The Physical Properties of Galaxies 7 Billion Years Ago

理解星系形成的一个关键挑战是描述跨宇宙时间的星系的结构和恒星含量。然而，目前测量遥远星系性质的技术大多基于光度学，受到重要的系统不确定性的影响。为了纠正这个问题，我们正在进行LEGA-C调查：ESO的甚大望远镜上的128个夜晚已经授予了这项建议的作者，以在未来5年内获得约3000个遥远星系的高质量光谱。这些光谱将揭示星系的运动学结构、恒星年龄和组成。这一巨大的望远镜时间投资将直接让我们了解大约7个回转前的星系，对于未来十年准备新的任务和设施将是至关重要的。通过这个提议，我请求资助一名博士后研究员。这位研究人员发挥的关键作用将是执行和监督数据简化管道和星系光谱的运动学分析。这项工作将使大量基于Lega-C数据的项目和出版物成为可能。特别值得一提的是，这位研究人员有望在重要的回顾时刻得出星系的第一个动力学质量函数。

A key challenge in understanding galaxy formation is to characterize the structure and stellar content of galaxies across cosmic time. However, current techniques to measure the properties of distant galaxies are mostly based on photometry, subject to important systematic uncertainties. In order to remedy this we are conducting the LEGA-C survey: 128 nights on ESO's Very Large Telescope has been awarded to the writer of this proposal to obtain high-quality spectra of ~3000 distant galaxies over the next 5 years. These spectra will reveal the kinematic structure and stellar age and composition of galaxies at large look-back time. This enormous telescope time investment will directly teach us about galaxies ~7 Gyrs ago and will be crucial for the preparation of new missions and facilities in the next decade.Through this proposal I ask for funding for a postdoctoral researcher. The crucial role played by this researcher will be the execution and oversight of the data reduction pipeline and the kinematic analysis of the galaxy spectra. This work will enable a large number of projects and publications based on LEGA-C data. In particular, the researcher is expected to derive the first dynamical mass function of galaxies at significant look-back times.