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
Koposov S
(2007)
The Discovery of Two Extremely Low Luminosity Milky Way Globular Clusters
in The Astrophysical Journal
Lee J
(2009)
COMPARISON OF Ha AND UV STAR FORMATION RATES IN THE LOCAL VOLUME: SYSTEMATIC DISCREPANCIES FOR DWARF GALAXIES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Gilmore G
(2007)
The Observed Properties of Dark Matter on Small Spatial Scales
in The Astrophysical Journal
Adén D
(2009)
A NEW LOW MASS FOR THE HERCULES dSph: THE END OF A COMMON MASS SCALE FOR THE DWARFS?
in The Astrophysical Journal
Oey M
(2007)
The Survey for Ionization in Neutral Gas Galaxies. III. Diffuse, Warm Ionized Medium and Escape of Ionizing Radiation
in The Astrophysical Journal
Kennicutt R
(2009)
DUST-CORRECTED STAR FORMATION RATES OF GALAXIES. I. COMBINATIONS OF Ha AND INFRARED TRACERS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Peter A
(2007)
Morphologies of Galaxies in and around a Protocluster at z = 2.300
in The Astrophysical Journal
Martin N
(2009)
PAndAS' CUBS: DISCOVERY OF TWO NEW DWARF GALAXIES IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF THE ANDROMEDA AND TRIANGULUM GALAXIES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Hainline K
(2009)
REST-FRAME OPTICAL SPECTRA OF THREE STRONGLY LENSED GALAXIES AT z ~ 2
in The Astrophysical Journal
Rix S
(2007)
The Sightline to Q2343-BX415: Clues to Galaxy Formation in a Quasar Environment
in The Astrophysical Journal
Dale D
(2009)
THE SPITZER LOCAL VOLUME LEGACY: SURVEY DESCRIPTION AND INFRARED PHOTOMETRY
in The Astrophysical Journal
Niederste-Ostholt M
(2010)
RE-ASSEMBLING THE SAGITTARIUS DWARF GALAXY
in The Astrophysical Journal
Koch A
(2008)
Kinematic and Chemical Constraints on the Formation of M31's Inner and Outer Halo
in The Astrophysical Journal
Altavilla G
(2009)
TYPE Ia SNe ALONG REDSHIFT: THE $\mathcal {R}$(Si II) RATIO AND THE EXPANSION VELOCITIES IN INTERMEDIATE- z SUPERNOVAE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Walker M
(2009)
LEO V: SPECTROSCOPY OF A DISTANT AND DISTURBED SATELLITE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Gibson D
(2009)
MOLECULAR LINE OBSERVATIONS OF INFRARED DARK CLOUDS. II. PHYSICAL CONDITIONS
in The Astrophysical Journal
An J
(2009)
A THEOREM ON CENTRAL VELOCITY DISPERSIONS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Ibata R
(2009)
DENSITY AND KINEMATIC CUSPS IN M54 AT THE HEART OF THE SAGITTARIUS DWARF GALAXY: EVIDENCE FOR A 10 4 M ? BLACK HOLE?
in The Astrophysical Journal
Law D
(2009)
THE KILOPARSEC-SCALE KINEMATICS OF HIGH-REDSHIFT STAR-FORMING GALAXIES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Lehmer B
(2009)
THE CHANDRA DEEP PROTOCLUSTER SURVEY: EVIDENCE FOR AN ENHANCEMENT OF AGN ACTIVITY IN THE SSA22 PROTOCLUSTER AT z = 3.09
in The Astrophysical Journal
Koposov S
(2010)
CONSTRAINING THE MILKY WAY POTENTIAL WITH A SIX-DIMENSIONAL PHASE-SPACE MAP OF THE GD-1 STELLAR STREAM
in The Astrophysical Journal
Zucker D
(2007)
Andromeda X, a New Dwarf Spheroidal Satellite of M31: Photometry
in The Astrophysical Journal
Walker M
(2008)
Systemic Proper Motions of Milky Way Satellites from Stellar Redshifts: The Carina, Fornax, Sculptor, and Sextans Dwarf Spheroidals
in The Astrophysical Journal
Hainline L
(2009)
A MID-INFRARED IMAGING SURVEY OF SUBMILLIMETER-SELECTED GALAXIES WITH THE SPITZER SPACE TELESCOPE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Smith M
(2009)
THE TILT OF THE HALO VELOCITY ELLIPSOID AND THE SHAPE OF THE MILKY WAY HALO
in The Astrophysical Journal