Observational Cosmology
Extragalactic Astronomy & Observational Cosmology
Penn State has a strong and highly energetic extragalactic research program!
Exciting research is being carried out in a number of fields,
including
Observational Cosmology
with extragalactic planetary nebulae. Programs include measuring the
extragalactic distance scale and Hubble Constant, probing the kinematics
and dark matter content of elliptical galaxies, constraining the
the chemical and star formation history of Local Group objects,
examining the stellar populations of giant elliptical galaxies, and
discovering the structure and evolution of galaxy clusters through their
intergalactic stars.
The
Physics of Active Galactic Nuclei.
Penn State astronomers are involved in both X-ray and optical studies of the
supermassive black holes that reside in the nuclei of active galaxies.
Quasar Absorption Line analyses. Using quasars
as background flashlights, Penn State astronomers are probing the
kinematics, the chemical abundance patterns, and the detailed
structures of the interstellar media and intergalactic medium
throughout the Universe. Click on the image at left for a
description of the features seen in quasar spectra.
Galaxy Interactions and Galaxy Formation.
By studying the environments of compact
groups of galaxies and the tidal debris left over after collisions,
Penn State astronomers are deriving insights into the
mechanisms behind galaxy formation.
Searches for High Redshift Quasars.
Prof. Donald Schneider and his research
group are actively involved in searches for some of the most distant
and luminous objects in the Universe. Distant quasars are difficult
to locate; in addition to being faint and rare, they have the same
appearance as stars in photographs. Despite these complications,
it is possible to identify quasars because their spectra are very
different from those of stars. Schneider and his group are using the
Hobby-Eberly telescope extensively to search for high redshift
quasars.
The
Hubble Deep Field in X-rays.
During the first year of CHANDRA operations,
members of the Penn State/MIT
ACIS team made an extremely deep X-ray image of the
Hubble Deep Field (HDF) and the sky surrounding the HDF.
These data are being used to resolve the X-ray background and
examine the nature of the sources that contribute to
the X-ray background (particularly above 2 KeV).
The Hobby-Eberly Telescope
and other telescopes will be used for rapid X-ray
source identification.
Prof. Niel Brandt and
Prof. Donald Schneider have been
developing computer software that will allow X-ray source
detection/parameterization for the ACIS HDF observation.
Web page by Niel Brandt
(niel@astro.psu.edu)
and Robin Ciardullo
(rbc@astro.psu.edu)
Last update: 1998, February 13