9624924 Rudolph The study of galactic structure and evolution is one of the most fundamental in Astronomy. The research to be carried will focus on studying the structure and evolution of our own Milky Way by comparing observations of two distinct parts of our Galaxy, the local solar neighborhood, and the outer Galaxy. The solar neighborhood is the best studied region of the Galaxy. The outer Galaxy is less well understood, but its proximity and differences in physical conditions (e.g., low gas density, low metallicity) make it an ideal place to study contrasts with the local neighborhood. The areas of study be: 1) searches for and studies of atomic hydrogen (HII) regions in the outer Galaxy; 2) a study of Galactic abundances and how they vary in the Galaxy; 3) studies of molecular cloud structure; and 4) studies of the stellar content of regions of active star-formation. A Very Large Array (VLA) and Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) radio continuum survey of HII regions in the outer Galaxy has begun, and this work will be continued by analyzing the data to determine HII region properties. These data can be compared with similar data taken in the inner Galaxy. The survey will be carried out to observe lower luminosity radio sources. A study of outer Galaxy abundances (N,O,S) in HII regions measured from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. The Infrared Satellite Observatory (ISO) will be used to observe additional lines of Ar and Ne in some outer Galaxy HII regions, and to measure abundances in the furthest known HII region at a distance of 28 kpc from the center of the Galaxy. A third objective will involve new molecular-line observations of two star-forming regions in the outer Galaxy in order to determine the structure of the molecular clouds. In particular, it is planned to measure the spectrum of clump masses (initial clump function, or ICF) in t hese clouds in order to compare with the numerous measurements of the ICF parameter in local clouds. The final objective is to obtain JHK photometry of a number of nearby star-forming clouds using a near-IR camera mounted on the Claremont Colleges l-m telescope. With this telescope and camera, entire clouds could be mapped (such as rho-Oph), thereby obtaining a complete census of the embedded cluster. Models of the observed cluster luminosity function will allow us to determine the underlying IMF. Similar cluster membership data for the outer Galaxy will be obtained, allowing one to compare the IMF in two regions of very different metallicity. Also, comparison of the ICF and lMF in both the local neighborhood and in the outer Galaxy will help one understand how star-formation proceeds from molecular cloud clumps to stars of various masses. The educational component of this project will focus on course development and modernization. The Observational Astronomy course offered at Harvey Mudd College has, in the past, neglected including recent advances in non-optical astronomy. New lecture material and computer laboratories are being developed to introduce non-optical data into the course. The Advanced Astronomy course will be redesigned into a series of topical half-semester courses (e.g., Star-formation and the Interstellar Medium, Cosmology, Extragalactic Astronomy, Galactic Structure, etc.) to introduce modern astronomical topics into the curriculum and to increase student interest in advanced Astronomy. The educational component of this project will also continue K-12 outreach work begun in the last year, through a partnership with two local Claremont School District teachers.
