Collaborative Research: Unearthing the Young Stars in Aquila

天文学的一个主要目标是了解形成恒星所必需的条件。恒星从巨大的尘埃云中开始它们的生命。猎户座星云就是这样一个壮观的例子，其中有许多恒星正在形成。一个特别有趣的恒星形成区域是阿奎拉裂谷，它是一片巨大的暗气云。裂谷之所以重要，是因为没有其他星云如此巨大，而且可能蕴藏着丰富的年轻恒星，离太阳这么近。几十年来，天文学家一直对裂谷中缺乏年轻恒星感到困惑，因为它包含的气体足以形成大约10万个太阳。然而，在大裂谷中只发现了几颗年轻的恒星。寻找恒星形成证据的一种方法是寻找赫比格-哈罗(HH)天体--年轻恒星产生的独特气体喷流。一种新方法被证明成功地在裂谷中发现了数十个新的HH天体，其中许多位于以前从未见过的地方。他们的发现表明，在裂谷中正在形成的恒星比之前认为的要多得多。该项目的目标是完成对裂谷的全面调查，以更好地了解星云中恒星形成的程度。此次调查将使用由美国国家科学基金会NOIRLab运营的Cerro Tololo美洲天文台Blanco 4米望远镜上的“暗能量”相机(DECAM)。这是世界上唯一一台可以进行这种搜索的望远镜。这次在裂缝中寻找HH天体的工作将由雷克托博士发展成一门“本科生研究体验课程”(CURE)。CURES是一种既定的教学模式，通过让初级本科生有机会用真实数据进行真实的研究，将科学研究与教育相结合。它的目标有三个：(1)教授科学是一个发现的过程，而不仅仅是一个知识体系；(2)改善对科学和STEM职业的态度；(3)发展批判性思维、团队合作和目标驱动的工作技能，这对任何职业都是重要的。普拉托博士还将指导她的本科生，并参与外展活动，特别是作为科学界女性和有兴趣从事科学事业的女孩的榜样。普拉托积极指导洛厄尔和NAU的职业初级女性。此外，普拉托正在为一个专业发展研讨会开发课程，旨在为高级本科生和职业生涯早期研究生提供通常不会在课堂上教授的批判性专业建议。PRADO还领导了一项重大努力，为资源不足社区的高中生提供信息和资源，以继续接受中等STEM教育。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。

A major goal in astronomy is to understand the conditions necessary to form stars. Stars begin their lives in giant, dusty clouds of gas. The Orion Nebula is a spectacular example of such a cloud in which many stars are forming. A particularly interesting star forming region is the Aquila Rift, a massive expanse of dark gas clouds. The Rift is important because no other nebula so large and potentially rich in young stars lies this close to the Sun. For many decades astronomers have been puzzled by the lack of young stars in the Rift because it contains enough gas to form about a hundred thousand Suns. Yet only a few young stars had been identified in the Rift. One way to find evidence of forming stars is to look for Herbig-Haro (HH) objects- distinct jets of gas that are produced by young stars. A new method has proven successful in finding several dozen new HH objects in the Rift, many in places where none had been seen before. Their discovery shows that many more stars are forming in the Rift than previously thought. The goal of this project is to complete a comprehensive survey of the Rift to better understand the extent of star formation within its clouds. The survey will use the "Dark Energy" Camera (DECam) on the Blanco 4-meter telescope at the Cerro Tololo Interamerican observatory, which is operated by NSF's NOIRLab. It is the only telescope in the world that can do this search.This search for HH objects in the Rift will be developed by Dr. Rector into a "Curriculum for Undergraduate Research Experience" (CURE). CUREs are an established instructional model that integrates scientific research with education by giving introductory-level undergraduate students an opportunity to do authentic research with real data. Its goals are threefold: (1) to teach that science is a process of discovery, not just a body of knowledge, (2) to improve attitudes towards science and STEM careers, and (3) to develop critical thinking, teamwork and goal-driven work skills important in any career. Dr. Prato will also mentor her undergraduate students and participate in outreach activities, particularly as a role model to women in science and to girls interested in pursuing science as a career. Prato actively mentors professional junior women at Lowell and NAU. Furthermore, Prato is developing a curriculum for a professional development workshop aimed at providing advanced undergraduates and early-career graduate students with critical professional advice of the type that is not typically taught in class. Prato is also leading a major effort to provide information and resources for high school students in under-resourced communities to pursue secondary STEM education.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.