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沿着寻找红巨星。这些恒星具有像超亮激光器一样的显着特征，由于在这种星星周围的环境中发现的一氧化硅（SiO）分子而发射无线电波。由于这种独特的特征，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，并了解我们银河系是如何被附近其他星系和星系团的引力所吸引的。通过寻找银河系中恒星的不寻常运动，研究人员可以探测到矮星系与我们银河系过去的碰撞。研究人员将测试我们银河系中的一个关键特征的模型，“酒吧”，一个在我们银河系中心两侧延伸的线性结构。这条磁棒被认为部分是由恒星和气体团的引力引起的。这些星系团合并成为我们银河系的一部分。除了条形，我们的银河系在中心附近也显示出一个“凸起”，恒星在那里到达高轨道。在银河系的我们区域，恒星集中在一个圆盘中。研究人员将在科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）学科内提供学生参与机会和教育。这包括寻找少数民族学生参与该项目，并集中精力加强女性的参与。通过这个研究奖，研究生将得到培训，更多的本科生将有机会进行暑期研究工作。具体的科学目标包括模拟银河系凸起和中央星系盘的动力学和结构。这些数据将允许定义酒吧的关系，银河平面和中心的人口，和效果的强烈boxy潜力的隆起动力学，和存在的“长”酒吧。特别是，N体模型和自洽模型将与恒星脉泽速度的直接动力学测量进行比较。根据近红外光谱，将确定星周包层的元素丰度和性质。研究人员的研究对于了解所有螺旋星系的结构也很重要。银河核球提供了一个独特的实验室，因为它是唯一可以详细研究许多盘星系中发生的过程的地方。

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.