The GOTHAM Project: A New Window on Our Aromatic Universe

我们宇宙的化学是由被称为多环芳烃(PAHs)的碳分子主导的。多达四分之一的碳--也许是生命中最重要的元素--都包含在这些化学物质中。在这个项目中，一个专门的天体化学项目将探索导致复杂多环芳烃的化学途径。研究人员将把重点放在观察寒冷、黑暗的分子云上，那里发现了大量的多环芳烃。这些星云是恒星形成的最早阶段，这暗示着这些分子可能在年轻恒星和行星的化学中扮演着重要角色。将使用射电望远镜在太空中搜索该地区更多的多环芳烃，并将开发计算机机器学习方法来帮助我们了解化学。调查人员创建的数据产品和计算机代码将自由公开发布。研究人员将通过一系列在线研讨会向公众分享他们的研究成果。冷云中多环芳烃的存在令人惊讶，因为长期以来人们一直认为它们主要是在演化恒星的高温包层中形成的。极高灵敏度、高分辨率的谱线测量使这第一波发现成为可能，这只是冰山一角。研究人员将继续分析这些数据，包括搜索新的多环芳烃和其他化学相关物种，并创建一种新的机器学习方法来预测和探索星际化学物质清单。这些项目将与实验室光谱学和天体化学建模方面的大量天文学家密切合作。这一奖项反映了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。

The chemistry of our Universe is dominated by carbon molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). As much as a quarter of all carbon - perhaps the most important element for life - is contained in these chemicals. In this project, a dedicated astrochemistry program will explore the chemical pathways leading to complex PAHs. The investigators will focus on the observations of cold, dark molecular clouds where PAHs are found in abundance. These clouds are sites of the earliest stages of star formation, which hints that these molecules may play a large role in the chemistry of young stars and planets. Radio telescopes will be used to search for more PAHs in this region in space, and computer machine learning approaches will be developed to help us understand the chemistry. Data products and computer code the investigators create will be released freely and publicly. The investigators will share their research to the public through a series of online seminars.The presence of PAHs in cold clouds is surprising, as it has long been thought that they are predominantly formed in the high-temperature envelopes of evolved stars. The extremely high-sensitivity, high-resolution spectroscopic line survey that has enabled this first wave of discoveries is only the tip of the iceberg. The investigators will continue analysis of these data, including searching for new PAHs and other chemically related species and create a novel machine learning approach to predicting and exploring interstellar chemical inventories. These projects will interface closely with laboratory spectroscopy and astrochemical modeling aspects with a large collaboration of astronomers.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.