Collaborative Research: A Multi-Dimensional View of the Milky Way

New Mexico State University, Las Cruces NM

Investigators

Abstract

Galaxies are the main building blocks of the Universe. Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, provides a special opportunity to learn about how galaxies form and change with time. New astronomical surveys, such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), are now measuring the chemical element "fingerprints" of hundreds of thousands of stars across the Milky Way. The investigators will analyze these chemical fingerprints along with ages and positions of stars, to learn the history of the Milky Way and about the nuclear furnaces of stars that produce these elements. They will also develop new methods to improve the SDSS measurements of stellar temperatures and chemical compositions. The investigators will use maps of multi-element abundance ratios to empirically infer the element yields of supernovae and to identify other major channels of chemical enrichment. The investigators will enhance the educational component of the SDSS by developing a new "expedition" on stellar spectroscopy for the SDSS Voyages portal, which is aimed at high school students. They will develop new planetarium shows about the origin of the elements and the history of the Milky Way. They plan extensive public engagement activities, including public lectures and programs for the Ohio State Planetarium. These activities are tied specifically to their research activities. 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.