Lighting Up the Cosmic Web: Probing Galaxy Formation and the Surrounding Gas Reservoir Using Giant Lyman-alpha Nebulae

了解星系和黑洞是如何产生并影响更大的宇宙环境的，是许多星系外天文学的潜在目标。这个项目的目的是利用巨大的气体星云作为星系形成过程的窗口，建立一种有效的方法来发现这些系统，然后研究形成星系的性质和周围星系间气体的物理条件。在此过程中，该计划将利用大数据时代的力量以及最新的天文仪器，在宇宙时间的最初几十亿年里，提供星系形成和黑洞增长的综合视图。该项目每年将为西班牙裔服务机构的两名本科生提供研究经验。它还将开发培训包，帮助激励代表性不足的学生实现他们在科学领域的潜力。这些材料将用于课堂和公共宣传。EPSCoR项目正在帮助资助这个项目。该项目将使用现有和未来的宽带成像大数据集来识别与星系形成区域相关的巨大ly - α发射云。利用现有的高分辨率图像和目录，该项目将对这些星云周围的星系人口进行普查。该团队将申请望远镜时间，以获得云的空间分辨光谱，以绘制弥漫气体云内的运动学和物理条件。该项目将支持来自西班牙裔服务机构的研究生和本科生。它还将开发“成长心态培训包”，用于天文学入门课程（三年内影响500多名学生）和公共观测活动（三年内影响3000多名学生）。该项目由EPSCoR项目共同资助。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

Understanding how galaxies and black holes grow out of and impact the larger cosmic environment is the underlying goal of much of extragalactic astronomy. The aim of this proposed project is to use giant gaseous nebulae as a window into the galaxy formation process, building an efficient method for finding these systems and then studying both the forming galaxy properties and the physical conditions in the surrounding intergalactic gas. In doing so, the program will leverage both the power of the Big Data era as well as the latest astronomical instruments to provide a synthesized view of galaxy formation and black hole growth in action during the first few billion years of cosmic time. The project will provide research experiences for two undergraduates per year at a Hispanic serving institution. It will also develop training packages that will help inspire underrepresented students to realize their potential in the sciences. These packages will be used in the classroom as well as in public outreach. The EPSCoR program is helping to fund this project.The project will use existing and future big data sets of broad band imaging to identify giant Ly-alpha emitting clouds that are associated with galaxy forming regions. Using existing high-resolution images and catalogs, the project will then take a census of the galaxy population around these clouds. The team will apply for telescope time to obtain spatially resolved spectroscopy of the clouds to map out the kinematics and physical conditions within the diffuse gas clouds. The project will support graduate students and undergraduate students from a Hispanic serving institution. It will also develop "growth mindset training packages" for use in introductory astronomy courses (impacting over 500 students over three years) and in public observing events (reaching over 3000 people over three years). The project is being co-funded by the EPSCoR program.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.