​Opportunity for Students: Participate in Cutting-Edge Space Research Projects in Collaboration with MIT​

Attention all students interested in space research! You now have the chance to participate in one of the upcoming projects. This opportunity is available to undergraduate students who have completed their second-year requirements in the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Information Technology, or Faculty of Engineering, with a minimum GPA of "Very Good." It is also open to graduate students at any stage of their studies. The research project is expected to be completed within six months.

For those interested, please reach out to Dr. Ala’a Azzam at the following email address: Alaa.azzam@ju.edu.jo

Projects details: 

Dr. Ala'a Azzam and Dr. Mohamad Mardini are set to undertake two new projects in collaboration with MIT. The details of these projects are as follows:

Our First Project: Unraveling the Formation and Evolution of the Galactic Disk through Chemo-Dynamical Analysis

In the first project, our goal is to explore the formation and evolution of the Galactic disk by integrating chemical abundance surveys, such as GALAH and LAMOST, with astrometric data from Gaia DR3. This combined chemo-dynamical approach will offer a deeper understanding of the Milky Way’s history. By analyzing stars within the Galactic disk, we aim to establish key constraints on its formation and evolutionary processes.

For more details about this type of research, please refer to the following articles:

1- The Atari Disk, a Metal-poor Stellar Population in the Disk System of the Milky Way​

2- Evidence for the Third Stellar Population in the Milky Way’s Disk

3-  Exploring the Galaxy's halo and very metal-weak thick disc with SkyMapper and Gaia DR2

4- Cosmological insights into the early accretion of r-process-enhanced stars: II. Dynamical identification of lost members of Reticulum II

5- Icarus Revisited: An Ancient, Metal-poor Accreted Stellar Stream in the Disk of the Milky Way

6- Galactic Archaeology with Gaia

7- The metal-poor edge of the Milky Way's "thin disc"​

Our Second Project: Stellar Archaeology and the Early Universe

Stellar archaeology is a branch of astronomy and astrophysics that investigates the remnants of ancient stars and stellar systems to uncover the history and evolution of the universe. Much like traditional archaeology, this field examines the "fossil record" of stars that have completed their life cycles—such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes—to analyze their chemical composition, age, and other characteristics.

One of the primary objectives of stellar archaeology is to trace the early history of the universe. By studying the oldest stars and their chemical signatures, we gain valuable insights into galaxy formation and the processes that shaped the cosmos. A particular focus is placed on stellar populations in globular clusters and the galactic halo, as these often contain some of the oldest stars in the Milky Way.

Research Approach

Metal-poor stars serve as key tools in exploring the early universe, as they provide crucial information about the first stages of star and galaxy formation. Our approach involves the following:

1. Tracing the Early Universe

• Metal-poor stars have low concentrations of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium (referred to as "metals" in astrophysics). These stars belong to the earliest generations formed after the Big Bang, when the universe contained only hydrogen, helium, and trace amounts of lithium.
• By analyzing the chemical composition of these stars, we can reconstruct the conditions of the early universe, shedding light on the formation of the first stars (Population III stars) and their role in cosmic evolution.

2. Understanding Stellar Evolution

• The evolution of metal-poor stars differs from that of metal-rich stars, as metals influence stellar cooling and structure. Investigating their life cycles allows us to refine models of stellar formation and evolution.
• Some of these ancient stars may be direct descendants of the first stars, providing clues about their end stages—whether they exploded as supernovae, collapsed into black holes, or formed neutron stars.

3. Probing Galactic Formation

• Metal-poor stars are often found in the halos of galaxies or in their older regions. Mapping their distribution helps us understand how the Milky Way and other galaxies formed and grew over time.
• Their presence also provides insights into how galaxies accumulated material in the early universe, revealing details about early galactic structures and mergers.

4. Constraining the First Elements and Nucleosynthesis

• Since metal-poor stars contain fewer heavy elements, they offer a unique window into the nucleosynthesis processes of the early universe.
• By studying their elemental composition—such as iron, carbon, and oxygen—we can determine how the first heavy elements were synthesized, helping to refine models of chemical evolution.

5. Determining Cosmic Ages

• The age of a star correlates with its metallicity; metal-poor stars tend to be among the oldest. Studying their ages allows us to estimate the age of the galaxy and the universe, contributing to more precise cosmological models.

6. Examining Stellar Populations

• Metal-poor stars often belong to ancient stellar populations, such as halo stars in the Milky Way. By studying these populations, we can trace the history of star formation and how the interstellar medium became enriched with heavier elements over time.

Metal-poor stars function as cosmic time capsules, preserving information about the early universe. Their study provides a unique opportunity to look back in time and reconstruct the conditions that existed shortly after the Big Bang. Through this research, we aim to enhance our understanding of early star formation, galactic evolution, and fundamental cosmological questions related to dark matter and dark energy.

For more details about this type of research, please refer to the following articles:

1- Metal-Poor Stars in the Milky Way System

2- Near-Field Cosmology with Extremely Metal-Poor Stars

3- Stellar archaeology: Exploring the Universe with metal-poor stars

4- From Nuclei to the Cosmos: Tracing Heavy-Element Production with the Oldest Stars

5- The Discovery and Analysis of Very Metal-Poor Stars in the Galaxy​

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