Article published June 23, 2008
University of Toledo researchers aim for the stars
Telescope will provide unprecedented peek
UT's Tom Megeath, left, and J.D. Smith, will have an opportunity to study the creation of stars and life cycles of galaxies.
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THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH
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By MEGHAN GILBERT
BLADE STAFF WRITER
When the largest space telescope ever launched goes up beyond Earth's atmosphere, two University of Toledo researchers will be ready to receive data that's not been accessed before.
Tom Megeath and J.D. Smith, assistant professors of astronomy at UT, are part of international teams that will use the Herschel far-infrared space-based telescope to study the creation of stars and life cycles of galaxies.
"Sometimes you just want to know how it got started," Mr. Megeath said.
The European Space Agency telescope could be launched as soon as Oct. 31, although it's predicted to be more like early next year.
The telescope will give astronomers the best view yet of the "cold universe" by using infrared to delve deep into clouds where stars are formed and probe galaxies that are enshrouded in dust.
Astronomers cannot use these types of telescopes from the ground because the atmosphere blocks infrared wavelengths and heat also causes obstruction."That's why it is so important to get into space. It's cold and dark," Mr. Smith said. "You can't do this from the ground."
The Herschel telescope, named for British astronomer William Herschel, who was known for discovering infrared radiation and Uranus, will be located in an area of space that is four times farther than the moon from Earth.
European Space Agency The Herschel telescope, the largest launched beyond Earth's atmosphere, will give astronomers the best view yet of the 'cold universe' by using infrared to delve deep into clouds where stars are formed and probe galaxies enshrouded by dust. The space-based telescope could be launched as soon as Oct. 31, although it's predicted to be more like early next year.
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EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY
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That destination, called 2nd Lagrangian Point, or L2, is unique in that the gravitational pull there is balanced from objects around it, so the telescope will remain stationary during the approximately three years it will operate in space.
The telescope has to stay colder than minus-420 degrees Fahrenheit to work properly and an attached container of liquid helium should keep it cold enough for that time.
The projects that Mr. Megeath and Mr. Smith are involved in are designated "key programs" with designated time to use the telescope, which is highly competitive because there are only three years to share.
Karen Bjorkman, associate chair of UT's department of physics and astronomy, said it was a competitive process with 62 proposals submitted and only about a third given guaranteed time.
"It is, in fact, a very big deal for UT because there are only 21 of these key programs selected worldwide for Herschel," she said. "The people of Toledo should be really proud to know this is going on."
"The Herschel Orion Protostar Survey," of which Mr. Megeath is the principal investigator, will have 200 hours to study the formation of new stars, called protostars, in the Orion constellation.
Mr. Smith is leading one of three subteams in the "Key Insights on Nearby Galaxies: A Far-Infrared Survey with Herschel," or KINGFISH, study, which has a total of 537 hours to study nearby galaxies.
Both professors' research builds upon what already has been discovered with the U.S. Spitzer infrared space telescope, which is named after Toledo-native astrophysicist Lyman Spitzer.
The Spitzer data helped them narrow where they will probe further, which for Mr. Megeath's research team will be 300 protostars in Orion; Mr. Smith's team will look at 60 galaxies.
The international projects include researchers from Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Canada, and other institutions in the United States.
By studying the formation of stars, Mr. Megeath hopes it will help reveal how our sun formed.
Since stars are formed basically from gravity pulling in dust, studying the various steps of that process can help determine why stars are different sizes, their life spans, what types would have planets, and more, Mr. Megeath said.
"You never quite know where it's going to bring you in the end," he said.
For Mr. Smith's research purposes, it's hard to study your own galaxy from within it and the Milky Way is just one type of galaxy out there.
"It's really hard to get a bird's-eye view of everything," he said. "And there's a huge variety to learn about."
The nearby galaxies - those about 100 million light years away - can provide clues to how our galaxy formed, and also look at the evolution of those varieties.
Whether new stars are forming and how dust affects the galaxy are some of the questions to be asked, Mr. Smith said.
Mr. Megeath and Mr. Smith, and the large number of astronomers who also are working on these projects using Herschel, have laid the groundwork for their research when submitting proposals to use the telescope.
So until launch time, they're attempting to wait patiently and hope for a successful mission that will answer their questions with this new technology.
"It's a peak time for infrared," Mr. Smith said.
"Right," added Mr. Megeath. "I think we'll look back at this fondly."
Contact Meghan Gilbert at:
mgilbert@theblade.com
or 419-724-6134.
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