Collaborative Research: Exploring the Dark Side of NGC 5128

合作研究：探索 NGC 5128 的黑暗面

• 批准号: 1812856
• 负责人: Jay Strader
• 金额: $ 4.76万
• 依托单位: Michigan State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-08-15 至 2021-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1812856&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Exploring; Dark; Side

The investigators will study the outskirts of the nearest giant elliptical galaxy, named Centaurus A, to learn how the galaxy built up its stellar and dark matter mass over cosmic time. The investigators have measured the positions of nearly all the luminous star clusters associated with Centaurus A, and will precisely measure their velocities using large ground-based telescopes. Using observations of the collection of star clusters, and their motions around Centaurus A, the investigators will measure the dark matter density profile of the galaxy, and search for remnants of smaller galaxies that have merged with Centaurus A. The important goal of their observations is identifying large star clusters which are the remnants left over from smaller galaxies after they have been devoured by the larger Centaurus A. By studying the motions of these star clusters in detail, along with the smaller galaxies it has destroyed, they will have a complete inventory of the 'dark side' of Centaurus A. Their results will be applied to studies of all galaxy populations. The investigators will present the science results from this program to visitors at the National Science Foundation's Kitt Peak National Observatory, by implementing a new docent training program at the visitor center. The investigators will travel to Bryce Canyon National Park and present their results, through summer internships, which ultimately teach 16,000 visitors about the night sky.The currently favored cold dark matter model makes clear predictions for the sub-halo mass function and dark matter density profile of galaxy-sized halos, but quantitatively verifying these predictions is challenging. Centaurus A's dark matter density profile will be measured, using the kinematics derived from a nearly complete sample of star clusters, and the results compared to recent simulations that suggest galaxies with recent mergers and active galactic nuclei should have shallow dark matter profiles. By combining the star cluster kinematics with an already existing red giant branch star map, the visible, accreted substructures will be identified and weighed. Finally, a complete sample of ultra-compact dwarfs will be analyzed, including a search identifying them as the central compact remnants of stripped dwarf galaxies. Accounting for this population of sub-halos is a novel aspect of this program, and one that has largely been neglected when testing galaxy formation models. These efforts will test major predictions of the cold dark matter model at sub-galactic scales in our nearest elliptical galaxy neighbor.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

研究人员将研究最近的巨型椭圆星系Centaurus A的外围，以了解该星系如何在宇宙时间内建立其恒星和暗物质质量。 研究人员已经测量了几乎所有与半人马座A有关的发光星星团的位置，并将使用大型地面望远镜精确测量它们的速度。 利用对星星集群的观测，以及它们在半人马座A周围的运动，研究人员将测量星系的暗物质密度分布，并寻找与半人马座A合并的较小星系的残留物。 他们观测的重要目标是识别大型星星团，这些星团是较小星系被较大的半人马座A吞噬后留下的残余物。 通过详细研究这些星星的运动，沿着它所摧毁的较小星系，他们将对半人马座A的“黑暗面”有一个完整的清单。 他们的研究结果将应用于所有星系群的研究。 研究人员将通过在游客中心实施一项新的讲解员培训计划，向国家科学基金会基特峰国家天文台的游客展示该项目的科学成果。 研究人员将前往布莱斯峡谷国家公园，通过夏季实习展示他们的成果，最终向16，000名游客传授有关夜空的知识。目前备受青睐的冷暗物质模型对亚晕质量函数和暗物质密度做出了明确的预测星系大小的晕，但定量验证这些预测具有挑战性。 半人马座A的暗物质密度分布将被测量，使用来自一个几乎完整的星星集群样本的运动学，并将结果与最近的模拟结果进行比较，这些模拟结果表明，最近合并的星系和活跃的星系核应该有浅的暗物质分布。 通过将星星团的运动学与现有的红巨星分支星星图相结合，可以识别和衡量可见的吸积子结构。 最后，将对超致密矮星的完整样本进行分析，包括将它们确定为剥离矮星系的中央致密残留物的搜索。 考虑到这种亚晕的数量是这个计划的一个新方面，也是在测试星系形成模型时被忽视的一个方面。 这些努力将测试冷暗物质模型在我们最近的椭圆星系邻居亚星系尺度上的主要预测。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

A Search for Wandering Black Holes in the Milky Way with Gaia and DECaLS

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac0896
• 发表时间: 2021-05
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal
• 作者: J. Greene;Lachlan Lancaster;Y. Ting;Sergey E. Koposov;S. Danieli;Song Huang;F. Jiang;J. Greco

Resolved Dwarf Galaxy Searches within ∼5 Mpc with the Vera Rubin Observatory and Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam*

使用 Vera Rubin 天文台和 Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam* 解决了 â⁄5 Mpc 内的矮星系搜索问题*

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac0db8
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal
• 作者: Mutlu-Pakdil, Burçin;Sand, David J.;Crnojević, Denija;Drlica-Wagner, Alex;Caldwell, Nelson;Guhathakurta, Puragra;Seth, Anil C.;Simon, Joshua D.;Strader, Jay;Toloba, Elisa
• 通讯作者: Toloba, Elisa

Detection of a 100,000 M ⊙ black hole in M31's Most Massive Globular Cluster: A Tidally Stripped Nucleus

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac339f
• 发表时间: 2021-11
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal
• 作者: R. Pechetti;A. Seth;S. Kamann;N. Caldwell;J. Strader;M. den Brok;N. Luetzgendorf;N. Neumayer;K. Voggel

Eridanus II: A Fossil from Reionization with an Off-center Star Cluster

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/abd31b
• 发表时间: 2020-11
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal
• 作者: J. Simon;T. Brown;A. Drlica-Wagner;Ting S. Li;R. Avila;K. Bechtol;G. Clementini;D. Crnojević