Structure and Local Stability in Astrophysical Gas Dynamics

巴尔布斯博士将从事许多涉及大规模天体物理气体动力学的不同理论研究。这些研究主要涉及银河系尺度系统，在大多数项目中重点放在我们自己的银河系上。这些项目的动机是对银河系盘和光环中的电离气体的观察，以及对银河系盘中低温气体的观察。非线性动力学领域的理论发展也对其中至少一项研究起到了重要的推动作用。毫无疑问，理解银河系大尺度盘状结构的问题与气态星际介质（ISM）的动力学特性是密不可分的。这不仅是因为ISM和动态冷恒星形成之间的联系得到了很好的认识，而且还因为人们姗姗来迟地认识到，无论它是否恰好在制造恒星，高响应气体本身就是一个重要的结构组成部分。巴尔布斯博士的研究有一个共同的目的，那就是研究通常发生在银河系盘状和光晕中的局部和全局气体动力学过程之间的联系。

Dr. Balbus will pursue a number of different theoretical studies involving large scale astrophysical gas dynamics. The investigations involve primarily galactic scale systems, and emphasis is placed on our own Galaxy in most of the projects. The projects have been motivated by observations of ionized gas in the disk and the halo of our Galaxy, as well as by observations of cool gas in the disk of the Galaxy. Theoretical developments in the field of nonlinear dynamics have also been an important stimulus for at least one of the studies. There is little question that the problems of understanding large scale disk structure in our Galaxy are entwined with the dynamical properties of its gaseous interstellar medium (ISM). This is due not only to the well appreciated connection between the ISM and dynamically cold star formation, but also to the belated realization that the highly responsive gas is an important structural component in its own right, whether or not it happens to be making stars. Dr. Balbus' studies generally share a common purpose of developing the connection between local and global gasdynamical processes commonly occurring in the disk and halo of our Galaxy.