CAREER: Studying Galaxies Across Human and Cosmic History

首席研究员(PI)贝赞森和她的团队将对恒星形成和银河系等星系的生长历史进行普查。该团队将分析对宇宙历史上关键时期的大样本星系的观测结果。这项漫长的基线研究将从大多数星系处于稳定构型的当前时期开始，继续到大多数大型星系完成快速增长的宇宙暮光之城的样本，然后关注大质量星系迅速形成恒星的宇宙正午。这项研究提供的定量统计方法对于微调下一代星系形成的模拟和模型至关重要。为了扩大对科学的参与，该小组将重振历史悠久的阿勒格尼天文台的活动。该计划将包括公立学校参观、教师培训研讨会、艺术家常驻计划和科学工具包借阅图书馆。研究小组将分析每个时期星系的大样本的光谱，以估计恒星数量，并测试经验模型，以确定星系在宇宙时间内的组装历史。当前纪元的样本(z 0.15)将来自阿帕奇点天文台(MANGA)的绘制附近星系的调查，宇宙暮光(0.6 z 1.0)的样本将来自使用甚大望远镜的大型早期星系天体物理普查(LEGA-C)调查，而宇宙正午(z约1.5)的样本将来自使用斯巴鲁望远镜的Prime Focus光谱仪调查。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并已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。

Principal Investigator (PI) Bezanson and her team will make a census of the history of star formation and the growth of galaxies like the Milky Way. The team will analyze observations of large samples of galaxies at critical epochs in the history of the Universe. This long baseline study will start with the current epoch when most galaxies are in a stable configuration, move on to a sample at Cosmic Twilight, when most large galaxies finish their rapid growth, and then look to Cosmic Noon, when massive galaxies were rapidly forming stars. The quantitative, statistical measures provided by this study are critical to fine-tuning the next generation of simulations and models of galaxy formation. To broaden participation in science the team will revitalize activities at the historic Allegheny Observatory. The program will include public school visits, teacher training workshops, an artist in residence program, and a science kit lending library.The team will analyze spectra from large samples of galaxies at each epoch to estimate stellar populations and test empirical models to determine the assembly histories in galaxies over cosmic time. The sample for the current epoch (z 0.15) will come from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache point observatory (MaNGA) survey, the sample for Cosmic Twilight (0.6 z 1.0) will come from the Large Early Galaxy Astrophysics Census (LEGA-C) survey using the Very Large Telescope, and the sample at Cosmic Noon (z approx 1.5) will come from the Prime Focus Spectrograph survey using the Subaru Telescope.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.