CAREER: Exploring the Evolution of Galaxies and Large Scale Structure at z>1

理查德·埃尔斯顿教授将实施一项为期五年的观测计划，研究星系的形成和宇宙中的大尺度结构。该计划的核心是首次系统地研究红移在z=1和2之间的星系团。通过观察宇宙中这个红移范围内的星系，我们看到了大约70-90亿年前的宇宙。对宇宙年轻时星系团的数量和丰富度的测量直接制约了宇宙初始功率谱的幅度，所有结构都是从宇宙的初始功率谱形成的。此外，这个星系团数据将被用来确定质量密度(欧米伽)和测试宇宙常数(Lambda)的存在。埃尔斯顿教授开发了一种在近红外(IR)中搜索遥远星系团的技术。星系团中的星系往往是红色的，因此它们的大部分光线都是在近红外波段发出的。因此，团簇往往在近红外光谱中比在光学光谱中更加突出。研究表明，通过选择具有近红外波段J-K-1.8的星系，星系团的对比度可以进一步增强。这使得只选择z1处的星系成为可能。这项新技术最近通过观察一个z=1.27的小星系团进行了测试，该星系团刚刚完成了一次小型近红外探测。该计划是在K 20.5和J 22.5之间进行一次18平方度的非常宽的近红外测量。由于星系的极端光学模糊，以及1.3 z 2.3星系在光学波长上缺乏强烈的光谱特征，将使用近红外多目标光谱仪观测星系红移。获取红外光谱中数千个可能的星系团成员的光谱超出了任何以前存在的天文仪器的能力。埃尔斯顿教授正在建造并将于1999年秋季完成的新的火烈鸟红外波长仪将用于这些观测。针对小学生、本科生和天文学研究生的科学教育计划将与这一观测研究计划相结合。埃尔斯顿教授将组织一个小学项目，将教师和研究生带到佛罗里达州阿拉丘亚县的小学教室。重点突出的天文学“动手”课程将在课堂上展示。这将为研究生提供教学经验。将为本科生和未成年人开发一门新的观察性实验室课程。学生小组将组织、开展和报告一个使用遥控望远镜和电荷耦合器件摄像机的观测项目。学生们将被鼓励参加观测和仪器项目的所有方面。埃尔斯顿将参与领导佛罗里达大学研究生课程的重组工作。学生需要接受相当广泛的教育。将组织一门仪器课程，一组研究生将建造一台ccd相机，将其与计算机接口，将其带到望远镜，并完成观测计划。本课程将教授团队问题解决和管理的“真实世界”技能，同时让学生接触到仪器和计算科学等应用研究领域。研究生将被鼓励将至少少量的仪器开发与他们的论文研究计划相结合。将有来自行业和区域实验室的人员向学生讲授替代职业道路。*

Professor Richard Elston will carry out a five-year observational program to study the formation of galaxies and the large-scale structure in the Universe. The core of the program is the first systematic study of the clustering of galaxies at redshifts between z = 1 and 2. By observing the galaxies in the universe in this redshift range, we are seeing the Universe as it was about 7-9 billion years ago. The measurement of the number and richness of galaxy clusters when the universe was young provides a direct constraint on the amplitude of the initial power spectrum of the universe, from which all structures formed. Additionally, this cluster data will be used to determine the mass density (Omega) and test for the presence of the cosmological constant (Lambda). Prof. Elston has developed a technique to search for distant clusters of galaxies in the near-infrared (IR). The galaxies that populate the clusters tend to be red and therefore emit the bulk of their light in the near-IR. Thus, the clusters tend to stand out much more prominently in the near-IR than in the optical. It has been shown the contrast of the clusters can be further enhanced by selecting galaxies with near-IR wavelength bands J-K -1.8. This makes it possible to select only galaxies at z 1. This new technique was recently tested by observing a small galaxy cluster at z = 1.27 in a small near-IR survey that was just completed. The plan is to carry out a very wide field near-IR survey of 18 square degrees to K 20.5 and J 22.5. Due to the extreme optical faintness of the galaxies and since there is a lack of strong spectral features in the optical wavelengths for galaxies with 1.3 z 2.3, galaxy redshifts using a near-IR multi-object spectrometer will be used to observe the galaxies. The obtaining the spectra for thousands of possible cluster members in the IR was beyond the capability of any previously existing astronomical instrument. The new FLAMINGOS infrared wavelength instrument, which Prof. Elston is building and is to be completed in the fall of 1999, will be used for these observations.A scientific education program aimed at elementary school students; undergraduate university students and graduate students in astronomy will be integrated with this observational research program. Prof. Elston will organize an elementary school program that will bring both faculty and graduate students into elementary school classrooms throughout Alachua county Florida. Well focused "hands on" programs in astronomy will be presented in the classrooms. The will provide a teaching experience for graduate students.A new observational lab course for undergraduate majors and minors will be developed. Groups of students will organize, carry out, and report on an observational project using a remotely controlled telescope with a CCD camera. Students will be encouraged to participate in all aspects of the observational and instrumentation programs.Prof. Elston will be involved in heading an effort to restructure the graduate curriculum at the University of Florida. Students need to have a fairly broad education. An instrumentation course will be organized where a team of graduate students will build a CCD camera, interface it with a computer, take it to a telescope and complete an observational program. This program will teach the "real world" skills of team problem solving and management, while exposing the students to applied research areas such as instrumentation and computational science. Graduate students will be encouraged to integrate at least a small amount of instrument development with their thesis research program. There will be lectures by persons from industry and regional laboratories to speak to the students about alternative career paths.***