Current Projects

The COS Legacy Spectroscopic SurveY (CLASSY) is a treasury survey that builds on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) archive to construct the first high-quality, high-resolution far-ultraviolet (far-UV) spectral database of 45 nearby star-forming galaxies. The survey combines 177 orbits of archival observations with 135 new orbits (312 total orbits) of HST observations, or more than 600 total spectral images taken with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS). The CLASSY Treasury sample contains 45 star-forming galaxies selected to span similar properties as seen at high redshift, with a large range of masses, metallicities, ionization parameters, and densities, but enhanced star formation rates.

This study uses COS G130M

spectroscopy of 6 sightlines in NGC5253, to measure the neutral gas abundances towards clusters ranging between 1-15Myr. When combined with ionized gas abundances of spatially matched spectra from VLT/MUSE, this unique dataset will provide the first spatially resolved study of metals both within and

between two phases within a galaxy. Determining whether metal abundance offsets exist between the two phases, both globally and locally across a range of HII region properties, enables an exceptionally detailed sampling of chemical mixing scenarios and enrichment mechanisms experienced in SFGs. Dr Abril-Melgarajo is currently leading this work and we expect a publication of results in Fall 2023.

In order to fully characterize the high-z systems probed by JWST, it is essential that we prepare a robust rest-UV diagnostic toolkit to determine their physical and chemical properties. Crucially, such diagnostics must incorporate the element that emits strongest in the UV: carbon. Here we will observe the [CII] 2325A multiplet in a sample of 12 CLASSY galaxies using STIS/G230L spectroscopy, thus building on preexisting HST/COS spectroscopy to deliver essential insight into the diagnostic utility, production, and abundance of carbon.