CAREER: Studying Galaxies Across Human and Cosmic History

首席研究员（PI） Bezanson和她的团队将对恒星形成的历史和银河系等星系的成长进行普查。该团队将分析宇宙历史上关键时期的大型星系样本的观测结果。这项长基线研究将从当前时代开始，那时大多数星系处于稳定的状态，接着是宇宙黄昏时期的样本，那时大多数大型星系完成了它们的快速增长，然后是宇宙正午时期，那时大质量星系正在快速形成恒星。这项研究提供的定量统计测量对于微调下一代星系形成的模拟和模型至关重要。为了扩大科学参与，该小组将在历史悠久的阿勒格尼天文台重新开展活动。该计划将包括公立学校参观、教师培训讲习班、艺术家驻留计划和科学工具包借阅图书馆。该团队将分析每个时代的大型星系样本的光谱，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）附近星系测绘调查，宇宙黄昏的样本（0.6 z 1.0）将来自使用甚大望远镜的大早期星系天体物理普查（LEGA-C）调查，宇宙正午的样本（z约1.5）将来自使用斯巴鲁望远镜的定焦光谱仪调查。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。

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.