Collaborative Research: Star Formation in Subcritical Environments

AST-0707563/0707426/0707468/0707835 Hunter/Elmegreen/Simpson/Young这是一个合作项目，由洛厄尔天文台的Deidre Hunter博士，IBM托马斯J.沃森研究中心的布鲁斯Elmegreen博士，佛罗里达国际大学的Caroline Simpson博士，和来自新墨西哥州矿业与技术研究所的丽莎杨博士。该团队将获得并分析矮不规则星系的高角和速度分辨率中性氢干涉数据，并将这些数据与它们的联合收割机结合起来。广泛的光学，紫外和红外图像，以确定这些星系如何形成恒星形成气体云，推动其演化。 这项研究将导致更好地了解星星的形成在所有盘星系，通过解决一些问题：什么调节星星的形成在小星系;什么是顺序触发的相对重要性;什么调节湍流;如何重要的是随机湍流触发;发生了什么事，在遥远的外部矮星系;什么方面的星星的形成变化在蓝色紧凑矮星系？ 矮星系是宇宙中最常见、化学性质最原始、与最早的恒星形成系统联系最紧密的星系类型。高中生、本科生、研究生和博士后研究人员已经并将继续参与这一科学发现之旅。 过去，这些参与者中有许多是妇女，有些也来自代表性不足的群体。 团队将继续保持这种偏好。 调查人员也都参与了持续的公共和K-12外联活动。

AST-0707563/0707426/0707468/0707835Hunter/Elmegreen/Simpson/YoungThis is a collaborative project led by Dr Deidre Hunter of Lowell Observatory, along with Dr Bruce Elmegreen at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Dr Caroline Simpson of Florida International University, and Dr Lisa Young from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.The team will obtain and analyze high angular and velocity resolution neutral hydrogen interferometric data of dwarf irregular galaxies and combine these with their extensive optical, ultra-violet, and infra-red images, in order to determine how these galaxies form star-forming gas clouds that propel their evolution. This study will lead to an improved understanding of star formation in all disk galaxies, by addressing a number of questions: what regulates star formation in small galaxies; what is the relative importance of sequential triggering; what regulates turbulence; how important is triggering by random turbulence; what is happening in the far outer parts of dwarf galaxies; what aspect of star formation changes in blue compact dwarf galaxies? These questions need to be answered because dwarf galaxies are the most common galaxy, the most pristine chemically, and the type most closely connected to the earliest star-forming systems in the universe.High school students, undergraduates, graduate students, and post-doctoral researchers have been, and will continue to be, involved in this journey of scientific discovery. Many of these participants have in the past been women, and some were also from under-represented groups. The team will continue this preference. The investigators are all also involved in continuing public and K-12 outreach activities.