Lyman Limit Systems: Probing the Protogalactic/IGM Interface

AST-0307408 Prochaska该项目将创建一个关于大约100个莱曼极限系统（LLS）的阶梯光栅摄谱仪观测的均匀的公共数据集，这是类星体吸收线系统的主要类别中最缺乏了解的。 本次调查的LLS将利用最新的仪器进步在凯克和拉斯坎帕纳斯天文台，并将提供新的见解气体吸积在原星系晕，星系风，电离边缘在星系盘，化学富集，原星系和星系际介质之间的界面，辐射传输，星系反馈，以及早期宇宙中星系形成的各个方面。 待观测的样本将从几个定义明确的类星体调查中抽取，但需要新的高分辨率数据来确定LLS的准确特征。 该计划将综合观测者、实验者和理论家的才能，以理解LLS的显着物理特性，但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也将产生额外的重大科学影响。结果将以通常的方式传播给社区，但除此之外，一个专门的网站将超越天文学人口，提供高中教程和实验作业，本科生介绍，和研究生水平的LLS定量分析的例子。

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.