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.

Publications

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Van Leeuwen F (2009) Hipparcos, the New Reduction in Space Science Reviews

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Blum J (2010) SUZAKU OBSERVATIONS OF THE BLACK HOLE H1743-322 IN OUTBURST in The Astrophysical Journal

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Dervisoglu A (2010) Spin angular momentum evolution of the long-period Algols Spin angular momentum evolution of Algols in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Sheehan C (2010) Forming the first planetary systems: debris around Galactic thick disc stars in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

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Pettini M (2010) CASSOWARY 20: a wide separation Einstein Cross identified with the X-shooter spectrograph in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Babak S (2010) The Mock LISA Data Challenges: from challenge 3 to challenge 4 in Classical and Quantum Gravity

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Pontzen A (2010) The nature of H i absorbers in gamma-ray burst afterglows: clues from hydrodynamic simulations in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Salvatore M (2010) Definitive evidence of Hesperian basalt in Acidalia and Chryse planitiae in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets

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Reis R (2010) Black hole accretion discs in the canonical low-hard state in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Goddard Q (2010) On the nature of star formation at large galactic radii Star formation at large galactic radii in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Owen J (2010) Radiation-hydrodynamic models of X-ray and EUV photoevaporating protoplanetary discs in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Hanson D (2010) Asymmetric beams and CMB statistical anisotropy in Physical Review D

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Ponti G (2010) Relativistic disc reflection in the extreme NLS1 IRAS13224-3809 Relativistic reflection in IRAS13224-3809 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Moustakas J (2010) OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY AND NEBULAR OXYGEN ABUNDANCES OF THE SPITZER /SINGS GALAXIES in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series

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Million E (2010) Feedback under the microscope - I. Thermodynamic structure and AGN-driven shocks in M87 AGN feedback in M87 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Watkins L (2010) The masses of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies The masses of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Calzetti D (2010) A METHOD FOR MEASURING VARIATIONS IN THE STELLAR INITIAL MASS FUNCTION in The Astrophysical Journal

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Russell H (2010) The X-ray luminous cluster underlying the bright radio-quiet quasar H1821+643 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Sale S (2010) The structure of the outer Galactic disc as revealed by IPHAS early A stars in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Peñarrubia J (2010) Was the progenitor of the Sagittarius stream a disc galaxy? in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

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Hanson D (2010) Weak lensing of the CMB in General Relativity and Gravitation

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Sanders J (2010) Deep high-resolution X-ray spectra from cool-core clusters Deep X-ray spectra from cool-core clusters in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Lagattuta D (2010) COSMIC EVOLUTION OF VIRIAL AND STELLAR MASS IN MASSIVE EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES in The Astrophysical Journal

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Chen H (2010) A MATURE DUSTY STAR-FORMING GALAXY HOSTING GRB 080607 AT z = 3.036 in The Astrophysical Journal

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Madej O (2010) A relativistically broadened O viii Lya line in the ultracompact X-ray binary 4U 0614+091 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

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Phillips N (2010) Target selection for the SUNS and DEBRIS surveys for debris discs in the solar neighbourhood in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Treu T (2010) THE INITIAL MASS FUNCTION OF EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES in The Astrophysical Journal

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Caballero-García M (2010) X-ray reflection in a sample of X-ray bright ultraluminous X-ray sources in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Van Wassenhove S (2010) Massive black holes lurking in Milky Way satellites Black holes in dwarfs in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Tauber J (2010) Planck pre-launch status: The Planck mission in Astronomy and Astrophysics