Grants related:
General
Starsbursts play a key role in the cosmic evolution of galaxies, and thus in the star formation (SF) history of the universe, the production of metals, and the feedback coupling galaxies with the cosmic web. Extreme SF conditions prevail early on during the formation of the first stars and galaxies, therefore, the starburst phenomenon constitutes a fundamental ingredient of our understanding of the Universe. Starbursts are observed throughout, from the giant HII regions in nearby spirals, to the massive clumps typical of high redshift objects. This project is aimed at carrying out a comprehensive study of the physics of local massive SF regions in order to enlarge our understanding of the most distant galaxies and most extreme starbursts. We combine observational studies (using ground-based and space-borne spectrophotometry) along with our self-consistent theoretical models. Among the observational facilities, the team is directly involved in the development and scientific exploitation of the GTC instruments EMIR and MEGARA, which will become operational during the timespan of the project.
We have structured our research for the next three years around five main objectives:
1) The interplay between massive SF and the interstellar medium within galaxies.
2) Understanding the formation of disk galaxies.
3) The role of the environment on massive SF and the evolution of galaxies.
4) Extreme starbursting in the early Universe.
5) Participation in the science verification and building of new instrumentation.
The main results expected from this project include: i) constraining the chemical evolution of galaxies using a combination of integral-field spectroscopy and fully bi-dimensional models, ii) understanding the role of molecular gas and high-energy background photons on the formation of galaxies, iii) developing a technique to image the cosmic web gas that feeds the starbursts, iv) characterizing the chemical and dynamical properties of the gas that is falling into the galaxies, v) deciphering the different ways in which the environment can affect the SF in star-forming galaxies along cosmic time; paying special attention to the triggering of violent SF bursts in the lowest metallicity galaxies. vi) explaining how very massive and compact starbursts may evolve in the so-called positive feedback mode, accounting for extreme starbursts in local galaxy analogs to the objects present in the primeval universe. vii) understanding the SF in Lya and Ly-break galaxies, viii) constraining the existence of candidate stars analog to PopIII in extremely metal-poor galaxies, both in the local universe and at high redshift, ix) developing the know-how needed for effective use of EMIR and MEGARA. We aim at getting the most from these new instruments by leading science cases during verification phase and later on.
Members
Results
- Local anticorrelation between star formation rate and gas-phase metallicity in disc galaxies Using a representative sample of 14 star-forming dwarf galaxies in the local Universe, we show the existence of a spaxel-to-spaxel anticorrelation between the index N2 ≡ log ([N II]λ 6583/H α ) and the H α flux.
- Discovery of a high-metallicity low mass galaxy, confirming the stochasticity of the cosmic web gas feed star formation
- Pyroclastic Blowout: Dust Survival in Supernovi Events
- A simultaneous search for high-z LAEs and LBGs in the SHARDS survey.We derive redshifts, star formation rates, Lyα equivalent widths, and luminosity functions (LFs). Grouping within our sample is also studied, finding 92 pairs or small groups of galaxies
- A possible binary AGN has been found in Mrk 622.
Scientific activity
Related publications
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On the Stellar Content of the Starburst Galaxy IC10We investigate the stellar content of the starburst dwarf galaxy IC10 using accurate and deep optical data collected with the Advanced Camera for Surveys and with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 onboard the Hubble Space Telescope. The comparison between theory and observations indicates a clear change in age distribution when moving from theSanna, N. et al.
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72009 -
On the origin of the compact H ii regions around massive stellar clustersThe existence of compact H ii regions around massive stellar clusters with ages exceeding several Myr challenges our understanding of the physical processes occurring inside such clusters, and their impact on the interstellar medium of the host galaxy. Here, we summarize our recent results dealing with the hydrodynamics of matter ejected by massiveSilich, Sergiy et al.
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122009 -
On the Heating Efficiency Derived from Observations of Young Super Star Clusters in M82Here, we discuss the mechanical feedback that massive stellar clusters provide to the interstellar medium of their host galaxy. We apply an analytic theory developed in a previous study for M82-A1 to a sample of 10 clusters located in the central zone of the starburst galaxy M82, all surrounded by compact and dense H II regions. We claim that theSilich, Sergiy et al.
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82009 -
On the Extreme Positive Star Formation Feedback Condition in Scuba SourcesWe present a detailed study of the hydrodynamics of the matter reinserted by massive stars via stellar winds and supernovae explosions in young assembling galaxies. We show that the interplay between the thermalization of the kinetic energy provided by massive stars, radiative cooling of the thermalized plasma, and the gravitational pull of theSilich, Sergiy et al.
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32010 -
On the Compact H II Galaxy UM 408 as Seen by GMOS-IFU: Physical ConditionsWe present Integral Field Unit GMOS-IFU data of the compact H II galaxy UM 408, obtained at the Gemini South telescope, in order to derive the spatial distribution of emission lines and line ratios, kinematics, plasma parameters, and oxygen abundances as well the integrated properties over an area of 3''×4farcs4 equivalent with ~750 pc × 1100 pcLagos, Patricio et al.
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62009 -
Local Tadpole GalaxiesTadpole galaxies have a giant star-forming region at the end of an elongated intensity distribution. Here we use Sloan Digital Sky Survey data to determine the ages, masses, and surface densities of the heads and tails in 14 local tadpoles selected from the Kiso and Michigan surveys of UV-bright galaxies, and we compare them to tadpoles previouslyElmegreen, Debra Meloy et al.
