CAREER: Probing the Extremes of Star Formation: A Census of Very Low-Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs in the Local Neighborhood

极低质量(VLM)恒星和棕矮星是银河系中最小、亮度最低、但却是最主要的重子种群之一。它们是恒星形成过程中最小极端的重要探测器，它们的性质告诉我们所有恒星的形成和演化中的边界条件和变化。然而，尽管它们无处不在，也很重要，但由于其固有的模糊性，它们的样本历来很小。PI将建立一个在UKIDSS、WISE、2MASS和SDSS全天观测中观察到的全面、交叉匹配的VLMS目录。他将测量10万多个VLM的自行，这将是有史以来组装的VLm普通-自行运动对中最大的样本。他还将在4.3米的探索频道望远镜上进行视差计划，以精确测量距离太阳33秒内的100多个VLMS。这项工作对于解决我们以前在VLM和VLm双星编目方面的不足是至关重要的，它将为我们对低质量和极低质量恒星是如何形成的提供一个至关重要的新理解。Pi将通过创建波士顿大学(BU)专业预科(Pre-MAP)计划将他的科学任务与多样性努力结合起来。他的计划将通过增加物理科学专业代表性不足的学生数量，直接满足全国对额外STEM专业的需求。BU Pre-MAP将使未被充分代表的一年级学生参与研究，并将增加天文学和STEM学科的参与度和多样性。

Very low-mass (VLM) stars and brown dwarfs make up the smallest, least luminous, but one of the most dominant baryonic populations of the Milky Way. They are vital probes of the smallest extremes of the star formation process, and their properties inform us about the boundary conditions and variations in the formation and evolution of all stars. However, despite their ubiquity and importance, samples of VLMs have historically been small due to their intrinsic faintness. The PI will build a comprehensive, cross-matched catalog of VLMs that were observed in the UKIDSS, WISE, 2MASS and SDSS all-sky surveys. He will measure proper motions for more than 100,000 VLMs, which will be the largest sample of VLM common-proper motion pairs ever assembled. He will also conduct a parallax program at the 4.3m Discovery Channel Telescope to measure accurate distances to more than 100 VLMs within 33 parsecs of the Sun. This work is essential to address the previous deficiencies in our cataloging of VLMs and VLM binaries, and it will provide a vital new understanding of how low mass and very low-mass stars form.The PI will integrate his science mission with diversity efforts by creating the Boston University (BU) Pre-Majors (Pre-MaP) program. His program will directly address the national need for additional STEM majors by increasing the number of underrepresented students in the physical sciences. BU Pre-MaP will expose first-year underrepresented students to research, and it will increase the participation and diversity in astronomy and STEM disciplines.