Collaborative Research: Extreme Starbursts and Outflows: The Formation of Massive Compact Galaxies

银河系经常在外流的星系风中喷射出大量的气体和尘埃，这是星系如何随着宇宙时间演化的关键因素。这些星系外流解释了为什么星系形成相对较少的恒星，与星星形成的潜在燃料量相比。理论模型要求它们正确地匹配观测到的星系质量分布和星星形成率，但它们仍然知之甚少。该项目将测试恒星能够在多大程度上产生这种风。研究人员将确定正在经历星星形成爆发的星系中流出物的物理性质。该项目将确定星系中恒星的物理特性以及它们驱动的外流。这些星系可能代表了大质量星系形成的关键阶段，因为它们消耗气体并关闭了未来恒星的形成。该项目将对本科生和研究生进行研究培训，并开展外联活动，通过课堂视频讨论和后续反思和评估，将全国各地的K-12教室与专业天文学家联系起来。流出气体和尘埃形式的反馈是星系演化的一个重要方面，解释了为什么星系形成的恒星相对较少，与宇宙的重子预算相比。星系外流在恒星形成星系中很普遍，可能会调节并最终关闭星星的形成。尽管反馈对星系演化过程至关重要，但其物理机制仍然知之甚少。该项目将测试恒星反馈的极限，方法是确定致密星爆星系的物理特性和空间密度，这些星系的外流速度最快（每秒1000公里），表面密度最高，星星形成率也最高。该项目将确定这些星系的尘埃星暴核心以及多相流出气体的物理特性。这些结果将限制这些极端外流的物理驱动因素，以及它们对宿主星系的影响。该项目旨在充分表征外流的性质，测试星星形成停止和反馈发展的时间顺序，并将这些星系置于大质量星系形成的更广泛背景下。该项目还将支持多名本科生和两名研究生的研究工作，并将支持外展工作，通过课堂视频讨论将专业天文学家带入课堂，并遵循-该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值进行评估，被认为值得支持和更广泛的影响审查标准。

Galaxies often eject large amounts of gas and dust in outflowing galactic winds, which are a crucial element in how galaxies evolve with cosmic time. These galactic outflows explain why galaxies form relatively few stars, compared to the amount of potential fuel available for star formation. They are required by theoretical models to correctly match the observed distributions of masses and star formation rates in galaxies, yet they remain poorly understood. This project will test the extent to which stars can create such winds. Investigators will determine the physical properties of outflows in galaxies that are undergoing a burst of star formation. This project will determine the physical characteristics of both the stars in the galaxies and the outflows they are driving. These galaxies likely represent a crucial phase in the creation of massive galaxies as they consume gas and shut down the future formation of stars. This project will train undergraduate and graduate students in research and implement outreach activities that will connect K-12 classrooms across the country with professional astronomers through in-class video discussions and follow-up reflection and assessment.Feedback in the form of outflowing gas and dust is a crucial aspect of galaxy evolution, explaining why galaxies form relatively few stars, compared to the baryon budget of the Universe. Galactic outflows are prevalent in star-forming galaxies and likely regulate and eventually shut off star formation. Despite the critical importance of feedback to the galaxy evolution process, its physical mechanisms remain poorly understood. This project will test the limits of stellar feedback by characterizing the physical properties and determining the space density of compact starburst galaxies that exhibit the fastest outflows (1000 km/s) and highest star formation rate surface densities known. This project will determine physical characteristics of both the dusty starburst cores of these galaxies as well as the multi-phase outflowing gas. These results will constrain the physical drivers of these extreme outflows, as well as their impact on their host galaxies. This project aims to fully characterize the nature of the outflows, test a time sequence for the shutdown of star formation and the development of feedback, and place these galaxies in the broader context of massive galaxy formation. This project will also support the research efforts of multiple undergraduate students, as well as two graduate students, and will support outreach efforts to connect K-12 students with research by bringing professional astronomers into classrooms via in-class video discussions and follow-up reflection and assessment.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.