Galaxy formation and evolution
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Institute of Astronomy
Abstract
This programmatic five-year rolling grant application addresses one of the most important problems in extragalactic astronomy, the formation and evolution of galaxies, one of the ``big questions'' in the current PPARC Road Map, and is a defining objective of virtually every national decadal survey of astronomy. A full understanding of galaxy formation and evolution requires multiple lines of attack. Observations of the resolved stellar populations in the Milky Way and its Local Group companions provide a detailed fossil record of the dynamical assemblies of the galaxies, the formation of stars, and the buildup of heavy elements over a wide range of mass scales and initial conditions. At the other end of the scale, observations of distant galaxies spanning lookback times of up to 12 Gyr provide direct measurements of the evolution of galaxy populations and the buildup of stars and metals with cosmic time. Finally, measurements of the large-scale star formation and abundance properties of nearby galaxies form a vital astrophysical bridge between the studies of nearby resolved stellar populations and the distant high-redshift investigations, by allowing us to characterise the evolutionary properties of the Hubble sequence and the complex ``gastrophysical'' processes that regulate the accretion of gas and the formation of stars in galaxies. In this rolling grant application we propose a series of investigations that will advance our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution on all three fronts.
Organisations
Publications
Bellazzini M
(2008)
THE NUCLEUS OF THE SAGITTARIUS DSPH GALAXY AND M54: A WINDOW ON THE PROCESS OF GALAXY NUCLEATION
in The Astronomical Journal
Belokurov V
(2009)
Two new large-separation gravitational lenses from SDSS
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Belokurov V
(2007)
The Cosmic Horseshoe: Discovery of an Einstein Ring around a Giant Luminous Red Galaxy
in The Astrophysical Journal
Belokurov V
(2009)
The discovery of Segue 2: a prototype of the population of satellites of satellites
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Belokurov V
(2010)
BIG FISH, LITTLE FISH: TWO NEW ULTRA-FAINT SATELLITES OF THE MILKY WAY
in The Astrophysical Journal
Belokurov V.
(2008)
LEO V: A COMPANION OF A COMPANION OF THE MILKY WAY GALAXY?
in ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS
Bramich D
(2008)
Light and motion in SDSS Stripe 82: the catalogues
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Breddels M
(2010)
Distance determination for RAVE stars using stellar models
in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Bresolin F
(2009)
THE FLAT OXYGEN ABUNDANCE GRADIENT IN THE EXTENDED DISK OF M83
in The Astrophysical Journal
Brinchmann J
(2008)
New insights into the stellar content and physical conditions of star-forming galaxies at z = 2-3 from spectral modelling
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society