CAREER: The Early History of Galaxy Disk Formation

提案ID：AST-0238683机构：华盛顿大学PI：Dalcanton，Julianne华盛顿大学的Julianne Dalcanton博士将利用她的职业奖来研究银河盘的形成。盘状星系形成的理论模型在解释盘状星系的许多基本特征方面取得了巨大的成功。Tully-Fisher关系，指数表面亮度分布，以及盘星系的旋转曲线都可以通过旋转气体云的简单球形坍缩模型来再现。然而，最近发现所有薄盘星系都嵌入在一个额外的厚盘组件中，这表明现有的图像过于简单。这种普遍存在的厚盘成分要么捕捉到了星系最初坍缩的一个明显阶段，要么跟踪了星系早期的分层结构（现有模型中没有这一阶段）。有了这个奖项，Dalcanton博士将提供关键的测量和必要的理论基础，将厚盘的创建纳入盘星系形成的模型。通过测量大量厚盘样本的运动学、年龄和金属丰度，她将能够清楚地区分厚盘形成和盘星系早期演化的几种情况。她还将进行一个系统的模拟和分析计算程序，以得出以前未探索的厚盘人口的宇宙学意义。除了她在培训下一代科学家的工作，Dalcanton博士将设计和执行一个新的计划，以捕捉和加强中学女生的科学兴趣，从科学，数学和技术领域开始之前，他们的自然减员。该方案的重点是同时向女孩及其母亲进行宣传，帮助在家庭中培养“积极的科学“文化，并增加有科学倾向的年轻妇女从她们最有影响力的女性榜样那里得到的支持。这个项目是她目前在一个致力于培养青少年女孩对科学和技术的兴趣的非营利组织董事会工作的结果。

Proposal ID: AST-0238683 Institution: University of Washington PI: Dalcanton, Julianne Dr. Julianne Dalcanton of the University of Washington will use her CAREER award to study the formation of galactic disks. Theoretical models of disk formation have had substantial success in explaining many of the basic features of disk galaxies. The Tully-Fisher relation, the exponential surface brightness profiles, and the rotation curves of disk galaxies all can be reproduced by models of a simple spherical collapse of a rotating gas cloud. However, the recent discovery that all thin disk galaxies are embedded within an additional thick disk component suggests that the existing picture is too simple. Either this pervasive thick disk component captures a distinct phase in the initial collapse of the galaxy, or it tracks the early hierarchical build-up of the galaxy (a phase absent from existing models). With this award, Dr. Dalcanton will provide the critical measurements and the theoretical foundations necessary for incorporating the creation of thick disks into models of disk galaxy formation. By measuring the kinematics, ages, and metallicities of a large sample of thick disks, she will be able to cleanly distinguish among several scenarios for the formation of thick disks and the early evolution of disk galaxies. She will also carry out a systematic program of simulations and analytic calculations to derive the cosmological implications of the previously unexplored thick disk population. In addition to her work in training the next generation of scientists, Dr. Dalcanton will design and execute a novel program to capture and reinforce the scientific interest of middle school girls, before their attrition from scientific, mathematical, and technological fields begins. The program will focus on outreach to the girls and their mothers simultaneously, to help foster a "science positive "culture within the home, and to increase the support that scientifically inclined young women receive from their most influential female role model. This project is an outgrowth of her current work on the Board of Directors of a non-profit organization devoted to fostering the interest of pre-teen girls in science and technology.