Postdoctoral Fellowship: MPS-Ascend: Probing small galactic scales in large volumes with the Rubin Observatory

弗朗西斯科·哈维尔·梅尔卡多被授予数学和物理科学提升博士后研究奖学金（MPS-Ascend），在波莫纳学院进行研究和教育项目。弗朗西斯科计划利用最先进的技术，对宇宙的大部分进行星系形成模拟，以更好地了解低质量（微弱）星系的内部结构。他的工作将提供重要的预测，这些预测可以通过维拉c鲁宾天文台的大型综合巡天望远镜和詹姆斯韦伯太空望远镜（JWST）等望远镜对真实星系的观测来验证。梅尔卡多还将与波莫纳学院的教职员工和学生合作，建立一个双语（英语和西班牙语）天文馆系列，为附近的有色人种社区服务。Mercado将利用FIREbox（一种新型的大容量宇宙学模拟）来研究具有统计意义的模拟低质量星系（包括超微弱矮星系）样本的形态、结构和缩放关系。FIREbox中庞大而多样的模拟星系样本将允许梅尔卡多对未来的观测做出预测，作为星系环境的函数。此外，弗朗西斯科还将致力于用英语和西班牙语建立一个可持续的天文馆系列。这个项目的目标是双重的：(1)帮助波莫纳学院的学生获得以不同背景的普通观众易于理解的方式呈现复杂天文现象的经验；(2)增加普通公众（特别是周边地区的有色人种社区）在有关天文学领域当前发展的对话中的参与。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Francisco Javier Mercado is awarded a Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (MPS-Ascend) to conduct a program of research and education at Pomona College. Francisco plans to utilize a state-of-the-art, galaxy formation simulation of a large portion of the Universe to develop a better understanding of the internal structure of low mass (faint) galaxies. His work will provide important predictions that can then be tested by observations of real galaxies with telescopes like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Mercado will also work with faculty and students at Pomona College to establish a bilingual (English and Spanish) planetarium series in service of nearby communities of color.Mercado will utilize FIREbox, a novel large-volume cosmological simulation to investigate the morphologies, structure, and scaling relations of a statistically significant sample of simulated low-mass galaxies (including ultra-faint dwarf galaxies). The large and diverse sample of simulated galaxies in FIREbox will allow Mercado to make predictions for future observations as a function of galactic environment. Additionally, Francisco will work to establish a sustainable planetarium series in English and Spanish. The goal of this program is twofold: (1) to help Pomona College students gain experience in presenting complex astronomical phenomena in a way that is digestible for general audiences of diverse backgrounds and (2) to increase the participation of the general public (specifically communities of color in the surrounding areas) in conversations regarding current developments in the field of astronomy.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.