Extragalactic Planetary Nebulae

行星状星云（PN）在早期星系中很容易被探测和测量，并且为研究这些类型星系中的角动量和暗物质含量和分布提供了有价值的测试粒子，否则这是一个众所周知的难题。这项研究使用了一种最新开发的非常有效的PN径向速度测量观测技术，将窄带成像与无狭缝光谱相结合。现在这项技术已经成功地证明了，研究人员将调查更大的星系样本，研究旋转和暗物质，改进距离确定，并探索丰度研究的可能性。他还将在比以前更大范围的望远镜上增加能力，并测试其效率。本研究将引入一种新技术并训练学生如何使用它，并为许多孤立的和邻近星系团中的早期型星系产生大量的PN运动学信息，这将影响现代天体物理学的基本问题。这一结果很可能成为这类天体物理学研究的新参考标准。

AST-0307489MendezPlanetary nebulae (PN) are easy to detect and measure in early type galaxies, and make valuable test particles for studying the angular momentum and dark matter content and distribution in these types of galaxies, an otherwise notoriously difficult problem. This research uses a recently developed and very efficient observational technique for PN radial velocity measurements, combining narrow band imaging with slit-less spectroscopy. Now that this technique has been successfully demonstrated, the researcher will investigate a much larger sample of galaxies, studying rotation and dark matter, improving the distance determinations, and exploring the possibility of abundance studies. He will also add the capability to, and test its efficacy on, a wider range of telescopes than before.This study will introduce a new technique and train students in its use, and produce an enormous amount of PN kinematic information for many early type galaxies, both isolated and in nearby galaxy clusters, which will impact basic problems in modern astrophysics. The results are likely to become a new standard of reference for this kind of astrophysical research.