Lines of research: Formation & Evolution of Galaxies (FYEG)

Formation & Evolution of Galaxies (FYEG)

Galaxies are formed progressively through a complex combination of gas accretion, star formation and merger processes with other galaxies. The aim of the Galaxy Formation & Evolution research line is to unveil the physical mechanisms responsible for the most significant transformations in these objects. The research team that makes up the research line is strongly involved in the development of forefront instrumentation (EMIR, FRIDA, GTCAO, HARMONI, OSIRIS, WEAVE) and has an important role in the scientific exploitation and  development of international projects (SDSS, EUCLID, LSST) for the study of the formation and evolution of galaxies.

 
The line stands out for studies on the three-dimensional structure of the Milky Way (including its system of globular clusters and satellite galaxies), the characterisation of stellar populations and dynamics of nearby galaxies, the cycle of activity of supermassive black holes at the centres of  galaxies, the conditions of the interstellar medium in the first galaxies, and the role of dark matter in their evolution. Besides, thanks to the recently created simulations group, we also aim to relate observations with theory by means of numerical models over cosmological volumes and thus obtain predictions for future observations.
  • Publication
    Extreme magnification of an individual star at redshift 1.5 by a galaxy-cluster lens
    Galaxy-cluster gravitational lenses can magnify background galaxies by a total factor of up to 50. Here we report an image of an individual star at redshift z =...
  • Publication
    Extreme photometric and polarimetric variability of blazar S4 0954+65 at its maximum optical and γ-ray brightness levels
    In 2022 the BL Lac object S4 0954+65 underwent a major variability phase, reaching its historical maximum brightness in the optical and γ-ray bands. We present...
  • Publication
    Extremely Metal-poor Galaxies: The Environment
    We have analyzed bibliographical observational data and theoretical predictions, in order to probe the environment in which extremely metal-poor dwarf galaxies...
  • Publication
    Extremely metal-poor galaxies: The H I content
    Context. Extremely metal-poor (XMP) galaxies are chemically, and possibly dynamically, primordial objects in the local Universe. Aims: Our objective is to...
  • Publication
    Far-infrared properties of submillimeter and optically faint radio galaxies
    We use deep observations obtained with the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) onboard the Herschel Space Observatory to study the far-infrared...
  • Publication
    Far-infrared-detected Lyman-break galaxies at z ~ 3. Dust attenuation and dust correction factors at high redshift
    Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) represent one of the kinds of star-forming galaxies that are found in the high-redshift universe. The detection of LBGs in the far...
  • News
    Fast and furious: detection of powerful winds driven by a supermassive black hole from La Palma
    This is the first publication based entirely on data obtained with EMIR, an instrument developed in the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) which...
  • Publication
    Feedback and Feeding in the Context of Galaxy Evolution with SPICA: Direct Characterisation of Molecular Outflows and Inflows
    A far-infrared observatory such as the SPace Infrared telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics, with its unprecedented spectroscopic sensitivity, would unveil...
  • Publication
    Feeding the spider with carbon. [CII] emission from the circumgalactic medium and active galactic nucleus
    We present the detection of [CII] 158 μm emission from the Spiderweb galaxy at z = 2.1612 using the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX). The line profile...