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
    LeMMINGs. V. Nuclear activity and bulge properties: A detailed multi-component decomposition of e-MERLIN Palomar galaxies with HST
    We used high-resolution HST imaging and e-MERLIN 1.5-GHz observations of galaxy cores from the LeMMINGs survey to investigate the relation between optical...
  • Publication
    LeMMINGs. VI. Connecting nuclear activity to bulge properties of active and inactive galaxies: radio scaling relations and galaxy environment
    Multiwavelength studies indicate that nuclear activity and bulge properties are closely related, but the details remain unclear. To study this further, we...
  • Publication
    LensWatch. I. Resolved HST Observations and Constraints on the Strongly Lensed Type Ia Supernova 2022qmx ("SN Zwicky")
    Supernovae (SNe) that have been multiply imaged by gravitational lensing are rare and powerful probes for cosmology. Each detection is an opportunity to develop...
  • Publication
    Lessons from the massive relic NGC 1277: Remaining in situstar formation in the cores of massive galaxies
    Near-ultraviolet (NUV) spectroscopic studies have suggested that passively evolving massive, early-type galaxies host sub-one per cent fractions of young stars...
  • Publication
    Likely optical counterpart of the cool middle-aged pulsar J1957+5033
    The 840-kyr-old pulsar PSR J1957+5033, detected so far only in γ- and X-rays, is a nearby and rather cool neutron star with a temperature of 0.2-0.3 MK, a...
  • Publication
    Linking star formation thresholds and truncations in the thin and thick disks of the low-mass galaxy UGC 7321
    Thin and thick disks are found in most spiral galaxies, yet their formation scenarios remain uncertain. Whether thick disks form through slow or fast, internal...
  • Publication
    Linking the internal properties of infant globular clusters to their formation environments
    We investigate the formation of infant globular cluster (GC) candidates in high-resolution cosmological simulations from the First Billion Years project. By...
  • Publication
    Liverpool telescope 2: a new robotic facility for rapid transient follow-up
    The Liverpool Telescope is one of the world's premier facilities for time domain astronomy. The time domain landscape is set to radically change in the coming...
  • Publication
    Local and Global Gas Metallicity versus Stellar Age Relation in MaNGA Galaxies
    The search for new global scaling relations linking the physical properties of galaxies has a fundamental interest. Furthermore, their recovery from spatially...