CAREER: The First Stellar Abundances in Local Group Galaxies

AST-9984073 VENNA为期五年的研究计划将从年轻恒星中确定各种本星系群的化学成分。此外，还将有一个教育倡议，将这个科学项目的目标和成果带给马卡莱斯特学院社区和公众。这个研究项目的时机非常好，因为这是恒星光谱学的一个激动人心的时刻，因为天文学家可以使用几架8到10米的望远镜。这些新望远镜的使用将使观测和分析邻近星系中的恒星成为一种新的可能性。该项目的主要目标是确定本群矮不规则星系和螺旋星系的化学丰度和临界丰度比。这些新的结果，如氧/铁（O/Fe）和钡/铁（Ba/Fe）丰度比，现在才从新的恒星分析中获得，将限制这些本星系群的恒星形成历史和星系演化模型。获得的结果可以更普遍地应用于我们对整个宇宙中星系形成和演化的理解。这些已知的恒星本身元素丰度也将限制大质量恒星演化模型在非常低的金属丰度，结果将适用于高红移星系的种群研究。这个科学项目的目标和成果将用于马卡莱斯特学院的一些教育和推广活动，这些活动将影响各种学生和公众。首先，科学计划将产生大约6至9个物理专业的高级论文项目，以及多达12个非物理专业的独立研究项目。其次，针对非科学专业的新系列研讨会将有可能介绍有关本地宇宙的知识。这些信息将使扩展目标、使用的科学方法和讨论科学项目的结果成为可能。第三，这将为麦卡莱斯特学院科学和数学专业的学生提供关于宇宙的新背景信息。第四，一个关于本地宇宙天体物理学的系列讨论会将面向马卡莱斯特学院社区和公众。天文学家专家将被邀请到学院进行公开讲座，并与学生和教师互动。此外，研讨会系列和讨论会系列都将与马卡莱斯特学院在天文台的公众之夜项目联系在一起，这样参与者就可以在讲座中学习一个主题，然后实际观察相关的天体，以获得更丰富的体验。最后，来自科学项目的数据将用于在入门和高级天文学实验课程中开发新的练习和实验室演示。科学和教育项目的整合是麦卡莱斯特学院使命的一个很好的反映。天文科学司为这个项目提供支持

AST-9984073 VENNA five-year research program to determine the chemical composition of a variety of Local Group galaxies from young stars will be carried out. In addition, there will be an educational initiative to bring the goals and results of this scientific project to the Macalester College community and the general public. The timing of this research project is excellent, since this is an exciting time for stellar spectroscopy as several 8- to 10-m telescopes are becoming available to astronomers. The use of these new telescopes will make the observations and analyses of stars in nearby galaxies a new possibility. The main goal of this project is to determine chemical abundances and critical abundance ratios in Local Group dwarf irregular and spiral galaxies. These new results, such as Oxygen/Iron (O/Fe) and Barium/Iron (Ba/Fe) abundance ratios, available only now from new stellar analyses, will constrain the star formation histories and galaxy evolution models of these Local Group galaxies. The results obtained may be applied more generally to our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution throughout the Universe. These known abundances of the elements in the stars themselves will also constrain massive star evolution models at very low metallicities, and the results will be applicable to population studies of high redshift galaxies. The goals and results of this scientific program will be used in a number of educational and outreach initiatives at Macalester College that will impact a variety of students and the general public. Firstly, the scientific program will generate approximately six to nine senior thesis projects by physics majors, and up to twelve independent research projects for non-physics majors. Secondly, a new seminar series for non-science majors will make it possible to introduce knowledge about the Local Universe. The information will be available to make it possible to expand on the goals, scientific methods used, and discuss results from the scientific project. Thirdly, this will provide new background information on the Universe for Macalester College science and mathematics majors. Fourthly, a colloquium series on astrophysics in the Local Universe will be geared towards the Macalester College community and general public. Expert astronomers will be invited to the College to deliver the public lectures and interact with students and faculty. In addition, both the seminar series and the colloquium series will be tied to the Macalester College program for public nights at the observatory, so thatparticipants can learn about a topic in a lecture and then actually observe related celestial objects for a more enriching experience. Finally, the data from the science program will be used to develop newexercises and laboratory demonstrations in both the introductory and advanced astronomy laboratory courses. The integration of scientific and educational programs is an excellent reflection of the mission of Macalester College.The Division of Astronomical Sciences provides support for this project.***