Collaborative Research: Star Formation in Subcritical Environments

AST-0707563/0707426/0707468/0707835Hunter/Elmegreen/Simpson/YoungThis是由洛厄尔天文台的Deidre Hunter博士、IBM Thomas J.Watson研究中心的Bruce Elmegreen博士、佛罗里达国际大学的Caroline Simpson博士和新墨西哥矿业与技术研究所的Lisa Young博士共同领导的一个项目。该团队将获取和分析矮小不规则星系的高角分辨率和速度分辨率的中性氢干涉数据，并将这些数据与它们广泛的光学、紫外线和红外线图像相结合，以确定这些星系如何形成恒星形成的气体云，推动它们的演化。这项研究将通过解决以下一些问题来提高对所有盘状星系中恒星形成的理解：是什么调节了小星系中的恒星形成；顺序触发的相对重要性是什么；是什么调节了湍流；随机湍流的触发有多重要；矮小星系的远外部发生了什么；蓝色致密矮星系中恒星形成的哪些方面发生了变化？这些问题需要回答，因为矮星系是最常见的星系，在化学上最原始，也是与宇宙中最早的恒星形成系统联系最密切的类型。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。这些参与者中的许多人过去都是妇女，一些人也来自代表性不足的群体。该团队将继续保持这一偏好。调查人员还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.