The Physical Conditions of Gas In Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxies

The single most important factor in determining a star’s brightness, evolution and ultimate fate is its mass. For this reason, the determination of many intrinsic galaxy properties – including star formation rate – must assume an initial distribution of birth masses for stars.

If we are to develop a general theory for star formation in galaxies, we must determine whether the star formation process (and the initial distribution of stellar masses) is fundamentally different between galaxies and, if so, pinpoint the physics driving this variation. This is the underlying motivation for my research.

My program uses highly detailed observations of molecular gas in 40 nearby merging and post-merger galaxies to obtain new insights into the physics of star formation. By measuring chemical abundances in the star-forming gas, I will probe the fossil record of galaxy formation that is imprinted by galaxy evolutionary history and the distribution of the star masses at birth. These observations will be compared with advanced theoretical modeling to yield the best ever constraints on this fundamental star mass distribution, allowing for the most definitive tests yet of star formation and star populations in galaxy mergers.

Faculty Supervisor:

Christine Wilson

Student:

Partner:

University of Maryland

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Other; Aerospace

University:

McMaster University

Program: