3D radiative transfer studies of HII/PDR complexes in star-forming galaxies
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Each new generation of stars in our own and other galaxies contributes to the enrichment of the interstellar medium (ISM) in heavy elements. Over time, these heavy elements, which may be injected as gas or dust particles, and the outflows that carry them, progressively modify the way that new stars and planets form, as well as the overall properties of the galaxies themselves. Gaining a greater understanding of star formation and the ISM evolution of galaxies, and their interplay, has provided the motivation for the construction of a large number of international facilities, including the VLT, ALMA, the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Herschel Space Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope. These missions will give us access to observations of unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution. Due to these dramatic observational advances, there is a distinct need for theoretical tools that will allow us to correctly interpret the wealth of observational data that we will receive: the research outlined in this proposal aims to provide the community with a state-of-the-art self-consistent 3-dimensional radiative transfer and chemical modelling tool which will be able to simulate and fit multi-wavelength photometric and spectroscopic high resolution data from star forming regions in our own and other galaxies. The products of this plan of research will form an essential part of the preparatory science for upcoming missions, such as Herschel, ALMA and the JWST.
Organisations
Publications
Tercero B
(2011)
A line-confusion limited millimeter survey of Orion KL II. Silicon-bearing species???
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Offner Stella S. R.
(2014)
An alternative accurate tracer of molecular clouds: the `X
CI-factor'
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Offner S
(2013)
MODELING THE ATOMIC-TO-MOLECULAR TRANSITION AND CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF TURBULENT STAR-FORMING CLOUDS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Offner S
(2014)
An alternative accurate tracer of molecular clouds: the 'XCi-factor'
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Occhiogrosso A
(2011)
A study of methyl formate in astrochemical environments Methyl formate in astrochemical environments
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Makrymallis Antonios
(2014)
Understanding the Formation and Evolution of Interstellar Ices: A Bayesian Approach
in The Astrophysical Journal
Makrymallis A
(2014)
UNDERSTANDING THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF INTERSTELLAR ICES: A BAYESIAN APPROACH
in The Astrophysical Journal
Liseau R
(2012)
Multi-line detection of O 2 toward ? Ophiuchi A
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lerate M
(2010)
Chemical and radiative transfer modelling of the ISO-LWS Fabry-Perot spectra of Orion-KL water lines Modelling far-IR H2O lines from Orion-KL
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kelly G
(2015)
Mapping CS in starburst galaxies: Disentangling and characterising dense gas
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Description | We have developed a new set of codes and we used them to interpret atomic and molecular data of galaxies |
Exploitation Route | The code needs to be made open source and this is the next step - we have everything ready to be put on the website and will be done in the next month |
Sectors | Other |