Connecting the dots: Tracking hydrogen as it moves from large-scale atomic HI in the circumgalactic medium to cloud-scale molecular gas in star forming regions

艾米·萨多恩被授予美国国家科学基金会天文学和天体物理学博士后奖学金，在俄亥俄州立大学开展研究和教育项目。萨多恩将研究星系周围的大规模原子氢气如何转化为分子氢，并在星系内的小规模分子气云中推动恒星形成。除了这项研究，萨多恩还将为高中生实施一项科学研究指导计划，这些学生来自传统上在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)领域代表性不足的群体。Sarone将测量原子氢的流入，确定恒星形成区域，并在附近星系的大样本中研究原子氢气和分子氢气之间的关系。这将使天文学家了解原子气体和分子气体之间的转变，以及它在控制星系中恒星形成方面的作用。对于她工作中的教育部分，Sardo将实施一项研究指导计划，旨在改善STEM领域低收入和代表性不足的少数族裔学生的招生、留住和成功。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Amy Sardone is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct a program of research and education at the Ohio State University. Sardone will study how large-scale atomic hydrogen gas around galaxies is converted into molecular hydrogen and fuels star formation in small-scale molecular gas clouds within galaxies. Alongside this research, Sardone will implement a science research mentoring program for high school students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Sardone will measure the inflow of atomic hydrogen, identify star-forming regions, and study the relationship between the atomic hydrogen gas and molecular hydrogen gas in a large sample of nearby galaxies. This will allow astronomers to understand the transition between the atomic and molecular gas, and its role in controlling star formation in galaxies. For the educational component of her work, Sardone will conduct a research mentoring program aimed at improving the recruitment, retention, and success of low-income and underrepresented minority students in STEM fields.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.