Collaborative Research: Peering to the Heart of Massive Star Birth

比太阳大得多的大质量恒星通过它们的强风和它们产生的强烈辐射影响着星系的演化。当它们以超新星的形式爆炸时，大质量恒星会向周围的星际介质抛出重元素。然而，尽管它们很重要，但人们对它们是如何形成的知之甚少。在这个项目中，新墨西哥州和智利的射电望远镜将观测到100多颗非常年轻的大质量恒星。计算机模型将被用来解释观测数据，并从整体上更好地理解大质量恒星的形成。研究生和本科生将参与这个项目。提倡者还计划开发一个现有的外展项目，名为猎星计划，让中学生和他们的老师参与一项天文研究活动。追星计划将被部署到新墨西哥州、弗吉尼亚州的学校，并最终在全国范围内展开。这个由弗吉尼亚州和新墨西哥州的团队合作的项目将调查大质量年轻恒星的性质和起源。提出了一种理论和观测相结合的方法：将产生一个由模型、光谱能量分布和合成图像组成的网格。然后，将用甚大阵列观测到100多颗大质量原恒星的厘米连续发射，用阿塔卡马大毫米阵列观测到毫米/亚毫米发射。观测数据将用于测试模型，说明低质量伴星和无线电喷流的存在，并表征流入和流出特性。流入速度和质量流率将与SED拟合的岩心吸积模型的期望值进行比较。同样，分子外流特性将与无线电喷气式飞机的特性和模型的预测进行比较。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。

Massive stars much larger than the sun affect the evolution of galaxies through their powerful winds and the intense radiation they produce. When they explode as supernovae, massive stars throw heavy elements into the surrounding interstellar medium. Yet despite their importance, little is known about how they are formed. In this project, over 100 very young, massive stars will be observed with radio telescopes in New Mexico and Chile. Computer models will be used to interpret the observational data and to develop a better understanding of massive star formation as a whole. Graduate and undergraduate students will be involved in this project. The proposers also plan on developing an existing outreach program, Star Hunt, that involves middle school children and their teachers in an astronomy research exercise. Star Hunt Plus will be deployed to schools in New Mexico, Virginia and eventually nationwide.This collaborative project, between teams in Virginia and New Mexico, will investigate the nature and origin of massive young stars. A combined theoretical and observational approach is proposed: a grid of model Spectral Energy Distributions and synthetic images will be produced. Over 100 massive protostars will then be observed in cm continuum emission with the Very Large Array and in mm/sub-mm emission with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array. The observational data will be used to test the models, illustrate the presence of lower-mass companions and radio jets, and characterize inflow and outflow properties. Infall velocities and mass flow rates will be compared to the values expected from the SED-fitted core accretion models. Similarly, the molecular outflow properties will be compared to those of the radio jets and predictions of the models.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.