Big Island telescope to aid study of how stars develop

Scientists using the Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea will conduct a four-year survey of 2,000 distant galaxies to better understand their star-forming phase.

The study is funded by a $975,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to scientists at four University of California campuses.

"We plan to look at a large range of galaxy masses and ages to understand how they evolve," Brian Siana, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at UC-Riverside, said in a statement Monday.

The survey will use the MOSFIRE instrument to obtain near-infrared spectra of galaxies as they were forming 9 billion to 12 billion years ago. The spectra will allow scientists to determine how quickly the galaxies are converting their gas into stars, how the supernovae of those stars enriched the galaxies with the heavier elements — carbon, nitrogen, oxygen — and measure the obscuring effects of dust.

The MOSFIRE Deep Evolution Field survey, which began with preliminary observations in the spring, will be conducted on 47 nights over four years.

"We have a very good picture of what the universe looked like shortly after the big bang," said UC-Riverside physics professor Bah­ram Moba­sher. "We also have a good picture of what the universe looks like today. But what happened in between is less clear. How exactly did the galaxies and stars form? Can we get an accurate estimate of star formation rates in galaxies? … That’s what this survey is about. We’re attempting to connect the dots."