Collaborative Research: A Panchromatic View of Normal Galaxies in the Early Universe

识别高红移(大距离)、不受亮度影响的“正常”星系的一个工具是在背景光源的光谱中存在衰减的莱曼-阿尔法系统(DLA)。研究DLA对于加深我们对早期宇宙中星系演化的理解是必不可少的，但对于与DLA相关的星系以及它们与其他方法所确定的星系之间的关系，我们知之甚少。该项目将使用阿塔卡马大毫米阵列(ALMA)直接成像DLA星系，旨在回答星系形成的基本问题。该项目还将包括一个“桥梁”方案(学士后/预科学校)，以吸引和留住来自传统上代表性不足的群体的有才华的学生，目标是增加他们在STEM领域的参与度。该团队利用ALMA的力量，直接对DLA确定的HI精选星系进行了成像。这个项目旨在回答星系形成的基本问题，包括：正常星系在高红移时的光度、恒星形成率、气体质量和恒星质量是什么？转盘和合并的发生率是多少？吸收选择和发射选择会产生相同数量的星系吗？该项目还利用JVLA、NOEMA、VLT、GTC和Keck天文台来剖析从远紫外线到射电波长的星系群，获取电离气体、中性气体、恒星和尘埃的诊断信息。玛丽亚·米切尔天文台(MMO)桥梁项目将为学生提供机会，提高他们的实践研究技能，获得研究生水平的第一手研究知识，并为进入STEM研究生课程做准备。约翰霍普金斯大学的博士后研究员将直接与MMO Bridge的学生合作，获得宝贵的指导经验。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。

A tool to identify “normal” galaxies at high redshifts (large distances), not biased by their brightness, is the presence of Damped Lyman-alpha systems (DLAs) in spectra of background light sources. Studying DLAs is essential to further our understanding of galaxy evolution in the early Universe, but little is known about the galaxies associated with DLAs and the relation between them and those identified by other methods. This project will use the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) to directly image DLA galaxies and aims to answer fundamental questions of galaxy formation. The project will also include a “Bridge” program (post-bachelors degree/pre-graduate school) to attract and retain talented students from traditionally underrepresented groups, with a goal of increasing their participation in STEM fields. The team has leveraged the power of ALMA to directly image HI-selected galaxies identified by DLAs. This project aims to answer fundamental questions of galaxy formation including: What are the luminosities, star formation rates, gas masses, and stellar masses of normal galaxies at high redshifts? What is the incidence of rotating disks and mergers? Do absorption-selection and emission-selection yield the same population of galaxies? The project also leverages the JVLA, NOEMA, VLT, GTC, and Keck observatories to dissect the galaxy population from the far-UV to radio wavelengths, accessing ionized gas, neutral gas, stellar, and dust diagnostics. The Maria Mitchell Observatory (MMO) Bridge program will provide students the opportunity to improve their hands-on research skills, gain first-hand knowledge of graduate-level research, and prepare for entrance into STEM graduate programs. The postdoctoral researcher at Johns Hopkins University will work directly with the MMO Bridge students, gaining valuable mentoring experience.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.