Multiphase Circumgalactic Gas Flow and the Growth of the Galactic Disk

Stephanie Ho被授予NSF天文学和天体物理学奖学金，在新墨西哥州州立大学开展研究和教育计划。 Ho将对附近星系的环星系介质（CGM）进行观测和模拟，以研究气体如何流入和流出星系。 该项目的结果将阐明气体如何在星系上吸积，为星星的形成提供燃料，并使星系盘生长。 何教授亦会举办外展活动，以提高未被充分代表的青少年对天文学的认识，使他们认识到天文学是一条可行的职业道路。这个研究项目将探讨冷CGM、温热CGM和银河盘之间的相互作用。 何博士将把星系盘的方向纳入环星系气体流动的物理模型中，以解释冷和暖-热CGM的起源。 Ho还将分析使用宇宙学模拟产生的模拟吸收光谱，以了解CGM的冷相和温热相之间观察到的运动学错位。 最后，她将结合联合收割机光谱观测的发射线和环星系吸收线对附近星系的气体流动分析和了解吸积在磁盘growth.This的作用反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

Stephanie Ho is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at New Mexico State University. Ho will conduct observations and simulations of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of nearby galaxies to study how gas flows in and out of galaxies. Results from this project will elucidate how gas accretes onto galaxies, fuels star formation, and grows galactic disks. Ho will also conduct outreach activities to increase awareness among underrepresented youth about astronomy as a possible career path. This research project will examine the interplay between the cool CGM, the warm-hot CGM, and the galactic disk. Ho will incorporate galaxy disk orientation into physical models of circumgalatic gas flow to explain the origin of the cool and warm-hot CGM. Ho will also analyze mock absorption spectra generated using cosmological simulations to understand the observed kinematic misalignment between the cool and warm-hot phases of the CGM. Finally, she will combine spectroscopic observations of emission lines and circumgalactic absorption lines toward nearby galaxies to analyze gas flow and understand the role of accretion in disk growth.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.