Galaxy formation and evolution 2010 - 2015
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Institute of Astronomy
Abstract
TThis programmatic five-year rolling grant application addresses one of the most important problems in extragalactic astronomy, the formation and evolution of galaxies. The task is one of the key goals in the current STFC Road Map and is a defining objective of virtually every national decadal survey world-wide. 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
Bennert V
(2011)
A LOCAL BASELINE OF THE BLACK HOLE MASS SCALING RELATIONS FOR ACTIVE GALAXIES. I. METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS OF PILOT STUDY
in The Astrophysical Journal
Harris C
(2012)
A LOCAL BASELINE OF THE BLACK HOLE MASS SCALING RELATIONS FOR ACTIVE GALAXIES. II. MEASURING STELLAR VELOCITY DISPERSION IN ACTIVE GALAXIES
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Mortlock D
(2011)
A luminous quasar at a redshift of z = 7.085
in Nature
Mislis D
(2012)
A massive exoplanet candidate around KOI-13: independent confirmation by ellipsoidal variations A massive exoplanet candidate around KOI-13
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Chen H
(2010)
A MATURE DUSTY STAR-FORMING GALAXY HOSTING GRB 080607 AT z = 3.036
in The Astrophysical Journal
Russell H
(2011)
A merger mystery: no extended radio emission in the merging cluster Abell 2146
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Calzetti D
(2010)
A METHOD FOR MEASURING VARIATIONS IN THE STELLAR INITIAL MASS FUNCTION
in The Astrophysical Journal
Reynolds C
(2012)
A MONTE CARLO MARKOV CHAIN BASED INVESTIGATION OF BLACK HOLE SPIN IN THE ACTIVE GALAXY NGC 3783
in The Astrophysical Journal
Karczewski O
(2013)
A multiwavelength study of the Magellanic-type galaxy NGC 4449 - I. Modelling the spectral energy distribution, the ionization structure and the star formation history
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Canning R
(2013)
A multiwavelength view of cooling versus AGN heating in the X-ray luminous cool-core of Abell 3581?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society