Collaborative Research: A Medium-Band K-band Survey with Gemini to Identify the First Quenching Galaxies and Extreme Episodes of Galaxy Formation

在早期的宇宙中，大质量星系在恒星形成的剧烈爆发中迅速增长，然后熄灭（突然停止以高速率形成恒星）。首席研究员Papovich和Marchesini将使用位于双子座南望远镜上的第二佛罗里达多目标成像近红外格里斯观测光谱仪（FLAMINGOS2, F2）对这些遥远的大质量星系进行普查，并研究这些星系从恒星形成到熄灭的潜在物理过程。该团队将参加德克萨斯农工大学的战士-学者新兵训练营，该训练营帮助学生从现役军人过渡到高等教育。此外，该团队还将指导一名从塔夫茨大学访问和早期研究学者体验项目中选出的暑期学生。该项目与传统黑人大学有合作关系。该团队正在使用他们定制的近红外蓝色滤光片（以2.0微米为中心）和红色滤光片（以2.3微米为中心），以便对红移3z6的星系的4000埃/巴尔默断敏感。该小组将进行0.5平方度的星系外近红外k分裂调查（FENIKS）。该调查将对三个深遗产领域进行成像，即宇宙演化调查，大天文台起源深度调查-南方和超深度调查。该团队将研究大质量（log(M/Msun) 10.9）星系中的恒星数量和超大质量黑洞，并确定星系何时开始熄灭。该团队还将识别和研究数百个具有强烈星云发射的极端星系，这在星系形成和宇宙再电离的背景下很重要。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。

In the early universe, massive galaxies grew rapidly through intense bursts of star formation, and then quenched (abruptly stopped forming stars at high rates). Principal Investigators Papovich and Marchesini will use the Second Florida Multi-Object Imaging Near-Infrared Grism Observational Spectrometer (FLAMINGOS2, F2) on the Gemini-South Telescope to conduct a census of these distant massive galaxies and study the underlying physical processes that transform the galaxies from star forming to quenched. The team will participate in Warrior-Scholar boot camps at Texas A&M University, which assist students as they transition from active military service to higher education. In addition, the team will mentor a summer student selected from the Tufts University Visiting and Early Research Scholars Experience Program. This program has a partnership with Historically Black Colleges.The team are using their custom built near infrared blue filter (centered at 2.0 micron) and red filter (centered at 2.3 micron) in order to be sensitive to the 4000 Angstrom/Balmer break for galaxies at redshifts 3 z 6. The team will conduct the 0.5 square degree F2 Extragalactic Near-IR K-Split Survey (FENIKS). The survey will image three deep legacy fields, the Cosmic Evolution Survey, the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey – South, and the Ultra Deep Survey. The team will study the stellar populations and supermassive black holes in massive (log(M/Msun) 10.9) galaxies and determine when galaxies first begin to quench. The team will also identify and study hundreds of extreme galaxies with intense nebular emission, which are important in the context of galaxy formation and cosmic reionization.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.