Census of the Local Universe (CLU) 3pi Halpha Galaxy Survey
The goal of the CLU project is to assemble the most complete list of galaxies within the LIGO sensitivity volume of neutron-neutron star mergers (Distance < 200 Mpc). The CLU galaxy catalog consists of 1) all konwn galaxies with secure distances less than 200 Mpc (CLU-compiled), and 2) a narrow-band filter survey designed to find new galaxies in this same volume (CLU-Halpha). CLU-Halpha has imaged 26,470 squre degrees of the sky (see the picture to the left) with 4 narrowband filters to search for emission-line galaxies and constrain their distance using the width of the filters. This survey will, not only find new galaxies in the local Universe, but will provide nearly uniform Halpha fluxes for the new and known galaxies allowing us to study the star formation properties of 100s-of-thousands of galaxies. An analysis of just 14 (out of 3626) fields shows that we are able to find both normal and extreme galaxies (green peas and blueberries) as well as emission-line sources in our own galaxy (planetary nebulae, spuernova remnants, etc). Stay tuned while we expand our analysis to all 26,470 square degrees!
For more information, see the CLU presentation paper here.
The goal of the CLU project is to assemble the most complete list of galaxies within the LIGO sensitivity volume of neutron-neutron star mergers (Distance < 200 Mpc). The CLU galaxy catalog consists of 1) all konwn galaxies with secure distances less than 200 Mpc (CLU-compiled), and 2) a narrow-band filter survey designed to find new galaxies in this same volume (CLU-Halpha). CLU-Halpha has imaged 26,470 squre degrees of the sky (see the picture to the left) with 4 narrowband filters to search for emission-line galaxies and constrain their distance using the width of the filters. This survey will, not only find new galaxies in the local Universe, but will provide nearly uniform Halpha fluxes for the new and known galaxies allowing us to study the star formation properties of 100s-of-thousands of galaxies. An analysis of just 14 (out of 3626) fields shows that we are able to find both normal and extreme galaxies (green peas and blueberries) as well as emission-line sources in our own galaxy (planetary nebulae, spuernova remnants, etc). Stay tuned while we expand our analysis to all 26,470 square degrees! For more information, see the CLU presentation paper here.
LEGUS Star Clusters
Star clusters are often used to infer the star formation evolution of their parent galaxies making the connection between cluster and host properties of high cosmological importance. However, I am more interested in how the global properties of the host galaxies affect the properties of star clusters. Star clusters are the products of extreme star formation environments and can reveal how this process happens. By using the high-resolution capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope, The LEGUS project can identify and characterize star clusters and determine accurate global galaxy properties. This data will provide the most accurate relationships between clusters and host galaxies to date.
For more information, see the official LEGUS webpage here.
Star clusters are often used to infer the star formation evolution of their parent galaxies making the connection between cluster and host properties of high cosmological importance. However, I am more interested in how the global properties of the host galaxies affect the properties of star clusters. Star clusters are the products of extreme star formation environments and can reveal how this process happens. By using the high-resolution capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope, The LEGUS project can identify and characterize star clusters and determine accurate global galaxy properties. This data will provide the most accurate relationships between clusters and host galaxies to date. For more information, see the official LEGUS webpage here.
LVL Star-Forming Regions
The Local Volume Legacy (LVL) survey is comprised of 258 galaxies that lie within a distance of 11 Mpc (~10^20 miles). The proximity of these galaxies allow individual, bright star-forming regions to be identified and their brightness measured. Dividing these star-forming regions into bins of brightness and counting the number of regions in each bin results in a distribution called a luminosity function. This distribution is characterized by the slope of the line. Most studies of galaxies have the same luminosity function, but systematic deviations have been observed. This project will measure the slope of all 258 galaxies and see if there is a relationship between the slope and any underlying physical properties of the host galaxy. If there is a relationship, then the physical property of the galaxy might be responsible for the systematic devations in the luminosity function slope. We found a relationship between the slope of star-forming regions and the global galaxy star formation properties, where dwarf galaxies show flatter luminosity function compared to larger galaxies with higher rates of forming stars.
For more information, see the paper here.
The Local Volume Legacy (LVL) survey is comprised of 258 galaxies that lie within a distance of 11 Mpc (~10^20 miles). The proximity of these galaxies allow individual, bright star-forming regions to be identified and their brightness measured. Dividing these star-forming regions into bins of brightness and counting the number of regions in each bin results in a distribution called a luminosity function. This distribution is characterized by the slope of the line. Most studies of galaxies have the same luminosity function, but systematic deviations have been observed. This project will measure the slope of all 258 galaxies and see if there is a relationship between the slope and any underlying physical properties of the host galaxy. If there is a relationship, then the physical property of the galaxy might be responsible for the systematic devations in the luminosity function slope. We found a relationship between the slope of star-forming regions and the global galaxy star formation properties, where dwarf galaxies show flatter luminosity function compared to larger galaxies with higher rates of forming stars. For more information, see the paper here.
Past Projects
ANGST star clusters
ANGST is a survey of local dwarf galaxies with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Dwarf galaxies have some of the lowest rates of forming stars in the nearby universe. We studied star clusters in 52 of these galaxies and found that the clusters in these systems broadly agree with established star cluster-host galaxy relationships. However, some individual galaxies deviate from these relationships suggesting that the fraction of stars that form in clusters vary. Simulating the effects of a low number of star clusters, due to the low star formation rate, mostly acounted for these deviations.
See the publication for more details here.
ANGST is a survey of local dwarf galaxies with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Dwarf galaxies have some of the lowest rates of forming stars in the nearby universe. We studied star clusters in 52 of these galaxies and found that the clusters in these systems broadly agree with established star cluster-host galaxy relationships. However, some individual galaxies deviate from these relationships suggesting that the fraction of stars that form in clusters vary. Simulating the effects of a low number of star clusters, due to the low star formation rate, mostly acounted for these deviations. See the publication for more details here.
WySH
The Wyoming Survey for Halpha, or WySH, is a large-area, ground-based imaging survey for Halpha-emitting galaxies at redshifts of z ~ 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, and 0.40. I was part of the observing team where I spent 8 nights of every month observing at the Wyoming InfraRed Observatory (WIRO). In addition, I was responsible for all data reduction.
The Wyoming Survey for Halpha, or WySH, is a large-area, ground-based imaging survey for Halpha-emitting galaxies at redshifts of z ~ 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, and 0.40. I was part of the observing team where I spent 8 nights of every month observing at the Wyoming InfraRed Observatory (WIRO). In addition, I was responsible for all data reduction.