training will emphasize professional development, so that trainees will be equipped with analytic, computing and leadership skills that are sought after within and beyond academia. I am committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive work environment. As such, the HQP training plan is designed based on EDI principles and builds on my experience in mentoring trainees with diverse backgrounds.

星系是复杂的天体对象，需要从量子到宇宙学量表的物理知识才能理解。在与外部星系进行第一距离测量的近一个世纪之后，天文学家现在常规调查了大爆炸直到今天的第一个十亿年的星系的出色和气态含量。尽管对遥远的星系进行了丰富的观察，但仍然存在基本问题。在星系中调节星星形成的关键过程是什么？星系如何以及何时振兴宇宙？回答这些问题是我的研究计划的长期目标。遥远的星系的研究即将进入一个变革性的时代，詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜即将推出，这是哈勃太空望远镜的长期以来的继任者。此外，加拿大一个财团正在构建双子座红外多对象光谱仪，这是一种具有新功能的强大仪器，可用于测量遥远的星系。天文学家将以前所未有的灵敏度和分辨率探测遥远的星系。为了充分利用这些机会，我将培训新一代天文学家的技能，以解决有关银河发展的紧迫问题。我的短期目标是使用电磁频谱中最先进的技术和仪器来获得遥远星系的深刻而解决的观点。在我的经验的基础上，我们将利用重力镜头来获得遥远星系的最深景观。通过测量其致密的分子气体分数和电离气体流出，我的程序将如何在遥远的星系中揭示恒星形成。此外，我们将获得具有自适应光学和干涉法的遥远星系的最清晰的视图 - 两种技术都提供了出色的空间分辨率，从而使银河系中心的超质量黑洞（诺贝尔物理学奖2020年）。我们将仔细检查如何从宿主星系中排出气体的高质量黑洞，并测量旋转曲线的原始星系，以探测其暗物质含量和湍流。总的来说，我的计划将为遥远的星系带来深刻而新颖的见解，从而为未来的调查和仪器设计提供了信息。我对国际合作的重视将为学生提供宝贵的培训机会，并为加拿大在建设和使用下一代设施中发挥主要作用。 HQP培训将强调专业发展，因此学员将配备在学术界内外寻求的分析，计算和领导能力。我致力于培养一个热情而包容的工作环境。因此，HQP培训计划的设计基于EDI原则，并基于我在指导具有不同背景的学员的经验。