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Christine D. Wilson
Professor
Department of Physics and Astronomy
McMaster University
Hamilton, ON
L8S 4M1
Office: ABB-351, ABB-241
Phone: (905) 525-9140 x27483
FAX: (905) 546-1252
E-mail: wilson@physics.mcmaster.ca
Research Area: Astrophysics
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Research Interests
My work involves all aspects of observational star formation and
the molecular interstellar medium, both in
our own Galaxy and in other galaxies. I am particularly interested in
the properties of giant molecular clouds,
the nature of the interstellar medium in dwarf galaxies, the
mechanisms regulating star formation rates and efficiencies
in galaxies, and the properties of low-mass protostars in nearby
molecular clouds. A large
part of my observational work is concentrated
in the regime of millimeter-wave radio interferometry, where
high-resolution images of the emission from molecules
in the interstellar medium can be obtained. However, many of
these problems require a multi-wavelenght approach and so I have used
a variety of optical and radio telescopes, including
the Submillimeter Array (SMA), the James Clerk Maxwell
Telescope (JCMT), and
the
Herschel
Space Observatory
.
Here are some of the projects that my group is currently working on:
- a large survey of HI-selected galaxies within 25 Mpc to study the
dense molecular gas associated with star formation, the gas-to-dust
mass ratio, and to look for variations and correlations with galaxy
type, mass, star formation rate, metallicity, etc. (the
JCMT Nearby Galaxy Legacy Survey,
with graduate student Jen Golding, former postdoc Brad Warren and
roughly 50 collaborators)
- a detailed study of
the gas and dust in a diverse sample of 14 nearby galaxies from 60 to
550 microns using the instruments on the
Herschel
Space Observatory
(involving graduate students Tara Parkin and Max Schirm as well
as postdocs Erin Mentuch and Kelly Foyle and roughly 50 collaborators)
- a major survey of 14 nearby luminous infrared galaxies to
determine the distribution, kinematics, and physical conditions of the
gas and dust, to compare with simulations of galaxy mergers to
understand how the gas and star formation rates evolve during the
merger process, and as a well-studied local sample to understand
high-redshift submillimeter galaxies (with graduate student Kaz Sliwa
and various collaborators)
I am also currently
the Canadian Project Scientist for the (Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA)
(see also Canadian ALMA page), which was recommended
as the highest priority for Canadian participation in a major, new, ground-based observatory in the report of the
Long Range Planning Panel, "The Origins of Structure in the Universe"
. ALMA will take its first science observations in late 2011.
I am also an Associate
Scientist with the
SPIRE
instrument for the
Herschel
Space Observatory
, which is currently launched in May 2009.
Selected Publications
- "Probing the molecular interstellar medium of M82 with Herschel-SPIRE spectroscopy
", P. Panuzzo, N. Rangwala, A. Rykala, K. G. Isaak, J. Glenn,
C. D. Wilson, et al., A&A, 518, L37 (2010)
- "The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope Nearby Galaxies Legacy Survey. II. Warm Molecular Gas and Star Formation in Three Field Spiral Galaxies
", B. E. Warren,
C. D. Wilson, et al., ApJ, 714, 571-588 (2010)
- "Rotation of the Warm Molecular Gas surrounding Ultracompact
HII Regions
", P. D. Klaassen
C. D. Wilson, E. R. Keto, & Q. Zhang, ApJ, 703, 1308-1317 (2009)
- "Luminous Infrared Galaxies with the
Submillimeter Array: I. Survey Overview and the Central Gas to
Dust Ratio", C. D. Wilson, G. R. Petitpas, D. Iono, A. J. Baker,
A. B. Peck, M. Krips, B. E. Warren, J. Golding, A. Atkinson,
L. Armus, T. J. Cox, P. T. P. Ho, M. Juvela, S. Matsushita,
J. C. Mihos, Y. Pihlstrom, & M. Yun, ApJS, 178, 189-224 (2008)
- "High-Mass Star Formation III.
The Functional Form of the Submillimeter Mass Function",
M. A. Reid & C. D. Wilson,
ApJ, 650, 970-984(2005).
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