| NSF Org: |
AST Division Of Astronomical Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 23, 2019 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 23, 2019 |
| Award Number: | 1907188 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Harshal Gupta
hgupta@nsf.gov (703)292-5039 AST Division Of Astronomical Sciences MPS Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2019 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $583,169.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $583,169.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
615 W 131ST ST NEW YORK NY US 10027-7922 (212)854-6851 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
2960 Broadway New York NY US 10027-6902 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | GALACTIC ASTRONOMY PROGRAM |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.049 |
ABSTRACT
Dissociative recombination (DR) with electrons is the dominant process by which molecular ions are destroyed in the diffuse interstellar medium. This research project will determine the rates of DR reactions of three molecular ions CF+, CH+, and SH+ in the laboratory at low temperatures and pressures that simulate the conditions in space. Rates from the study will allow astronomers to infer accurate abundances of these ions and use them as probes of the physics and chemistry of the interstellar gas. The project will support the training of a postdoctoral scholar and provide research opportunities to an undergraduate student.
The research team will perform the laboratory DR measurements using the Cryogenic Storage Ring (CSR) located at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. The CSR can store ions for over 1,000 seconds, allowing them to cool radiatively to low rotational energy levels comparable to those in diffuse molecular clouds. Using the DR measurements, the team will generate accurate thermal rate coefficients at low temperatures relevant to diffuse clouds. Reliable DR data from the project will enable astronomers to use CF+, CH+, and SH+ abundances to probe key properties and processes in the diffuse gas.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Our aim was advance the understanding of how diffuse atomic clouds transition to diffuse molecular clouds, an important early step in the star formation process. For this, we performed laboratory measurements of dissociative recombination (DR) for two key ions, CH+ and CF+ using the Cryogenic Storage Ring (CSR) located at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK) in Heidelberg, Germany. These two ions are used to trace out the properties of diffuse clouds and provide experimentally generated DR rate coefficients for use in diffuse cloud models. Our new data will improve the community's ability to characterize cold diffuse gas using CF+ to constrain the far-ultraviolet interstellar radiation field and as a proxy to trace out the difficult-to-detect H2 molecule. Additionally, we have improved the community's ability to use CH+ to infer the injection of mechanical energy into the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM), and thereby study the dynamics of diffuse clouds. The project trained two postdoctoral research scientists and undergraduate students, and supported Columbia's Department of Astronomy semi-monthly Public Lecture and Stargazing series. Lastly, Dr. Savin has been one of the organizers of and speakers in Congregation Tehillah’s lecture series entitled “Judaism and Evolution from the Big Bang to Modern Medicine”. This is supported by Sinai and Synapses, which is incubated at Clal - The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, and is in collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of Science Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion and funded by the John Templeton Foundation. As part of the series, Dr. Savin has led two visits to the American Museum of Natural History, with ∼ 25 participants each visit, and given three lectures about his research, with audiences of ∼ 25 − 40.
Last Modified: 11/07/2024
Modified by: Daniel Wolf Savin
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