Ancient History in the Local Group of Galaxies: The Milky Way's Faintest, Darkest, and Most Ancient Satellite Galaxies

我们所在星系银河系的外围区域包含了几十个卫星星系。这是令人惊讶的，因为流行的星系形成理论预测了数百个星系。最小的卫星星系也是研究神秘暗物质的最佳地点。该团队将使用光学波长的尖端观测来检查卫星星系。这些观测将帮助我们了解星系的形成和暗物质。高级团队成员将培训初级团队成员。这项研究将在加州历史悠久的威尔逊山天文台的现代展览中展出。这些展览将以低收入地区代表性不足群体的小学生和高中生为对象。该小组将获得最近扩大的银河系候选卫星星系的光谱和成像。他们的目标是调查(1)有多少卫星是矮星系，(2)它们的质量和金属丰度，(3)间接探测暗物质的最佳目标，(4)起源于麦哲伦云附近的矮星系与那些形成于银河系附近的矮星系之间的差异，(5)它们围绕银河系的轨道，(6)它们的化学丰度模式。

The outer region of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, contains a few dozen satellite galaxies. This is surprising because hundreds are predicted by the prevailing theory of galaxy formation. The smallest satellite galaxies are also the best places to study the mysterious dark matter. The team will use cutting-edge observations at optical wavelengths to examine the satellite galaxies. The observations will help us understand galaxy formation and dark matter. Senior team members will train junior team members. The research will be featured in modern exhibits at the historic Mount Wilson Observatory in California. The exhibits will target elementary and high-school students from underrepresented groups in low-income areas.The team will obtain spectra and imaging of the recently-enlarged population of candidate satellite galaxies of the Milky Way. Their goals are to investigate (1) how many satellites are dwarf galaxies, (2) their masses and metallicities, (3) the best targets for indirect detection of dark matter, (4) the differences between dwarf galaxies originating near the Magellanic Clouds versus those formed closer to the Milky Way, (5) their orbits around the Milky Way, and (6) their chemical abundance patterns.