The Extragalactic Near Infrared Background

本研究的目的是为星系形成问题带来新的观测技术。宇宙中星系和其他大型束缚系统是如何形成的，何时形成的，人们还不太清楚。探测原始星系，即在宇宙历史早期形成第一代恒星的星系，因此处于高红移，将是向前迈出的重要一步。尽管经过了十多年的努力，但迄今为止还没有发现这样的物体。两项新技术将用于研究原始星系。第一种方法是寻找来自许多原始星系的光的总和，而不是单个物体。主要研究人员（pi）将利用气球载冷望远镜测量近红外波段夜空的亮度。第二个是仔细研究可能的原始星系的局部类似物，即目前正在经历大规模恒星形成爆发的附近系统。pi将寻找恒星形成的特征或“标签”，然后用它来识别更远的原始星系。无线电频率观测将用于低红移的一系列恒星形成系统，以及红移0.1-1.0的“蓝色星系”，这些星系可能处于本地星暴星系和真正的原始星系之间的演化中间阶段。Drs。帕特里奇和鲍恩将与博洛尼亚大学的意大利科学家进行合作研究，作为他们研究的一部分。这项研究将涉及哈弗福德学院的本科生。

Boughn The objectives of this research are to bring new observational techniques to bear on the problem of galaxy formation. How and when galaxies and other large bound systems in the Universe form is not well understood. The detection of primeval galaxies, galaxies forming their first generation of stars early in the history of the Universe and hence at high redshift, would be a major step forward. No such objects have yet been found despite more than a decade of effort. Two new techniques will be used to investigate primeval galaxies. The first is to look for the summed light from many primeval galaxies rather than for individual objects. The Principal Investigators (PIs) will do so by measuring the brightness of the night sky at near infrared wavelengths using a balloon-borne, cooled telescope. The second is to make careful studies of possible local analogs of primeval galaxies, nearby systems which are currently undergoing massive bursts of star formation. The PIs will look for a characteristic feature or "tag" of star formation which could then be used to identify primeval galaxies at much greater distances. Radio frequency observations will be made of a range of star-forming systems at low redshifts, and also of the "blue galaxies" at redshifts 0.1-1.0, which may be at an intermediate stage of evolution between local starburst galaxies and true primeval galaxies. Drs. Partridge and Boughn will carry out collaborative research with Italian scientists from the University of Bologna as part of their research. The research will involve undergraduate students at Haverford College.