Think Global, Act Local: Insights into the Evolution of Galaxies

该项目旨在回答天体物理学中关于星系演化的一些最重要的问题。星系的演化是由恒星形成和反馈的相互竞争影响所控制的。星系形成恒星的速度似乎在很大程度上取决于气体从扩散原子状态转化为分子状态的速度，而这又受到气体中金属含量和星际辐射场强度的影响。该项目计划探索不同环境下原子气体到分子气体的转化。该项目将使用三个当地实验室：我们的银河系，以及附近的大麦哲伦云和小麦哲伦云，来了解导致恒星形成的气体过程，以及这些过程如何影响整个宇宙中星系的演化。

The project aims to answer some of the most important questions in astrophysics about galaxy evolution. The evolution of galaxies is controlled by the competing effects of star formation and feedback. The rate at which a galaxy forms stars appears to be largely controlled by how quickly gas converts from diffuse atomic state to molecular, which is affected by the amount of metals in the gas and the strength of interstellar radiation fields. This project plans to probe the conversion of atomic to molecular gas within disparate environments. The project will use three local laboratories: our Milky Way, and the nearby Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, to understand the gas processes that lead to star formation and how these affect galaxy evolution throughout the Universe.