Collaborative Research: A Survey of Galaxy Evolution and Star Formation over the Past 4.6 Billion Years

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

One of the principal unsolved problems in modern astrophysics is the formation and evolution of galaxies. Astronomers wish to understand when galaxies first emerge, how star formation changes over the history of the universe, as well as the physical constituents of galaxies. This award will resolve long-standing questions about galaxy evolution by performing a massive survey of the neutral hydrogen gas of hundreds of galaxies over the past 4.6 billion years. The survey, named CHILES (the COSMOS HI Large Extragalactic Survey), takes advantage of an enormous program with NSF's Very Large Array (VLA) of radio telescopes to observe a section of the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field. Over 1,000 hours of VLA observing time have been granted, and the CHILES survey will be the first to provide details on the neutral gas distribution and kinematics for individual galaxies over several billion years of cosmic evolution. The data and associated products will be made available to the public, providing a legacy dataset for the entire astronomical community. This collaborative award will also provide funding for six graduate students across the United States, creating a new cohort of skilled radio astronomers. Finally, the research team will incorporate the results of the survey into their general astronomy classes and in their numerous public outreach presentations.