Think Global, Act Local: Insights into the Evolution of Galaxies

The evolution of galaxies is controlled by the competing effects of star formation and feedback. The rate at whicha galaxy forms stars appears to be largely controlled by how quickly gas converts from diffuse atomic state tomolecular, which is affected by the amount of metals in the gas, and the strength of interstellar radiation fields.This project will probe the conversion of atomic to molecular gas within disparate environments at physical scaleswhere it is possible to resolve the processes at play. The project will use three local laboratories: our Milky Way,and the nearby Large and Small Magellanic Clouds to understand the gas processes that lead to star formationand how these impact galaxy evolution throughout the Universe.