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（HVS）。这些恒星是研究加速恒星的极端物理的绝佳实验室。这些恒星也是银河系难以捉摸的暗物质的关键示踪剂。然而，它们的起源和性质仍然没有得到很好的理解。根据盖亚宇宙飞船的新数据，数百颗快速移动的难以捉摸的恒星被发现。研究人员的主要目标是了解HVS的起源和性质。该项目还将使用盖亚使命的下一次数据发布来发现新的HVS。这些快速移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学。这些新的测量将通过提供HVS起源的关键约束来推进该领域，并使用它们来推断银河系及其暗物质晕的质量。调查人员将与公众接触，并培训我们的下一代STEM劳动力，重点是代表性不足的少数民族学生。研究人员将与德克萨斯大学TARUS项目的学生一起工作。该方案的重点是培训少数民族学生在计算机编码和研究方法的各个方面。该项目将通过TARUS为代表性不足的少数民族学生提供技术专业知识，这些专业知识可以在整个STEM职业生涯中转移。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“奔跑之星”外展之夜来提高公众的科学素养。这一活动将使公众能够了解该项目发现的最快恒星。它还将侧重于向公众传授基本的天文学和物理学原理。该奖项反映了NSF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。

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.