High Resolution Observational Studies of the Structure and Evolution of Galaxies

星系结构和演化的高分辨率观测研究

• 批准号: 8715905
• 负责人: K. Y. Lo
• 金额: $ 13.09万
• 依托单位: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1988
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1988-05-01 至 1990-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=8715905&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Resolution; Observational; Studies; Structure; Evolution

The research is aimed at determining the distribution, motions and physical conditions of the various components of the interstellar medium in galaxies. The purpose is to study the relationship of these components to each other, to the spiral structure, and to the star formation processes in galaxies. While the general evolutionary cycle between the interstellar medium and the stars in galaxies is understood, the detailed underlying processes are still not clearly delineated. In order to study the interstellar medium in external galaxies with sufficient resolution, the Principal Investigators will use the relatively new Hat Creek millimeter-wavelength telescope to observe the neutral atomic hydrogen (HI) component and the Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope to observe the molecular component and the relativistic electrons. An optical imaging Fabry-Perot spectrometer will be used to probe the ionized gas. Such comparative detailed analyses will further the understanding of the basic processes of galactic evolution. How galaxies evolve with time has relevance to many basic questions in astronomy such as galaxy formation, cosmology, and the origin of the structure of galaxies and of their morphological types.

这项研究的目的是确定星系中星际介质的各种成分的分布、运动和物理条件。目的是研究这些成分彼此之间的关系，与螺旋结构的关系，以及与星系中恒星形成过程的关系。虽然星际介质和星系中恒星之间的一般进化周期已经被理解，但详细的潜在过程仍然没有被清楚地描绘出来。为了以足够的分辨率研究外部星系中的星际介质，主要研究人员将使用相对较新的Hat Creek毫米波长望远镜观察中性原子氢（HI）成分，并使用甚大阵列（VLA）射电望远镜观察分子成分和相对论性电子。光学成像法布里-珀罗光谱仪将用于探测电离气体。这种比较详细的分析将进一步了解星系演化的基本过程。星系如何随时间演化与天文学中的许多基本问题有关，如星系形成、宇宙学、星系结构的起源及其形态类型。