Collaborative Research: Raising the Bar: Radio Investigations of the Structure and Dynamics of the Galactic Bulge

研究人员将使用射电望远镜沿着我们银河系的平面搜索红巨星。这些恒星具有像超亮激光一样的显著特征，由于在这类恒星周围环境中发现的分子一氧化硅(SiO)而发射无线电波。由于这一独特的特征，射电望远镜可以在很远的距离探测到这些恒星，即使它们隐藏在尘埃和气体云中。研究人员将利用这些恒星来研究我们银河系的结构，并了解我们的银河系是如何被附近其他星系和银河系中的星团的引力所吸引的。通过寻找星系中恒星的异常运动，研究人员可以探测到过去矮小星系与我们银河系的碰撞。研究人员将测试银河系中的一个关键特征--“条形”--的模型。“条形”是一种在银河系中心两侧延伸的线性结构。据认为，星云部分是由星团和气体的引力作用造成的。这些星系团合并成为我们银河系的一部分。除了条形外，我们的银河系还在中心附近显示出一种“凸起”，恒星在那里到达高轨道。在我们银河系的区域，恒星集中在一个圆盘上。研究人员将为学生提供科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)学科的参与机会和教育。这包括寻找少数族裔学生参与该项目，并集中精力加强女性参与。通过这个研究奖项，研究生将得到培训，更多的本科生将有机会从事暑期研究工作。具体的科学目标包括对银河系隆起和中央星系盘的动力学和结构进行建模。这一数据将有助于确定星系棒与银河面和星系中心人口的关系，以及凸起的强方方势对动力学的影响，以及“长”棒的存在。特别是，N体模型和自洽模型都将与来自恒星脉泽速度的直接动力学测量进行比较。从近红外光谱将确定星周包层的元素丰度和性质。这位研究人员的研究对于理解所有螺旋星系的结构也很重要。银河系凸起提供了一个独特的实验室，因为它是唯一可以对许多盘状星系中发生的过程进行详细研究的地方。

The investigators will search for red giant stars along the plane of our Milky Way galaxy, using radio telescopes. These stars have the remarkable characteristic of acting like ultra-bright lasers, emitting radio waves due to the molecule Silicon Monoxide (SiO), which is found in the environment surrounding this type of star. Because of this unique feature, radio telescopes can detect these stars at great distances, even when they are hidden in clouds of dust and gas. The investigators will use the stars to study the structure of our galaxy and understand how our Galaxy is being pulled by the gravity of other nearby galaxies and clusters of stars in our Galaxy. By looking for unusual motions of stars in the galaxy, the investigators can detect the past collisions of dwarf galaxies with our Galaxy. The investigators will test models for a key feature seen in our Galaxy, "the bar", a linear structure extending on both sides of the center of our Galaxy. The bar is thought to partially result from the gravitational pull of clusters of stars and gas. These clusters merged to become part of our Milky Way. In addition to the bar, our Galaxy also shows a "bulge" near the center, where stars reach high orbits. In our region of the galaxy the stars are concentrated in a disk.The researchers will provide student participation opportunities and education within the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. This includes finding minority students to work on the project and concentrating on strengthening female participation. Through this research award, graduate students will be trained and additional undergraduate students will be have to opportunity for summer research jobs.Specific science goals include the modeling of the dynamics and the structure of the Galactic bulge and the central galactic disk. This data will allow defining the relationship of the bar to the populations of the Galactic plane and Center, and the effect of the strongly boxy potential of the bulge on dynamics, and the presence of a ``long'' bar. In particular, both N-body models and self-consistent models will be compared with direct dynamical measurements from the stellar maser velocities. From near-infrared spectra elemental abundances and properties of the circumstellar envelopes will be determined. The investigator's studies will also be important for understanding the structure of all spiral galaxies. The Galactic bulge provides a unique laboratory, as it is the only place where detailed studies are possible for the processes taking place in many disk galaxies.