Kinematic properties of the young clusters in the Radcliffe wave

• Grant number: 22/06054-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: July 01, 2022
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Positional Astronomy and Celestial Mechanics
• Principal Investigator: Phillip Andreas Brenner Galli
• Grantee: Sabrina Vitória de Souza Nogueira da Silva
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria de Pós-Graduação, Pesquisa e Extensão. Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (UNICID). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/12518-8 - Dynamics and evolution of Young Stellar Clusters (DYSC), AP.JP

Abstract

The recent discovery of the Radcliffe wave calls for a revision of the local structure of the Galaxy and an explanation how star formation propagates at galactic scales. This project aims to characterise the kinematic properties of the Radcliffe wave based on the 3D positions, 3D space motions and age of the stars in the young clusters that form this structure. The student will use the state-of-the-art astrometry delivered by the Gaia satellite, the most recent photometric and spectroscopic data from public large-scale surveys of the sky and observations collected by our team combined with machine-learning methods to (I) produce the most complete census of the stellar (and substellar) content of the young clusters investigated in this Project; (II) accurately determine the distance, spatial velocity and age of individual stars and substructures (i.e., subgroups) in the clusters; (III) and compare the properties of "isolated" young clusters and connect them at a galactic scale. Altogether, the proposed project aims to explain the origin, structure and kinematics of the Radcliffe wave in the context of star formation and Galaxy evolution. (AU)