NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in Taiwan

Chisholm John P, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds John Chisholm of the University of Wisconsin-Madison to conduct a research project in the Math and Physical Sciences area during the summer of 2013 at Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan. The project title is "Exploring How the Interaction of Warm and Cold Gas Regulates Star Formation." The host scientist is Satoki Matsushita. A central question in galaxy evolution is how star formation is regulated during times of vigorous star formation. Recent theories suggest that supernovae heat gas to high temperatures, and this hot gas interacts with nearby cold gas to suppress star formation. This interaction heats and moves the cold gas in a galactic outflow, which produces many fundamental galaxy relations (the mass-metallicity relation, the cosmic star formation history, the multi-phase interstellar medium, etc.). This project compares the physical conditions (the temperature and density) of carbon monoxide (measured from Sub-Millimeter Array data, reduced and analyzed over the summer) with previous spatial maps of the warm ionized gas to investigate if the two different types of gas relate to each other. Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, a public talk will be developed to compare the Chinese and Western historical traditions of the night sky. Emphasis will be placed on the universal importance of constellations for navigation and lore throughout human history. The talk will convey the sense of awe the stars have universally instilled for people across the world. This talk will be tailored to the NSF program "Universe in the Park," which consists of a science talk delivered to a wide audience in State Parks on weekends throughout the state of Wisconsin. This talk will focus on the global reach of astronomy, which will be stressed by the research experience in a foreign country.