Secrets of the Milky Way's Hidden Gas: Pathway to Discovery (Macquarie University Research Development Grant)

This project will make pioneering measurements of hidden gas in our Milky Way Galaxy. Recent work implies there are vast reservoirs of undetected molecular hydrogen in interstellar space, which are the vital missing link connecting diffuse gas to star-forming clouds. This project will use new radio spectral line observations and innovative theoretical models to uncover this gas throughout the Milky Way, and lay the essential groundwork that will enable us to understand its role as an intermediary on the road to star formation. The dynamic transformation of gas to stars is a crucial component of how galaxies function, and this work will challenge our understanding of how galaxies form and evolve from the early universe to the present day.