Cold atomic clouds are a necessary step on the way to molecular cloud and star formation. To study how these clouds form out of the warm neutral medium, Dr. Stanimirovic will use two next-generation radio facilities for sensitive HI absorption observations of the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds. The so-named "21-SPONGE" survey will provide the first quantitative description of the basic physical properties of the warm neutral medium in the Milky Way. A second survey conducted at facilities in the southern hemisphere will provide the census of cold gas in the Magellanic Clouds. These surveys will be complemented by a study of interstellar turbulence as a potential key agent for seeding the cold cloud formation. Once the data is obtained, a systematic comparison of synthetic HI spectra derived from numerical models with observations will test the reliability of simulated data sets and will expose missing physical processes.
The exploration of the interstellar clouds in the Milky Way continues to introductory astronomy classes at the University of Wisconsin, Madison through the development of the Astronomical Observation Laboratory -- a "radio observatory" dedicated to student learning. Three undergraduate students will work with Dr. Stanimirovic to develop radio astronomy tutorials suitable for lower-level astronomy classes. With its three small radio telescopes, the Astronomical Observation Laboratory will also allow upper-level, project-based courses to focus on problem-solving and collaborative learning. Undergraduate students from other campuses will be able to use Astronomical Observation Laboratory remotely from their classrooms and work with the radio tutorials.
