Metallicity Gradients in the Milky Way Disk

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。这个项目的目标是通过对数百颗OB恒星的统计稳健样本进行一致的、最先进的分析，解决和改善整个银河盘化学丰度梯度的不良约束。这项工作将使用过去几年收集的大约700颗OB恒星的高分辨率光谱。该恒星样本跨越了从~5到20kpc的银心距离范围，重点是测量外盘的梯度，这为化学演化模型提供了最强的约束，也是绘制星系演化图的最佳机会。该计划的更广泛影响包括在国家光学天文台的本科生研究经验计划中指导本科生。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The objective of this project is to address and improve the poor constraints on gradients in chemical abundances across the galactic disk by carrying out a consistent, state-of-the-art analysis of a statistically-robust sample of several hundred OB stars. The work will use high-resolution spectra of about 700 OB stars that have been collected over the last few years. The stellar sample spans a range in galactocentric distance from ~5 to 20 kpc, with an emphasis on measuring gradients in the outer disk, which provide the strongest constraints on chemical evolution models and the best opportunity to chart the evolution of the galaxy. The Broader Impacts of this program include mentoring of undergraduate students in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory.