Directory
Sarah Ragan
Contact Information
1010 Dennison 500 Church St. Ann Arbor, Mi 48109 Phone: 615-6139 Department Phone: (734) 764-3440 Fax: (734) 763-6317Email: seragan (append "@umich.edu" to send email)Homepage: http://www.astro.lsa.umich.edu/~seragan
Research Statement:
Most of our current understanding of star formation results from detailed study of nearby, low-mass star forming regions. This, however, is not the typical environment in which the Galaxy produces stars, which instead tend to form in clusters in the vicinity of high mass stars. Most such regions reside in the molecular ring of the Galaxy, inaccessible to detailed studies due to their great distance from us.
We have a unique sample of massive starless clouds identified with deep Spitzer images, and we are using line emission from trace molecules (e.g. CO and ammonia) to probe the cloud kinematics. Our study aims to characterize typical Galactic star formation by observing the massive clouds in which clusters form at their prestellar stage.
For more information, please see Ragan, et al. 2006, ApJS, 166, 567 "Molecular Line Observations of Infrared Dark Clouds: Seeking the Precursors to Intermediate and Massive Star Formation"
