Understanding how stars form is one of the most important unsolved problems in modern-day astronomy. Professor Wilson will use archival data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a new and powerful radio telescope, to carry out a systematic survey of molecules that trace the dense star-forming gas in galaxies. The Killam Research Fellowship allows Dr. Wilson to focus on this large archival project, which will make a significant contribution to our understanding of how physical and chemical changes in the gas regulate the rate of star formation in galaxies of various types and environments.
