Collaborative Research: Evolution of Cosmic Structure and of the Galactic Spheroid Population

宇宙中的大部分恒星质量位于星系球体中，那里也有超大质量黑洞(SMBH)。这些关键结构的起源可以通过新的多波长测量观测和改进的理论的相互作用来澄清，这对指导和解释观测是必不可少的。这项研究的重点是宇宙结构的增长，以及早期高效恒星形成的两种对立效应，以及这一过程在质量暗物质晕中的猝灭，这两个因素共同控制着蓝色和红色星系的形成。这个项目应该区分由冷气体流入和盘面不稳定造成的星系球体积聚，以及大合并和小合并的选择。这项工作还应该确定在阈值质量以上的光晕中核活动与维里激波加热的作用，区分卫星和中央猝灭，并理解恒星形成的关闭与球状恒星组件和SMBH发展之间的相互影响。早期类型星系形成的详细模型将与高红移的合并和其他过程的观测结果进行比较，也将与附近星系的观测结果进行比较，这些星系的性质可以进行详细研究。这项工作得到了一个最近完成和计划中的后续计算机模拟的大型项目的支持，该项目使用最新的宇宙学参数，并具有高质量和高空间分辨率。额外的高分辨率流体动力学模拟将澄清星系形成过程，并允许计算运动学、光谱和图像，包括尘埃散射和吸收。至关重要的是，以准确模拟真实星系观测的方式进行模拟观测。该团队将邀请来自代表性较低群体的学生参与天体物理理论研究，包括理解最新观测结果的能力。这项工作突破了计算的极限，所有的代码和输出都将提供给天体物理界。计划中的计算机可视化将有助于理解模拟，同时使其他研究人员和公众能够了解结果。

AST-1010033/1009908Primack/KlypinThe majority of the stellar mass in the Universe lies in galactic spheroids, which also host supermassive black holes (SMBH). The origin of these key structures can be clarified through the interplay of new multi-wavelength survey observations and improved theory, essential for guiding and interpreting the observations. This research focuses on the growth of cosmic structure and on the two opposing effects of early, efficient star formation, and the quenching of this process in massive dark-matter halos, which together govern the formation of blue and red galaxies. This project should discriminate between galaxy spheroid buildup by cold gas inflows and disk instabilities and the alternative of major and minor mergers. The work should also identify the roles of nuclear activity versus virial shock heating in halos above a threshold mass, distinguish satellite from central quenching, and understand the cross-talk between the shutdown of star formation and the development of spheroidal stellar components and SMBHs. Detailed models of early-type galaxy formation will be compared with observations of mergers and other processes out to high redshifts, and also of nearby galaxies whose properties can be studied in detail. The work is supported by a large program of recently completed and planned follow-on computer simulations, using the most up-to-date cosmological parameters and having high mass and spatial resolution. Additional high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations will clarify galaxy formation processes and permit the calculation of kinematics, spectra and images, including dust scattering and absorption. It is crucial that simulations are 'observed' in ways that accurately mimic observations of real galaxies.The team will involve students from underrepresented groups in astrophysical theory research, including the ability to understand the implications of the latest observations. This work pushes the computational envelope, and all codes and outputs will be available to the astrophysical community. Planned computer visualizations will help to understand the simulations while simultaneously making the results accessible to other researchers and to the public.