Dr. Neal Evans, at the University of Texas at Austin, will continue a program of modeling and observation of the earliest stages of star formation. In one component of the program he will compare detailed molecular line and continuum observations of low mass, isolated cores to a state-of-the-art chemical and dynamical ("chemodynamical") model. A second component of the program involves the exploration of a previously discovered correlation between far-infrared luminosity and molecular hydrogen cyanide (HCN) emission. A third component involves a 1mm wavelength survey of the Galactic plane, covering the Spitzer Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire" (GLIMPSE) survey region, to help conduct a study of massive star-forming cores in the inner Galaxy.
Dr. Evans will work with undergraduate and graduate students, and he has a track record of involving females (a group that is underrepresented in the sciences) in his research. He also will disseminate his work to classes he teaches, and to public audiences in part through radio shows, including a Spanish-language program.
