Spatial Distribution and Clustering of GMCs
Advisor: Adam Leroy (The Ohio State University)
Every star begins its life embedded deep within the heart of a Giant Molecular Cloud (GMC). As the site of all star formation, GMCs are a fundamental building block of galaxies. The PHANGS-ALMA survey observed a sample of 90 nearby star-forming galaxies to catalog and study their star forming sites. The PHANGS-ALMA survey identified thousands of GMCs across their sample of galaxies. I am measuring the spatial distribution and clustering of GMCs in PHANGS-ALMA galaxies. This project will serve as an important bridge between our understanding of star formation within and outside of the Milky Way.
NH3 Measurements in W51
Advisors: Cara Battersby (University of Connecticut) & Adam Ginsburg (University of Florida)
During my time as an undergraduate at UConn, I worked with Dr. Cara Battersby on a project using NH3 emission to study massive star formation in the Milky Way. Ammonia is well known for being an excellent thermometer, making it a very useful tool to probe the temperature structure of star forming regions. Using VLA observations of NH3 inversion transitions I studied the physical properties of W51, one of the most massive and active star forming regions in our galaxy. From fitted spectra, I created spatial parameter maps of the region. I continued my work on this projet as an REU student at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory during the summmer of 2019. I worked with Dr. Adam Ginsburg using NH3 emission in combination with ALMA 1.3mm continuum data to calculate mass estimates for a catalog of previously identified protostellar cores.