Nearby Galaxy Evolution

Prof. Gerhardt R Meurer

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Galaxy evolution in a nutshell

Time machinesThe farther we peerThe farther back in time we see

Reveal cosmic historyHubble: to < 1 Gyr after big

bangWMAP, Planck: to < 1 Myr

The nearby universeSee recent evolutionSee galaxies in exquisite detailCan detect the faintest galaxiesGalaxies stabilizing

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Transformation

The Star Formation Cycle Interstellar gas clouds

cool and collapse Stars form (also planets...) Stars expel gas

o stellar windso supernovae explosions

Some of the material returns to a gas phaseo hottero brightero enriched

• hot gas• heavy elements• energy• radiation

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We can see this happen

Examples NGC3603: young star cluster NGC1705: exploding galaxy

Many telescopes needed cool gas: radio young stars: optical, UV Explosions, hot gas: optical,

X-ray

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Surveying star formation

An international effort Parkes 64m: cool hydrogen CTIO1.5m: hot hydrogen GALEX: hottest stars (UV)

All types of gas-rich galaxies Big spirals little dwarfs Interactions / mergers Unexpected companions

Science What types of stars form? Where do stars form? How is SF regulated? What is total cosmic SF rate?

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Other Facilities I Use (or will use) Hubble Space Telescope Pan-STARRS1 1.8m SkyMapper 1.3m Australian National University

2.3m WIYN 3.5m Australia Telescope Compact

Array Wide-field Infrared Survey

Explorer (WISE) Australia Square Kilometre

Array Pathfinder (ASKAP)

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My Collaborations with the USA

Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) Space Telescope Science Institute (Baltimore, MD) National Science Foundation (Washington DC) Carnegie Observatories (Pasadena CA) U. California, Santa Cruz Arizona State University (Phoenix AZ) University of Massachusetts (HST proposal) University of Colorado (NASA Small Mission Explorer proposal)

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Larger collaborations Murchison Wide Field Array

Three US Partner institutions MOU PanSTARRS1 & ICRAR

Analyze the light of thousands of galaxies Large Synoptic Survey Telescope

See Wicenec presentation Square Kilometre Array

Many interested scientist in the USA