Traces of Galaxy Formation: Stellar populations, Dynamics and Morphology

    General
    Description

    Welcome to the Traces of Galaxy Formation research group website.

    We are a large, diverse, and very active research group aiming to provide a comprehensive picture for the formation of galaxies in the Universe. Rooted in detailed stellar population analysis, we are constantly exploring and developing new tools and ideas to understand how galaxies came to be what we now observe.

    A complex star formation history, as the one expected to describe galaxy evolution, needs a multidisciplinary approach to be fully understood. Our group at the IAC consists of experienced researchers in cosmological simulations, dynamical studies, stellar populations and morphological properties of galaxies up to high redshift. We combine different approaches (e.g. observations and theory, secular and cosmological evolution studies) to obtain a complete view of the dominant mechanisms driving the evolution of galaxies.

    Within this general framework, we are currently exploring three main areas of research:

    1. Stellar population synthesis models
      • Development of new stellar population synthesis models
      • Stellar population analysis tools
      • Universality of the stellar initial mass function (IMF)
       
    2. Cosmic evolution of galaxies
      • Massive galaxy evolution
      • Stellar populations in different environments
      • Low surface brightness science
      • Machine learning and cosmological simulations
       
    3. Evolutionary processes in nearby galaxies
      • The role of black holes in the evolution of galaxies
      • Surveys of nearby galaxies
      • Stellar kinematics and dynamical models

    If you want to get in contact or work with us, please send an email to the head of the group (Ignacio Martín-Navarro ignacio.martin [at] iac.es (ignacio[dot]martin[at]iac[dot]es)).

    Principal investigator

    Here you can find some of our most recent highlights:

    Related publications

    • Exploring the Evolutionary Paths of the Most Massive Galaxies since z ~ 2
      We use Spitzer MIPS data from the FIDEL Legacy Project in the extended Groth strip to analyze the stellar mass assembly of massive (M>1011 Msolar) galaxies at z 1, and more pronouncedly at z>1.3, the median specific SFRs of the disks and spheroids detected by MIPS are very similar, ranging from 0.1 to 1 Gyr-1 (SFR=10-200 Msolar yr-1). We estimate
      Pérez-González, Pablo G. et al.

      Advertised on:

      11
      2008
      Citations
      68
    • A Petal of the Sunflower: Photometry of the Stellar Tidal Stream in the Halo of Messier 63 (NGC 5055)
      We present deep surface photometry of a very faint, giant arc-loop feature in the halo of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 5055 (M63) that is consistent with being a part of a stellar stream resulting from the disruption of a dwarf satellite galaxy. This faint feature was first detected in early photographic studies by van der Kruit; more recently, in
      Chonis, Taylor S. et al.

      Advertised on:

      11
      2011
      Citations
      27
    • UBV(RI)C photometry of the open clusters Be 15, Be 80 and NGC 2192
      The three open clusters Be 15, Be 80 and NGC 2192 have been observed using CCD UBV(RI)C photometry at the San Pedro Mártir Observatory, México within the framework of our open-cluster survey. The fundamental parameters of interstellar reddening, distance and age have been derived, and also the metallicity for NGC 2192 (solar metallicity has been
      Tapia, M. T. et al.

      Advertised on:

      1
      2010
      Citations
      12
    • Hubble Space Telescope study of resolved red giant stars in the outer halos of nearby dwarf starburst galaxies
      Context. Central starbursts in galaxies are an extreme example of ongoing galaxy evolution. The outer parts of galaxies contain a fossil record of galaxy formation and evolution processes in the more distant past. The characterization of resolved stellar populations allows one a detailed study of these topics. Aims: We observed the outer parts of
      Ryś, A. et al.

      Advertised on:

      6
      2011
      Citations
      12
    • Satellites around massive galaxies since z˜ 2
      The accretion of minor satellites has been postulated as the most likely mechanism to explain the significant size evolution of massive galaxies over cosmic time. Using a sample of 629 massive (Mstar˜ 1011 M&sun;) galaxies from the near-infrared Palomar/DEEP-2 survey, we explore what fraction of these objects have satellites with 0.01 Msat
      Mármol-Queraltó, E. et al.

      Advertised on:

      5
      2012
      Citations
      34
    • Evidence for Intermediate-Age Stellar Populations in Early-Type Galaxies from K-Band Spectroscopy
      The study of stellar populations in early-type galaxies in different environments is a powerful tool for constraining their star formation histories. This study has been traditionally restricted to the optical range, where dwarfs around the turn-off and stars at the base of the red giant branch dominate the integrated light at all ages. The near
      Mármol-Queraltó, E. et al.

      Advertised on:

      11
      2009
      Citations
      28
    • Dwarf galaxies in the Coma cluster - I. Velocity dispersion measurements
      We present the study of a large sample of early-type dwarf galaxies in the Coma cluster observed with DEIMOS on the Keck II to determine their internal velocity dispersion. We focus on a subsample of 41 member dwarf elliptical galaxies for which the velocity dispersion can be reliably measured, 26 of which were studied for the first time. The
      Kourkchi, E. et al.

      Advertised on:

      3
      2012
      Citations
      23
    • A new stellar library in the region of the CO index at 2.3 μm. New index definition and empirical fitting functions
      Context: The analysis of unresolved stellar populations demands evolutionary synthesis models with realistic physical ingredients and extended wavelength coverage. Aims: We quantitatively describe the first CO bandhead at 2.3 μm to allow stellar population models to provide improved predictions in this wavelength range. Methods: We observed a new
      Mármol-Queraltó, E. et al.

