The Origins of Fastest Stars in the Milky Way: A Chemo-Kinematic Perspective

银河系中最快的恒星通常被称为超高速恒星(HSS)。这些恒星是研究加速恒星的极端物理的极佳实验室。这些恒星也是银河系难以捉摸的暗物质的关键追踪者。然而，它们的起源和性质仍然没有被很好地理解。利用盖亚宇宙飞船的新数据，已经发现了数百颗这种快速运动的难以捉摸的恒星。研究人员的主要目标是了解HSS的起源和性质。该项目还将使用盖亚任务的下一版数据发现新的HSS。这些快速运动的恒星的化学指纹也将被测量，以标记它们的出生地。该项目还将测量这些恒星的运动，以限制银河系的质量，并确定将恒星加速到如此高的速度所需的物理条件。每一项新的测量都将通过提供关于HSS起源的关键约束来推进该领域，并利用它们来推断银河系及其暗物质晕的质量。调查员将与公众接触，并培训我们的下一代STEM劳动力，重点是未被充分代表的少数族裔学生。这位调查员将与德克萨斯大学Tarus项目的学生合作。该项目重点培训少数民族学生的计算机编码和研究方法的各个方面。该项目通过Tarus，将向未被充分代表的少数族裔学生提供可在STEM职业生涯中转让的技术专长。该项目还将通过为德克萨斯州奥斯汀地区创建一年一度的“奔跑中的明星”外展之夜来提高公众的科学素养。这一活动将使公众了解该项目发现的最快恒星。它还将重点向公众传授天文学和物理学的基本原理。这将通过一系列令人兴奋的讲座、演示和夜空观察来完成。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。

The fastest stars in the Galaxy are often referred to as hypervelocity stars (HVSs). These stars are excellent laboratories to study the extreme physics that accelerates stars. The stars are also key tracers of the Galaxy's elusive dark matter. Yet their origin and nature are still not well understood. With new data from the Gaia spacecraft, hundreds of these fast-moving elusive stars have been found. The investigator's primary goal to understand the origins and nature of HVSs. This project will also discover new HVSs using the next release of data from the Gaia mission. The chemical fingerprint of these fast-moving stars will also be measured to tag where they were born. The project will also measure the motions of these stars to constrain the mass of the Galaxy and determine the physics needed to accelerate stars to such high speeds. Each of these novel measurements will advance the field by providing key constraints of the origin of HVSs and use them to make inferences about the mass of the Milky Way and its dark matter halo. The investigator will engage the public and train the next generation of our STEM workforce with an emphasis on under-represented minority students. The investigator will work with students from the TARUS program at the University of Texas. This program focuses on training minority students in various aspects of computer coding and research methods. This project, through TARUS, will provide underrepresented minority students technical expertise that can be transferable throughout STEM careers. The project will also advance public scientific literacy by creating an annual 'Stars on the Run' outreach night for Austin, TX area. This event will enable the public to learn about the fastest stars discovered by this project. It will also focus teaching the public about basic astronomical and physical principals. This will be done through an exciting set of lectures, demos, and night sky observing.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.