Postdoctoral Fellowship: AAPF: Novel Perspectives into the Baryon Cycle of Dwarf Galaxies

Sal Wanying Fu is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at Princeton University. Dwarf galaxies are believed to be key test sites for a range of cosmological questions. However, their utility as such has been limited by challenges in interpreting the chemical signatures from the stars and gas in these galaxies.

Fu will perform several observational studies aimed at measuring and interpreting robust stellar chemical measurements in dwarf galaxies. Fu will also engage in curricular redesign and implementation of a STEM Associate’s degree track through the Princeton Prison Teaching Initiative.

Using narrow-band photometry and multi-plexed spectroscopy on the Subaru telescope, Fu will produce a detailed chemodynamical characterization of the extended stellar halos of isolated dwarf galaxies in the Local Group. These observations will be used to probe the faint-end stellar mass-halo mass relation and its sensitivity to assumed dark matter cosmology.

Fu will also systematically study the effects of stellar feedback strength in low mass dwarf galaxies using existing HST narrow-band metallicity measurements. Finally, in preparation for the era of Extremely Large Telescopes, Fu will amass a catalog of high-fidelity extremely metal poor stars to be observed with the upcoming facilities.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.