Lyman Limit Systems: Probing the Protogalactic/IGM Interface

这个项目将创建大约100个莱曼极限系统(LLS)的梯形光谱仪观测的均匀、公开的数据集，这些系统是类星体吸收线系统中最鲜为人知的一类。这次对LLS的调查将利用凯克天文台和拉斯坎帕纳斯天文台最近的仪器进展，并将提供关于原星系晕中的气体积累、星系风、星系盘中的电离边缘、化学富集物、原星系与星系间介质之间的界面、辐射传输、星系反馈以及早期宇宙星系形成的所有方面的新见解。要观测的样本将来自几个定义明确的类星体调查，但需要新的高分辨率数据来确定LLS的准确特征。这个项目将综合观察者、实验者和理论家的才能，以达到对LLS非凡的物理性质的理解，但它将对其他类星体吸收线系统、高红移气体和早期宇宙结构的研究产生额外的重大科学影响。结果将以通常的方式传播到社区，但此外，一个专门的网站将覆盖天文人群之外，提供LLS定量分析的高中教程和实验作业、本科生介绍和研究生水平的例子。

AST-0307408ProchaskaThis project will create a homogeneous, public data set of echelle spectrograph observations of about a hundred Lyman limit systems (LLS), which are the most poorly understood of the major classes of quasar absorption-line systems. This survey of LLS will take advantage of recent instrumentation advances at the Keck and Las Campanas Observatories, and will provide new insight into gas accretion in proto-galactic halos, galactic winds, ionization edges in galactic disks, chemical enrichment, the interface between proto-galaxies and the intergalactic medium, radiative transfer, galactic feedback, and all aspects of galaxy formation in the early Universe. The sample to be observed will be drawn from several well-defined quasar surveys, but new high-resolution data are needed to determine accurate characteristics of LLS. This program will synthesize the talents of observer, experimentalist, and theorist to reach an understanding of the remarkable physical properties of LLS, but there will be additional significant scientific impact on studies of other quasar absorption-line systems, of gas at high redshift, and of structures in the early Universe.The results will be spread to the community in the usual ways, but in addition, a dedicated Web site will reach beyond the astronomical population to provide high school tutorials and lab assignments, undergraduate introductions, and graduate level examples of the quantitative analysis of LLS.