ABSTRACT 9502268 Henning, Patricia This award is made under the auspices of the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program. As a CAREER awardee the investigator is expected to pursue an active education plan in addition to her scientific research project. About one quarter of the extragalactic sky is blocked by the dust and high star density of our Galaxy, the Milky Way. Several superclusters of galaxies disappear into this so-called Zone of Avoidance (ZOA), so their true sizes and possible connections with visible structures are not known. Dr. Henning will conduct a survey of the galaxies in the northern ZOA using the Dwingeloo telescope in the Netherlands to observe the 21-cm wavelength spectral line of neutral atomic hydrogen. This line is not affected by the foreground dust, and the distribution of the galaxies can be determined. The results of the survey will be used as a tracer of large-scale structure in the Universe, to investigate the space density of dwarf type galaxies, and to constrain models of their formation. In the southern hemisphere, specifically selected galaxies will be observed, also at 21-cm wavelength, using the Parkes telescope in Australia. In her education component, Dr. Henning will design innovative educational programs in conjunction with the Astronomy Science Center being formed by a consortium led by the University of New Mexico, with the goal of true combination of education and research. *** ??
