Uncovering the Nature of Lyman-alpha Nebulae in the Distant Universe

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。Zablueros博士将研究莱曼α斑点，这是遥远宇宙中巨大的发光气体云，可能代表了今天最明亮的星系的青春期。 她和她的团队将完成两个互补的盲测，以寻找距离如此遥远的莱曼α斑点，以至于我们看到它们在大爆炸后只有30亿年。 这些调查将使用一个窄带滤波器与宽视场成像器上的斯图尔特2.3米望远镜和两个4米望远镜的国家光学天文台。用较小的望远镜进行的浅但超宽的调查针对最稀有，最明亮的斑点，而用4米望远镜进行的调查将更深，以检测更多的微弱斑点。 然后，Zabluxian博士将在可见光和红外波长下拍摄最亮的斑点的光谱，以测量气体运动并限制温度，密度和化学成分。 比较不同光谱线的轮廓将显示发光气体是落入还是作为星系风吹出。 将这些观测结果与模型进行比较，将显示莱曼α斑点是否可能是气体吸积的新生星系。一名研究生和一名本科生将通过参与研究进行培训。 Zabluetan博士将把研究结果纳入本科生的课堂练习中。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Dr Zabludoff will study Lyman-alpha blobs, large clouds of glowing gas in the distant Universe that may represent the adolescence of today's brightest galaxies. She and her team will complete two complementary, blind surveys to search for Lyman-alpha blobs so distant that we see them as they were only 3 billion years after the Big Bang. These surveys will use a narrow-band filter with the wide-field imagers on the Steward 2.3-meter telescope and the two 4-meter telescopes of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. The shallow but ultra-wide survey with the smaller telescope targets the rarest, most luminous blobs, while the survey with the 4-meter telescopes will be deeper to detect the more numerous fainter blobs. Dr Zabludoff will then take spectra of the brightest blobs at optical and infrared wavelengths, to measure the gas motions and to constrain the temperature, density and chemical composition. Comparing profiles of the different spectral lines will show whether the glowing gas is falling in, or blowing out as a galactic wind. Comparing these observations with models will show whether the Lyman-alpha blobs are likely to be gas-accreting nascent galaxies.A graduate student and an undergraduate will be trained by participating in the research. Dr Zabludoff will incorporate results from the research into classroom exercises for undergraduate students.