Gamma-ray Burst Afterglows as a New Probe of the Young Universe

伽马射线暴余辉作为年轻宇宙的新探测器

• 批准号: 0607510
• 负责人: Hsiao-Wen Chen
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Chicago
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-09-01 至 2011-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0607510&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Gamma; ray; Burst; Afterglows; New

AST-0607510ChenDamped Lyman-alpha absorbers (DLAs), traditionally found along the sightlines toward background quasars, probe neutral gas regions that resemble the disks of nearby luminous galaxies, that is, they are the gas reservoir that fosters star formation at high redshift. However, identifying the stellar counterpart of the DLAs is difficult because the quasars outshine the faint galaxies in the foreground, so understanding the nature of DLA galaxies requires a new approach. This program will identify a new sample of DLAs along the sightlines toward gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows, whose brightness makes them a sensitive probe of intervening gas, but which do not interfere with studies of absorbing galaxies once the afterglow has faded. Early-time, high-resolution spectroscopy of GRB afterglows together with deep, late-time imaging and spectroscopic surveys along the sightlines offers a novel way to study the DLA galaxies and their interstellar medium.Data obtained will be archived and made available to the community, and will be useful for a broad range of scientific studies. The work will educate a graduate student, and inspire undergraduates and other young scientists, through participation in observations and short courses. Exquisite imaging and spectroscopic data will be combined with computer simulations to produce animations and posters for public education, through collaboration with the Adler Planetarium.

AST-0607510陈阻尼莱曼α吸收体（DLAs），传统上发现沿着视线朝向背景类星体，探测类似于附近发光星系盘的中性气体区域，也就是说，它们是促进高红移星星形成的气体储存器。 然而，识别DLA的恒星对应物是困难的，因为类星体在前景中的亮度超过了暗淡的星系，因此理解DLA星系的性质需要一种新的方法。 该计划将确定一个新的样品的DLAs沿着视线对伽马射线暴（GRB）余辉，其亮度使他们成为一个敏感的探针干预气体，但不干扰吸收星系的研究，一旦余辉已经褪色。 伽玛射线暴余辉的早期高分辨率光谱学以及沿视线沿着的深部、晚期成像和光谱测量为研究DLA星系及其星际介质提供了一种新的方法。所获得的数据将被存档并提供给社区，并将对广泛的科学研究有用。 这项工作将通过参与观察和短期课程来教育一名研究生，并激励本科生和其他年轻科学家。 通过与阿德勒天文馆的合作，精密的成像和光谱数据将与计算机模拟相结合，制作动画和海报，用于公众教育。