      Advertised on:

      10
      2008
      Citations
      47
    • Analysis of possible anomalies in the QSO distribution of the Flesch & Hardcastle catalogue
      Aims:A recent catalogue by Flesch & Hardcastle presents two major anomalies in the spatial distribution of QSO candidates: i) an apparent excess of such objects near bright galaxies, and ii) an excess of very bright QSO candidates compared to random background expectations in several regions of the sky. Because anyone of these anomalies would be
      López-Corredoira, M. et al.

      Advertised on:

      3
      2008
      Citations
      4
    • Stellar Tidal Streams in Spiral Galaxies of the Local Volume: A Pilot Survey with Modest Aperture Telescopes
      Within the hierarchical framework for galaxy formation, minor merging and tidal interactions are expected to shape all large galaxies to the present day. As a consequence, most seemingly normal disk galaxies should be surrounded by spatially extended stellar "tidal features" of low surface brightness. As part of a pilot survey for such interaction
      Martínez-Delgado, D. et al.

      Advertised on:

      10
      2010
      Citations
      337
    • HerMES: SPIRE detection of high-redshift massive compact galaxies in GOODS-N field
      We have analysed the rest-frame far-infrared properties of a sample of massive (M* > 1011Msolar) galaxies at 2
      Cava, A. et al.

      Advertised on:

      11
      2010
      Citations
      15
    • Dwarfs Gobbling Dwarfs: A Stellar Tidal Stream around NGC 4449 and Hierarchical Galaxy Formation on Small Scales
      A candidate diffuse stellar substructure was previously reported in the halo of the nearby dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 4449 by Karachentsev et al. We map and analyze this feature using a unique combination of deep integrated-light images from the BlackBird 0.5 m telescope, and high-resolution wide-field images from the 8 m Subaru Telescope, which
      Martínez-Delgado, David et al.

      Advertised on:

      4
      2012
      Citations
      141
    • Young ages and other intriguing properties of massive compact galaxies in the local Universe
      We characterize the kinematics, morphology, stellar populations and star formation histories of a sample of massive compact galaxies in the nearby Universe, which might provide a closer look at the nature of their high-redshift (z >rsim 1.0) massive counterparts. We find that nearby compact massive objects show elongated morphologies and are fast
      Ferré-Mateu, A. et al.

      Advertised on:

      6
      2012
      Citations
      47
    • Ultra-deep Sub-kiloparsec View of nearby Massive Compact Galaxies
      Using Gemini North telescope ultra-deep and high-resolution (sub-kiloparsec) K-band adaptive optics imaging of a sample of four nearby (z ~ 0.15) massive (~1011 M &sun;) compact (R 1.5 kpc) galaxies, we have explored the structural properties of these rare objects with unprecedented detail. Our surface brightness profiles expand over 12 mag in
      Trujillo, I. et al.

      Advertised on:

      5
      2012
      Citations
      37
    • The SDSS-UKIDSS Fundamental Plane of Early-Type Galaxies
      We derive the fundamental plane (FP) relation for a sample of 1430 early-type galaxies in the optical (r band) and the near-infrared (K band), by combining SDSS and UKIDSS data. With such a large, homogeneous data set, we are able to assess the dependence of the FP on the wave band. Our analysis indicates that the FP of luminous early-type galaxies
      La Barbera, F. et al.

      Advertised on:

      12
      2008
      Citations
      39
    • The SAURON project - XXI. The spatially resolved UV-line strength relations of early-type galaxies
      The unexpected rising flux of early-type galaxies at decreasing ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths is a long-standing mystery. One important observational constraint is the correlation between UV-optical colours and Mg2 line strengths found by Burstein et al. The simplest interpretation of this phenomenon is that the UV strength is related to the Mg line
      Jeong, Hyunjin et al.

      Advertised on:

      6
      2012
      Citations
      12
    • The SAURON project - XX. The Spitzer [3.6] - [4.5] colour in early-type galaxies: colours, colour gradients and inverted scaling relations
      We investigate the [3.6]-[4.5] Spitzer-IRAC colour behaviour of the early-type galaxies of the SAURON survey, a representative sample of 48 nearby ellipticals and lenticulars. We investigate how this colour, which is unaffected by dust extinction, can be used to constrain the stellar populations in these galaxies. We find a tight relation between
      Peletier, Reynier F. et al.

      Advertised on:

      1
      2012
      Citations
      27
    • The SAURON project - XVII. Stellar population analysis of the absorption line strength maps of 48 early-type galaxies
      We present a stellar population analysis of the absorption line strength maps for 48 early-type galaxies from the SAURON sample. Using the line strength index maps of Hβ, Fe5015 and Mgb, measured in the Lick/IDS system and spatially binned to a constant signal-to-noise ratio, together with predictions from up-to-date stellar population models, we
      Kuntschner, Harald et al.

      Advertised on:

      10
      2010
      Citations
      287
    • The SAURON project - XVI. On the sources of ionization for the gas in elliptical and lenticular galaxies
      Following our study on the incidence, morphology and kinematics of the ionized gas in early-type galaxies, we now address the question of what is powering the observed nebular emission. To constrain the likely sources of gas excitation, we resort to a variety of ancillary data we draw from complementary information on the gas kinematics, stellar
      Sarzi, Marc et al.

      Advertised on:

      3
      2010
      Citations
      288
    • The SAURON project - XV. Modes of star formation in early-type galaxies and the evolution of the red sequence
      We combine SAURON integral field data of a representative sample of local early-type, red sequence galaxies with Spitzer/Infrared Array Camera imaging in order to investigate the presence of trace star formation in these systems. With the Spitzer data, we identify galaxies hosting low-level star formation, as traced by polycyclic aromatic
      Shapiro, Kristen L. et al.

      Advertised on:

      3
      2010
      Citations
      110

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