Collaborative Research: The Cosmic Baryon Cycle in 3D

气体进出星系的循环调节着星系的恒星形成。气体的发射很微弱，因此很难研究气体的流动。一个自然的解决方案是观察透镜星系，其中前景星系会弯曲来自遥远星系的光线。 这种引力透镜就像一个天然望远镜，放大微弱的发射并放大以绘制小尺度结构。首席研究员 (PI) Bordoloi 和 Howk 将分析透镜星系样本的光谱，以研究气体流动如何影响恒星形成。该团队将开发外展视频和图像，重点介绍积分场光谱、引力透镜和环河介质（CGM）中的气体流动。该团队将与北卡罗来纳州立大学科学之家合作，为公众举办夜间观星和白天太阳观测活动。PI 将分析 W. M. Keck 天文台的 Keck 宇宙网络成像仪 (KCWI) 仪器和甚大望远镜 (VLT) 的多装置光谱探测器 (MUSE) 对 z 2 透镜类星体和星系系统样本的新光谱和档案光谱。 对多个/弧形视线的分析将用于获取比例尺约为 1 kpc 的 CGM 3D 空间分辨率地图。该团队将使用这些地图来追踪 CGM 的运动学和金属丰度，并提供有关星系形成和恒星形成猝灭的见解。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。

The cycling of gas into and out of galaxies regulates their star formation. Emission from the gas is faint, making it difficult to study the flow of gas. A natural solution is to observe lensed galaxies, where a foreground galaxy bends the light from the distant galaxy. This gravitational lensing serves as a natural telescope, magnifying the weak emission and zooming in to map small scale structures. Principal Investigators (PIs) Bordoloi and Howk will analyze spectra from a sample of lensed galaxies to study how the flow of gas impacts star formation. The team will develop outreach videos and images highlighting integral field spectroscopy, gravitational lensing, and gas flows in the circumgalactic medium (CGM). In collaboration with The Science House at North Carolina State University, the team will host night-time star gazing and day-time solar observing events for the public.The PIs will analyze new and archival spectra from the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) instrument at the W. M. Keck Observatory and The Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of a sample of z 2 lensed quasar and galaxy systems. Analysis of multiple/arced sightlines will be used to obtain 3D, spatially-resolved maps of the CGM on scales of approximately 1 kpc. The team will use the maps to trace the kinematics and metallicity of the CGM and provide insights on galaxy formation and quenching of star formation.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.