posted on 2023-05-23, 10:16authored byMcClure-Griffiths, NM, Stanimirovic, S, Murray, CE, Li, D, John DickeyJohn Dickey, Vazquez-Semadeni, E, Peek, JEG, Putman, M, Clark, SE, Miville-Deschenes, M-A, Bland-Hawthorn, J, Staveley-Smith, L
As we strive to understand how galaxies evolve it is crucial that we resolve physical processes and test emerging theories in nearby systems that we can observe in great detail. Our own Galaxy, the Milky Way, and the nearby Magellanic Clouds provide unique windows into the evolution of galaxies, each with its own metallicity and star formation rate. These laboratories allow us to study with more detail than anywhere else in the Universe how galaxies acquire fresh gas to fuel their continuing star formation, how they exchange gas with the surrounding intergalactic medium, and turn warm, diffuse gas into molecular clouds and ultimately stars. The λ21-cm line of atomic hydrogen (H ɪ) is an excellent tracer of these physical processes. With the SKA we will finally have the combination of surface brightness sensitivity, point source sensitivity and angular resolution to transform our understanding of the evolution of gas in the Milky Way, all the way from the halo down to the formation of individual molecular clouds.
Funding
Australian Research Council
History
Publication title
Advancing Astrophysics with the Square Kilometre Array
Editors
TL Bourke, R Braun, R Fender et al
Pagination
655-677
ISBN
978-1-909204-70-6
Department/School
School of Natural Sciences
Publisher
Dolman Scott Ltd
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Event title
Advancing Astrophysics with the Square Kilometre Array
Event Venue
Giardini Naxos, Italy
Date of Event (Start Date)
2014-06-09
Date of Event (End Date)
2014-06-13
Rights statement
Copyright 2015 the Author Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/