Collaborative Research: The Evolution of Dwarf Galaxies -- A Comprehensive View of the Magellanic Clouds

University Of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

The investigators lead large imaging and spectroscopic surveys of two nearby dwarf galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. While most dwarf galaxies are challenging to study because they are intrinsically faint, the Magellanic Clouds (MCs) are nearby and serve as a unique laboratory to study the structure and dynamics of low-mass galaxies. The investigators will utilize the power of both the imaging Survey of the MAgellanic Stellar History (SMASH) and high-resolution spectroscopy from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) to substantially improve our knowledge of the MCs. The investigators will create large maps of the element abundance patterns and gradients across both MCs. With this combination of observations, they hope to understand the elemental abundance changes over time and space in the MCs by using nuclear reaction models and drawing comparisons to simulations. In addition, the investigators will engage the public in state-of-the art research through a citizen science project called "The APOGEE Spectral Zoo", which will be developed on the Zooniverse platform. Citizens will visually inspect samples of the two million individual APOGEE spectra - including time series spectra on almost all sources - and classify the APOGEE targets, flagging any that appear to have interesting or "abnormal" spectral features that are not currently recognized in the current automated APOGEE spectral analysis pipeline. These citizen scientists will learn many aspects of astronomy, including stars with emission line spectra, time variable objects, double-line spectroscopic binary stars, chemically peculiar stars and cataclysmic variables. The citizens will enhance the research by producing a complementary classification of stars in the survey. The investigator will check the accuracy of the pipeline analysis by comparison with the citizen scientists classifications. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.