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52012 -
Evolution of Super Star Cluster Winds with Strong CoolingWe study the evolution of super star cluster winds driven by stellar winds and supernova explosions. Time-dependent rates at which mass and energy are deposited into the cluster volume, as well as the time-dependent chemical composition of the re-inserted gas, are obtained from the population synthesis code Starburst99. These results are used asWünsch, Richard et al.
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102011 -
A study of the interplay between ionized gas and star clusters in the central region of NGC 5253 with 2D spectroscopyContext. Starbursts are one of the main contributors to the chemical enrichment of the interstellar medium. However, mechanisms governing the interaction between the recent star formation and the surrounding gas are not fully understood. Because of their a priori simplicity, the subgroup of H II galaxies constitute an ideal sample to study theseMonreal-Ibero, A. et al.
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72010 -
Structure and Dynamics of the Central Regions of Disk GalaxiesNot AvailableMéndez-Abreu, Jairo
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62009 -
Structure and dynamics of galaxies with a low surface-brightness disc - II. Stellar populations of bulgesWe present the radial profiles of the Hβ, Mg and Fe line-strength indices for a sample of eight spiral galaxies with a low-surface-brightness stellar disc and a bulge. The correlations between the central values of the line-strength indices and velocity dispersion are consistent with those known for early-type galaxies and bulges of high-surfaceMorelli, L. et al.
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62012 -
Polar bulges and polar nuclear discs: the case of NGC 4698The early-type spiral NGC 4698 is known to host a nuclear disc of gas and stars which is rotating perpendicularly with respect to the galaxy main disc. In addition, the bulge and main disc are characterized by a remarkable geometrical decoupling. Indeed, they appear elongated orthogonally to each other. In this work, the complex structure of theCorsini, E. M. et al.
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62012 -
The ACS LCID Project. VI. The Star Formation History of The Tucana dSph and The Relative Ages of the Isolated dSph GalaxiesWe present a detailed study of the star formation history (SFH) of the Tucana dwarf spheroidal galaxy. High-quality, deep HST/ACS data, collected in the framework of the LCID project, allowed us to obtain the deepest color-magnitude diagram to date, reaching the old main-sequence turnoff (F814 ~ 29) with good photometric accuracy. Our analysisMonelli, M. et al.
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102010 -
The ACS LCID Project. III. The Star Formation History of the Cetus dSph Galaxy: A Post-reionization FossilWe use deep HST/ACS observations to calculate the star formation history (SFH) of the Cetus dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy. Our photometry reaches below the oldest main-sequence turnoffs, which allows us to estimate the age and duration of the main episode of star formation in Cetus. This is well approximated by a single episode that peaked roughlyMonelli, M. et al.
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92010 -
The ACS LCID Project. II. Faint Variable Stars in the Isolated Dwarf Irregular Galaxy IC 1613We present the results of a new search for variable stars in the Local Group (LG) isolated dwarf galaxy IC 1613, based on 24 orbits of F475W and F814W photometry from the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope. We detected 259 candidate variables in this field, of which only 13 (all of them bright Cepheids) wereBernard, E. J. et al.
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42010 -
The ACS LCID Project. I. Short-Period Variables in the Isolated Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies Cetus and TucanaWe present the first study of the variable star populations in the isolated dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) Cetus and Tucana. Based on Hubble Space Telescope images obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in the F475W and F814W bands, we identified 180 and 371 variables in Cetus and Tucana, respectively. The vast majority are RR Lyrae starsBernard, Edouard J. et al.
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72009 -
Characterization of Active Galactic Nuclei and Their Hosts in the Extended Groth Strip: A Multiwavelength AnalysisWe have employed a reliable technique of classification of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) based on the fit of well sampled spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with a complete set of AGN and starburst galaxy templates. We have compiled UV, optical, and IR data for a sample of 116 AGNs originally selected for their X-ray and mid-IR emissions (96 withRamos Almeida, C. et al.
Advertised on:
12009 -
Astronomical site selection: on the use of satellite data for aerosol content monitoringThe main goal of this work is to analyse new approaches to the study of the properties of astronomical sites. In particular, satellite data measuring aerosols have recently been proposed as a useful technique for site characterization and searching for new sites to host future very large telescopes. Nevertheless, these data need to be criticallyVarela, A. M. et al.
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122008 -
New Light in Star-Forming Dwarf Galaxies: The PMAS Integral Field View of the Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxy Mrk 409We present an integral field spectroscopic study of the central 2 × 2 kpc2 of the blue compact dwarf galaxy Mrk 409, observed with the Potsdam MultiAperture Spectrophotometer (PMAS). This study focuses on the morphology, two-dimensional chemical abundance pattern, excitation properties, and kinematics of the ionized interstellar medium in theCairós, Luz M. et al.
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122009 -
Mapping the starburst in blue compact dwarf galaxies. PMAS integral field spectroscopy of Mrk 1418Aims: By means of optical integral field spectroscopy observations, we aim to differentiate and characterize the starburst component in the blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxy Mrk 1418. In particular we propose to study the stellar and ionized gas morphology, to investigate the ionization mechanism(s) acting in the interstellar medium, and to deriveCairós, L. M. et al.
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122009 -
Mapping the properties of blue compact dwarf galaxies: integral field spectroscopy with PMASContext. Blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies are low-luminosity, low-metal content dwarf systems undergoing violent bursts of star formation. They present a unique opportunity to probe galaxy formation and evolution and to investigate the process of star formation in a relatively simple scenario. Spectrophotometric studies of BCDs are essential toCairós, L. M. et al.
Advertised on:
92010
