Toward a Complete Near-IR Spectroscopic Survey of Giant Molecular Clouds

对巨型分子云进行完整的近红外光谱调查

• 批准号: 0204976
• 负责人: Elizabeth Lada
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-08-01 至 2008-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0204976&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Toward; Complete; Near; IR; Spectroscopic

AST 0204976LadaGiant Molecular Clouds (GMCs) are the dominant sites of star formation in the Galaxy, yet the nature and distribution of their young stellar content has yet to be thoroughly or systematically investigated due to the large distances to and large angular sizes of the clouds. Dr. Elizabeth Lada and her colleagues, at the University of Florida, have been awarded roughly 200 nights of "survey" time allocated over 5 years from the National Optical Astronomy Observatories. This extremely large allocation of time on the 2.1-m and 4-m telescopes at Kitt Peak will be used to study the full mass range of young stars within nearby GMCs. These researchers are using the world's first near-IR multi-object spectrometer called FLAMINGOS, to obtain sensitive near-IR imaging surveys and for the first time extensive near-IR spectral classifications for stars in GMCs. The survey observations will provide a statistically significant census of near-infrared sources within the nearest giant star forming molecular clouds to a depth and completeness unequaled by any other existing or planned survey. A complete catalog of the near-IR photometry and spectroscopy for all sources will be constructed and provided to the entire astronomical community. This database will provide a unique and valuable resource for studies of star formation and molecular clouds using both ground based optical and radio telescopes (e.g. Gemini & ALMA) and space missions (e.g. SIRTF, Chandra & XMM).***

巨分子云（GMCs）是银河系中恒星形成的主要场所，但由于巨分子云的距离和角度尺寸大，其年轻恒星内容的性质和分布尚未得到彻底或系统的研究。佛罗里达大学的伊丽莎白·拉达博士和她的同事们已经获得了国家光学天文台在5年内分配的大约200个晚上的“调查”时间。基特峰2.1米和4米望远镜的巨大时间分配将用于研究附近gmc内年轻恒星的全部质量范围。这些研究人员正在使用世界上第一个被称为FLAMINGOS的近红外多目标光谱仪，以获得敏感的近红外成像调查，并首次对gmc中的恒星进行广泛的近红外光谱分类。这次巡天观测将为最近的巨星内形成分子云的近红外源提供具有统计学意义的普查，其深度和完整性是任何其他现有或计划中的巡天所无法比拟的。一个完整的近红外测光和光谱的所有来源的目录将被建立并提供给整个天文学界。该数据库将为使用地面光学和射电望远镜（如Gemini &amp； ALMA）和空间任务（如SIRTF，钱德拉&amp； XMM）研究恒星形成和分子云提供独特而有价值的资源