Gordon J. Stacey

Specialty Areas

Infrared and Optical Astronomy

Research Projects

Large Format Squid Multiplexed Arrays for Polar Astrophysics, SWIRE: The SIRTF Wide-Area Infrared Extragalactic Survey., Wide-Field Imaging Spectroscopy in the Submillimeter: Deploying SPIFI on AST/RO, Submillimeter Instrumentation, ZEUS: The High-Redshift (Z) Early Universe Spectrometer, SPIFI: The South Pole Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer, FORCAST: A Widefield Infrared Camera for SOFIA, SAGE: A submillimeter Grating Spectrometer for Exploring Distant Galaxies

Biography

Gordon J. Stacey's research centers on the physical conditions, dynamics, and composition of the interstellar medium and its relationship to starformation in galaxies. These interests spur observations in a variety of spectral regimes, and often require the construction of dedicated instrumentation. Recently, Stacey has focused on studies of the Galactic Center, and external infrared (IR) bright galaxies using far-IR and submillimeter spectroscopy, and far-IR imaging photometry. He was PI on a far-IR camera, the Kuiper Widefield Imaging Camera (KWIC), that was used on NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory, is PI on two submillimeter spectrometers: the South Pole Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer (SPIFI), and the redshift (z) and Early Universe Spectrometer (ZEUS). SPIFI is a frequent guest on the 15-meter James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) on Mauna Kea, and is soon to be deployed on the AST/RO telescope at the South Pole. Our JCMT work with SPIFI has explored the physical conditions of the Galactic Center circumnuclear ring, and the neutral ISM in starforming galaxies. For example, our work demonstrated that for at least one starburst nucleus (NGC 253), the molecular ISM is heated to high temperatures by cosmic ray emission from supernovae in the starburst. This high temperature will inhibit future generations of starformation. ZEUS is a grating spectrometer, dedicated to studying nearby starburst and ultra-luminous galaxies in their submillimeter line emission, and to study starforming galaxies at redshifts up to 3 in their far-IR line emission. It is anticipated that ZEUS will be deployed on the JCMT in 2004. Stacey is also a Co-I on the SIRTF Wide-area Infrared Extragalactic survey (SWIRE). SWIRE is soon to explore starburst and active galaxies in the early Universe using multiband IR surveys obtained with the SIRTF photometers. A primary goal of SWIRE is to determine how star formation activity in galaxies evolves over time. Stacey is also a Co-I on two instruments, FORCAST and SAFIRE, which will fly on NASA's 2.5 meter Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). SOFIA will fly in early 2005. FORCAST is the facility 5 to 38 μm imaging camera, and SAFIRE is PI class 145 to 600 μm imaging Fabry-Perot.

Selected Publications

• Bradford, C.M., Nikola, T.N., Stacey, G.J., Jackson, J.M., Bolatto, A.D., Davidson, J.A., Savage, M.L., & Higdon, S.J. "CO(7→ 6) Observations of NGC 253: Cosmic Ray Heated Warm Molecular Gas." ApJ 586, 891 (2003).

• V. Charmandaris, G.J. Stacey, & G.E. Gull. "Resolving the buried starburst in Arp 299." Ap.J. 571, 282 (2002).

• C.M. Bradford, G.J. Stacey, M.R. Swain, T. Nikola, A.D. Bolatto, J.M. Jackson, M.L. Savage, J.A. Davidson, & P.A.R. Ade. "SPIFI: the First Direct - Detection Imaging Spectrometer for Submillimeter Wavelengths." Applied Optics 41, 2561 (2002).

• T. Nikola, N. Geis, F. Herrmann, S.C. Madden, A. Poglitsch, G.J. Stacey, & C.H. Townes. "Starformation in M51 Triggered by the Galaxy Interaction." ApJ 561, 203 (2001).

• S.J. Unger, P.E. Clegg, G.J. Stacey, P. Cox, J. Fischer, M. Greenhouse, S.D. Lord, M.L. Luhman, M.A. Malkan, S. Satyapal, H.A. Smith, L. Spinoglio, & M. Wolfire. "ISO-LWS Spectroscopy of Centaurus A: Extended Starformation." A&A 355, 885 (2000).

• H.M. Latvakoski, G.J. Stacey, G.E. Gull, & T. Hayward. "Kuiper Widefield Infrared Camera Far-Infrared Imaging of the Galactic Center: The Circumnuclear Disk Revealed." Ap.J. 511, 761 (1999).

• J.W. Colbert, M.A. Malkan, P.E. Clegg, P. Cox, J. Fischer, S.D. Lord, M. Luhman, S. Satyapal, H.A. Smith, L. Spinoglio, G.J. Stacey, & S. Unger. "ISO Long-Wavelength Spectrograph Spectroscopy of M82: A Unified Evolutionary Model." Ap.J. 511, 721 (1999).

• M. L. Luhman, S. Satyapal, J. Fischer, M. G. Wolfire, P. Cox, S.D. Lord, H. A. Smith, G.J. Stacey, & S. J. Unger, S. D. Lord. "Infrared Space Observatory Measurements of a [CII] 158 μm Line Deficit in Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies." Ap.J. 504, L11 (1998).