Our laboratory is engaged in an experimental and observation program to image emission from the intergalactic medium (IGM), the location of most of the baryons in the Universe. Ultimately, our goal is to understand how gas from the IGM flows into the halos of galaxies, the "Circum-Galactic Medium" [CGM], and how it flows out of galaxies back into the CGM and IGM. The cosmic evolution of galaxies is driven by the flow of gas into and out of them. Our long-term goals are (1) to understand the history of cosmic gas accretion into galaxies; (2) the feedback of energy, gas, and heavy elements into the IGM from galactic scale and black hole winds; (3) to locate galaxies withiin the baryonic cosmic web; and (4) using these observations combined with numerical simulations, to assemble a predictive theory for baryonic structure formation.
We are developing new instruments that are designed to image the very low surface brightness emission from the IGM and CGM, "Dim Matter". These instruments include the Palomar Cosmic Web Imager, the Keck Cosmic Web Imager and its red arm the Keck Cosmic Reionization Mapper, and the FIREBALL-2 and HALO balloon and explorer. Using these instruments we will be able to detect and map CGM and IGM emission from the epoch of Reionization (z=8) to the local Universe (z=0). For the space UV, we need to develop new, high efficiency photon counting detectors and wide field imaging spectrometers to enable detecting the local cosmic web in emission.
We are developing techniques for interpreting the data from these instruments, and observational techniques to unravel the star formation history in galaxies. One of our principal goals is to relate the star formation history of galaxies with the properties of their halos (CGM).
We have detected, for the first time, emission from the cosmic web, an Emission Lyman alpha Forest, using the NSF-supported Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) The Astro2020 Report lists, as its sole ``Science Panel Discovery Area" from the Galaxy Panel, ``Mapping the Circumgalactic Medium and Intergalactic Medium in Emission.'' (Astro2020, Table 2.2), because in understanding the growth and evolution of galaxies, ``... the key missing link in unveiling the physics driving galaxy growth is to measure the properties of the diffuse gas within, surrounding, and between galaxies.'' (From Section 2.3.3. Multiscale Cosmic Flows of Gas).
The intergalactic medium (IGM) represents the dominant reservoir of baryons at high redshift, is believed to trace the architecture of the cosmic web dominated by dark matter, and fuels on-going galaxy formation and evolution.
The IGM has long been studied exclusively using QSO absorption lines including the Lyman alpha forest (LAF), which are unable to provide the information that emission maps would give, such as size, density, kinematic state, and association with nearby structures and galaxies, except in a statistical fashion.
The Superpressure STABLE Cosmic Web Imager (SCWI) is designed to detect, spectroscopically characterize, and map the circumgalactic and intergalactic medium (CGM, IGM) for the first time in the nearby, low-redshift universe, offering extraordinary science at low mission cost of <$8M. SCWI combines a Caltech-built ultraviolet (UV) integral field spectrograph (IFS) with heritage from the FIREBALL balloon program and ground-based Palomar (PCWI) and Keck (KCWI) Cosmic Web Imagers with the existing JPL-built STABLE telescope and fine pointing system, and a flight-proven JPL-developed photon-counting FIREBALL UV detector. After a 3 month maturation phase and a two-year development phase, SCWI will perform its first balloon flight in September 2027. In addition to the first detection of CGM gas at UV wavelengths, this flight will also flight-prove key payload systems for use on a long-duration balloon flight the following year. A subsequent long-duration superpressure balloon (SPB) flight will map emission from the CGM of 30 nearby galaxies and quasars, and obtain a deep map of the cosmic web at redshift z = 0.7.
Understanding the distribution of matter, energy, rotation, and heavy elements in galaxy halos. Determining the importance of cold and hot gas accretion and outflows in determining the evolution of galaxies. Connecting CGM/Halo properties with galaxy properties in order to understand the co-evolution of galaxies and their gas halos. Using KCWI, PCWI, FIREBALL-2, HALO.
The complex flow of matter, energy, and metals between galaxies and CGM.
Papers: Martin+14a; Martin+14b; Martin+15; Martin+16; Martin+19; O'Sullivan+20
GALEX discovered a new class of galaxies undergoing a transition from (or to) the star-forming main sequence to passive evolution. We have developed a new observable metric, Star Formation Acceleration, in order to track the evolution of galaxies over the galaxy "HR-diagram" (the stellar mass - star formation rate diagram). The long-term goal is to connect this evolution to the properties of the baryonic and dark matter halos that the galaxies live in. Using GALEX, KCWI, PCWI, HALO, SDSS, other surveys.
Papers: Wyder+07; Schiminovich+07; Martin+07a; Krause+13; Martin+17; Darvish+18
Figure from Martin+17: A New Methodology for Galaxy Physical Parameters
Red channel for KCWI focussed on searching for emission from IGM gas undergoing reionization in order to determine the sources and history of re-ionization. Commissioned June, 2023.
Keck instrument for faint, integral field spectroscopy with flexible (low to high) spectral and spatial resolution and precision sky subtraction, in the optical band. Successful first light April 11, 2017. Now a popular dark-time instrument for imaging spectroscopy.
Papers: Morrissey+18; Martin+19; Martin+23
Faint Intergalactic mediuum Redshifted Emission Balloon.
