Exploring Large-Scale Star-Forming Structures in the Milky Way

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。Matthew Povich博士被授予NSF天文学和天体物理学博士后奖学金，在宾夕法尼亚州立大学开展研究和教育计划。波维奇博士将研究银河系中100 pc大小尺度上的星星形成。特别是，PI将识别和模拟分布在与银河系电离氢（H II）区域相关的巨型分子云复合体中的单个年轻恒星天体（YSO）的特性。这项工作是由前所未有的，高分辨率的银河系大质量星星形成区域及其扩展环境的覆盖范围，这是由红外（IR）银河系平面遗产调查使用斯皮策太空望远镜进行。研究目标需要多波长观测，包括地基光学、近红外和毫米波设施，以及钱德拉X射线天文台的H II区域数据。这项研究将导致一个新的确定银河系星星形成率（SFR）。虽然所有以前在银河系和其他星系的SFR测定依赖于大质量恒星的间接观测示踪剂，PI将校准H II区域示踪剂（远红外和无线电连续发光度）对SFR测量直接检测单个恒星和YSO。虽然对银河系H II区域的最详细的研究只包括电离星团的中心区域，但PI将描述H II区域以外的大分子云中分布式星星形成的特征。通过全面探索整个分子云复合体，包括相关的H II区域，PI将解决两个长期存在的问题：（1）大质量星团外有多少部分星星形成？（2）星星的形成是如何通过分子云传播的？Povich博士还将进行研究，以改善非科学专业的天文学入门课程的教学。PI将致力于开发一个以学习者为中心的课程，其中包括来自大型调查的真实的观测数据，如斯隆数字巡天和银河遗产红外线中平面调查非凡（GLIMPSE）。此外，PI将参与宾夕法尼亚州立大学的公共推广计划，目标是将天文学带到农村人口中。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Dr. Matthew Povich is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Povich will investigate star formation on 100 pc size scales in the Milky Way. In particular, the PI will identify and model the properties of individual young stellar objects (YSOs) distributed throughout giant molecular cloud complexes associated with prominent Galactic ionized hydrogen (H II) regions. This work is made possible by the unprecedented, high-resolution coverage of Galactic massive star formation regions and their extended environments that is provided by the infrared (IR) Galactic-plane legacy surveys performed using the Spitzer Space Telescope. The research goals require multi-wavelength observations, including ground-based optical, near-IR, and mm-wave facilities, plus data on H II regions from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. This research will lead to a new determination of the Galactic star formation rate (SFR). While all previous SFR determinations in the Milky Way and other galaxies rely upon indirect observational tracers of massive stars, the PI will calibrate H II region tracers (far-IR and radio continuum luminosity) against SFR measured from the direct detection of individual stars and YSOs. While most detailed studies of Galactic H II regions include only the central regions of the ionizing clusters, the PI will characterize distributed star formation throughout large molecular clouds outside of H II regions. By holistically exploring entire molecular cloud complexes, including associated H II regions, the PI will address two persistent questions: (1) what fraction of star formation occurs outside of massive clusters? and (2) how does star formation propagate through molecular clouds?Dr. Povich will also conduct research into improving the teaching of introductory astronomy courses for non-science majors. The PI will work to develop a learner-centered curriculum that incorporates real observational data from large surveys like the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE). In addition, the PI will participate in established public outreach programs at Penn State with the goal to bring astronomy to rural populations.