Descripción del proyecto
Rastreo del origen misterioso del hidrógeno molecular en las galaxias
El gas de hidrógeno neutro es el combustible que contribuye a la formación estelar, pero la mayoría de las galaxias no disponen de reservas suficientes para seguir formando estrellas a lo largo de todo su ciclo de vida. Por lo tanto, deben de obtener el gas de algún otro sitio. Las simulaciones informáticas sugieren que este gas puede proceder del espacio que hay entre las galaxias. Hasta ahora no se ha observado este proceso, ya que la radiación que emite el gas es muy débil. El proyecto MeerGas, financiado con fondos europeos, utilizará las observaciones radioastronómicas extremadamente sensibles de treinta galaxias cercanas realizadas por el telescopio MeerKAT de Sudáfrica para detectar el gas acumulado. Mientras no se termine el radiotelescopio Conjunto del Kilómetro Cuadrado dentro de un decenio, el proyecto constituirá el único estudio sistemático de la acumulación de gas a alta resolución y alta sensibilidad.
Objetivo
Neutral hydrogen drives galaxy evolution. It is the fuel for star formation. However, there is not enough present in galaxies to sustain star formation over the lifetime of the universe. Galaxies must acquire their gas from an external source through an — as yet — undetected process. MeerGas will identify how galaxies replenish their gas supply and will thereby deepen our understanding of galaxy evolution.
Simulations suggest that filaments of gas, which transfer intergalactic material, feed many galaxies. This process, called cold accretion, has not been observed directly as it needs sensitive observations that are virtually impossible with current telescopes. The new MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa, the largest cm-wave synthesis radio telescope in the southern hemisphere, will fundamentally change this.
MeerGas uses high-resolution, high-sensitivity 3D observations of neutral hydrogen in 30 nearby galaxies obtained from the MHONGOOSE Large Survey Project, the highest-ranked MeerKAT imaging key survey. Uniquely, these observations probe structures up to two orders of magnitude fainter than in previous nearby galaxy neutral hydrogen surveys. The MeerGas analysis of these data will be unparalleled in its ability to determine the nature of accretion. MeerGas will be the only systematic study of accretion at high resolution and high sensitivity until the completion of the Square Kilometre Array in a decade.
The analysis of these unique data will be a challenge as the data volume will be two orders of magnitude larger than all recent nearby galaxy neutral hydrogen surveys combined. Through my extensive experience in nearby galaxies research and neutral hydrogen observations, I am uniquely qualified to lead this ambitious project, which will yield precision studies of the accretion processes in galaxies over a wide range of physical conditions and addresses an unanswered key question in galaxy evolution.
Ámbito científico
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-ADG - Advanced GrantInstitución de acogida
3526 KV Utrecht
Países Bajos