High spectral resolution instrument for detecting low surface brightness emission from IGM, CGM. Multi-object UV spectroscopy. Major collaboration with France. Funded by NASA, CNES, CNRS. Partners: Caltech, CNES, Laboratorie Astrophysique Marseille, Columbia University, University of Arizona
Papers: Hamden+20; Kyne+20; Picouet+20
Galaxy-Halo Co-evolution explorer. MIDEX concept to map low redshift baryonic and dark matter halos using UV emission lines, and explore the low surface brightness UV universe, in concept development.
a NASA Small Explorer Mission performed imaging and spectroscopic surveys in the ultraviolet, launched April 28, 2003. Included major guest Investigator program. Principal Investigator. Science includes galaxy evolution, star formation physics, black hole evolution and its effect on galaxy evolution, stellar and interstellar astrophysics. Mission ended 2013, but an active archival research program continues.
High spectral resolution instrument for detecting low surface brightness emission from the ground. Designed to detect and map for the first time emission from the Intergalactic medium (IGM). Prototype for KCWI. Now a popular general use instrument. (Palomar, Funded by NSF and Caltech)
Zeren Lin, Christopher Martin, Mateusz Matuszewski, Don Neill,Keri Hoadley, and Rosalie McGurk, Revealing the Kinematically Complex CGM of J0910b: Filamentary Inflow and Counter-Rotating Gas Surrounding a Low-Mass Galaxy}, Ap.J., submitted
Martin, D. Christopher, et al., 2023. Extensive Lya emission correlated with cosmic structure, Nature Astronomy, 7, 1390. link
Nielsen, N., et al., 2024. Revealing the disk-circumgalactic medium transition with emission mapping, Nature Astronomy, 8, 1602. link
Li, Jessica S. et al., 2023. Circumgalactic Lya Nebulae In Overdense Quasar Pair Regions Observed With The Palomar Cosmic Web Imager, Ap.J., 952, 137. link
Hoadley, K., Martin, D.C., Metzger, B., Seibert, M. 2020, A blue ring nebula from a stellar merger several thousand years ago, Nature, 587, 387.
O'Sullivan, D., Martin, D. C., Matuszewski, M. et al. 2020, The FLASHES Survey I: Integral Field Spectroscopy of the CGM around 48 z=2.3−3.1 QSOs, Ap.J., 894, 3. link
Martin, D. C., O’Sullivan, D., Matuszewski, M., et al., 2019. Multi-Filament Inflows Fuel Young Star Forming Galaxies, Nature Astronomy, 3, 822. link
Cai, Z., Hamden, E., Matuszewski, M., Prochaska, J. X., Li, Q., Cantalupo, S., Arrigoni Battaia, F., Martin, C., Neill, J. D., O’Sullivan, D., Wang, R., Moore, A., & Morrissey, P., 2018. Keck/Palomar Cosmic Web Imagers Reveal an Enormous Lyα Nebula in an Extremely Overdense Quasi-stellar Object Pair Field at z = 2.45, Ap.J.L., 861, L3. link
Darvish, B., Scoville, N. Z., Martin, C., Mobasher, B., Diaz-Santos, T., & Shen, L., 2018. Similar Scaling Relations for the Gas Content of Galaxies Across Environments to z ∼ 3.5, Ap.J., 860, 111. link
Morrissey, P., Matuszewski, M., Martin, D. C., et al., 2018. The Keck Cosmic Web Imager, Ap.J., 864, 93. link
Darvish, B., Martin, D. C., Goncalves, T., Mobasher, B., Scoville, N. Z. and Sobral, D., 2018. Quench- ing or Bursting: The Role of Stellar Mass, Environment, and Specific Star Formation Rate to z∼1, Ap.J., 853, 155. link
Martin, D. C., Gonc ̧alves, T. S., Darvish, B., Seibert, M., Schiminovich, D., 2017. Quenching or Bursting: Star Formation Acceleration–A New Methodology for Tracing Galaxy Evolution, Ap.J., 842, 20. link
Nikzad, S., Jewell, A. D., Hoenk, M. E., et al. 2017 High Efficiency UV/Optical/NIR Detectors for Large Aperture Telescopes and UV Explorer Missions: Development of and Field Observations with Delta-doped Arrays’, Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems, 3, 036002 link
Martin, D. C., Matuszewski, M., Morrissey, P., et al. 2016, A Newly Forming Cold Flow Protogalactic Disk, a Signature of Cold Accretion from the Cosmic Web, Ap.J.L., 824, L5. link
Martin, D. C., Matuszewski, M., Morrissey, P., Moore, A., Cantalupo, S., Prochaska, J. X., Chang, D. 2015, A Giant Protogalactic Disk Linked to the Cosmic Web, Nature, 524, 192. link
Hamden, E.~T., Jewell, A.~D., Shapiro, C.~A., et al. 2016, Charge-coupled devices detectors with high quantum efficiency at UV wavelengths, Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems, 2, 036003 link
Drew Miles -- Assistant Research Professor
Vincent Picouet -- Postdoctoral Scholar
Zeren Lin -- Graduate Research Assistant
Xihan Deng -- Graduate Research Assistant
Nic Prusinki -- Graduate Research Assistant
Christopher Martin -- Professor of Physics
Matt Matuszewski -- Senior Staff Scientist
Ay 127 -- Cosmology and Galaxy Evolution
Ay 122a -- Observations and Instrumentation
Ph 1bc(Prac) -- Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism
Ph 2a -- Waves and Radiation
Ph 2b -- Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
Image credit: Illustris TNG Collaboration