CAREER: More Accurate Galaxy Merger Rates to Propel Studies of Gravitational Waves and Star Formation in Galaxy Mergers

合并是星系在宇宙时间内演化的主要驱动力之一，因为它们从气体聚集变成螺旋和椭圆结构。了解它们的状态将提供最佳的经验合并率作为恒星质量的函数，从而确定SMBH双星向引力波状态的动态演化机制，以及星系合并在驱动恒星形成中的作用。这些估计将用于回答两个基本的研究问题：SMBH双星合并需要多长时间？星系合并和长期过程在驱动恒星形成中的作用是什么？在PI的监督下，两名科罗拉多大学本科生将在落基山国家公园举办一个天文学公众教育项目，以教育公众与研究项目相关的科学主题。据估计，该计划将在五年内达到12,000至18,000名游客。在学年中，学生们将把时间花在研究上。最大的星系积分场光谱调查MaNGA将对超过10,000个星系进行合并分类，并将结合最新的GADGET-3星系模拟和IllustrisTNG宇宙学模拟的合并时间尺度，对星系合并率作为恒星质量、质量比和红移的函数做出最好的经验估计。这些估计将有助于理解星系合并率的作用，以及产生SMBHs的过程，以及它们合并的时间尺度。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。

Mergers are one of the main drivers in the evolution of galaxies over cosmic time as they morph from aggregates of gas into spiral and elliptical structures. Knowledge of their status will provide the best possible empirical merger rate as function of stellar mass, allowing the determination of the mechanisms for the dynamical evolution of SMBH binaries to the gravitational wave regime, and the role of galaxy mergers in driving star formation. These estimates will be used to answer two fundamental research questions: How long does it take for SMBH binaries to merge? What are the roles of galaxy mergers and secular processes in driving star formation? A public education program in astronomy will be given at Rocky Mountain National Park by two CU undergraduates under the supervision of the PI to educate the public on scientific topics related to the research program. It is estimated that this program will reach 12,000 to 18,000 visitors to the park over the five years of this grant. During the academic year the students will devote their time to research. The largest integral field spectrographic survey of galaxies, MaNGA, will enable merger classifications for over 10,000 galaxies, which will be combined with merger timescales from the latest GADGET-3 galaxy simulations and IllustrisTNG cosmological simulations to make the best possible empirical estimates of the galaxy merger rate as a function of stellar mass, mass ratio, and redshift. These estimates will address understanding of the role of galaxy merger rates and the processes giving rise to SMBHs as well as the timescale for their mergers.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.