Start year
2006
Organizational Unit
Organizing institutions
Grants related:
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:
- Stellar population synthesis models
- Development of new stellar population synthesis models
- Stellar population analysis tools
- Universality of the stellar initial mass function (IMF)
- Cosmic evolution of galaxies
- Massive galaxy evolution
- Stellar populations in different environments
- Low surface brightness science
- Machine learning and cosmological simulations
- 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)).
Members
Principal investigator
Ignacio
Martín Navarro
Project staff
Ignacio
Trujillo Cabrera
Alexandre
Vazdekis Vazdekis
Ignacio Alfonso
Ferreras Páez
Jesús
Falcón Barroso
Marc
Huertas-Portocarrero Company
Adriana de
Lorenzo-Cáceres Rodríguez
Anna
Ferré Mateu
Mireia
Montes Quiles
Regina
Sarmiento
Iveth Adaena
Gaspar Gorostieta
Eirini
Angeloudi
Giulia
Golini
Laura Elizabeth
Scholz Díaz
Pablo
Rodríguez Beltrán
Results
Here you can find some of our most recent highlights:
- Local variations of the stellar velocity ellipsoid - II. The effect of the bar in the inner regions of Auriga galaxies. Walo et al. 2022, MNRAS (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022MNRAS.513.4587W)
- Anisotropic satellite galaxy quenching modulated by black hole activity. Martín-Navarro et al. 2021, Nature (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021Natur.594..187M)
- Evaluating hydrodynamical simulations with green valley galaxies. Angthopo et al. 2021, MNRAS (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021MNRAS.502.3685A)
- Sub one per cent mass fractions of young stars in red massive galaxies. Salvador-Rusiñol et al. 2020, Nature Astronomy (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020NatAs...4..252S)
- Detection of young stellar populations in apparently quenched low-mass galaxies using red spectral line indices. de Lorenzo-Cáceres et al. 2020, MNRAS (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020MNRAS.498.1002D)
Scientific activity
Related publications
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The cosmic assembly of stellar haloes in massive early-type GalaxiesUsing the exquisite depth of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF12 programme) data set, we explore the ongoing assembly of the outermost regions of the most massive galaxies (Mstellar ≥ 5× 1010 M⊙) at z ≤ 1. The outskirts of massive objects, particularly early-type Galaxies (ETGs), are expected to suffer a dramatic transformation across cosmic timeBuitrago, Fernando et al.
Advertised on:
42017 -
Stellar content of extremely red quiescent galaxies at z > 2Context. A set of 20 extremely red galaxies at 2.5 ≤ zphot. ≤ 3.8 with photometric features of old passive-evolving galaxies without dust, with stellar masses of 1011M⊙, have colors that could be related to passive-evolving galaxies with mean ages larger than 1 Gyr. This suggests they have been formed, on average, when the Universe was very young (López-Corredoira, M. et al.
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42017 -
Baade's window and APOGEE. Metallicities, ages, and chemical abundancesContext. Baade's window (BW) is one of the most observed Galactic bulge fields in terms of chemical abundances. Owing to its low and homogeneous interstellar absorption it is considered the perfect calibration field for Galactic bulge studies. Aims: In the era of large spectroscopic surveys, calibration fields such as BW are necessary for crossSchultheis, M. et al.
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32017 -
Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. V. Optical Spectroscopic Campaign and Emission-line Analysis for NGC 5548We present the results of an optical spectroscopic monitoring program targeting NGC 5548 as part of a larger multiwavelength reverberation mapping campaign. The campaign spanned 6 months and achieved an almost daily cadence with observations from five ground-based telescopes. The Hβ and He ii λ4686 broad emission-line light curves lag that of thePei, L. et al.
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32017 -
The Nearest Ultra Diffuse Galaxy: UGC 2162We describe the structural, stellar population and gas properties of the nearest ultra diffuse galaxy discovered so far: UGC 2162 (z = 0.00392 {R}e,g=1.7(+/- 0.2) kpc; {μ }g(0) = 24.4 ± 0.1 mag arcsec‑2 g-i = 0.33 ± 0.02). This galaxy, located at a distance of 12.3(±1.7) Mpc, is a member of the M77 group. UGC 2162 has a stellar mass of ∼ 2{(}-1+2)Trujillo, I. et al.
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22017 -
Chemical tagging with APOGEE: discovery of a large population of N-rich stars in the inner GalaxyFormation of globular clusters (GCs), the Galactic bulge, or galaxy bulges in general is an important unsolved problem in Galactic astronomy. Homogeneous infrared observations of large samples of stars belonging to GCs and the Galactic bulge field are one of the best ways to study these problems. We report the discovery by APOGEE (Apache PointSchiavon, R. P. et al.
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22017 -
Chemical Abundances of M-dwarfs from the APOGEE Survey. I. The Exoplanet Hosting Stars Kepler-138 and Kepler-186We report the first detailed chemical abundance analysis of the exoplanet-hosting M-dwarf stars Kepler-138 and Kepler-186 from the analysis of high-resolution (R ∼ 22,500) H-band spectra from the SDSS-IV–APOGEE survey. Chemical abundances of 13 elements—C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, and Fe—are extracted from the APOGEE spectra ofSouto, D. et al.
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22017 -
Two-dimensional multi-component photometric decomposition of CALIFA galaxiesWe present a two-dimensional multi-component photometric decomposition of 404 galaxies from the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area data release 3 (CALIFA-DR3). They represent all possible galaxies with no clear signs of interaction and not strongly inclined in the final CALIFA data release. Galaxies are modelled in the g, r, and i Sloan DigitalMéndez-Abreu, J. et al.
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12017 -
Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project.VI. Reverberating Disk Models for NGC 5548We conduct a multiwavelength continuum variability study of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 to investigate the temperature structure of its accretion disk. The 19 overlapping continuum light curves (1158 \mathringA to 9157 \mathringA ) combine simultaneous Hubble Space Telescope, Swift, and ground-based observations over a 180 day period from 2014Starkey, D. et al.
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12017 -
APOGEE chemical abundances of globular cluster giants in the inner GalaxyWe report chemical abundances obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)-III/Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment for giant stars in five globular clusters located within 2.2 kpc of the Galactic Centre. We detect the presence of multiple stellar populations in four of those clusters (NGC 6553, NGC 6528, Terzan 5 and Palomar 6)Schiavon, R. P. et al.
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42017 -
Galactic archaeology with asteroseismology and spectroscopy: Red giants observed by CoRoT and APOGEEWith the advent of the space missions CoRoT and Kepler, it has recently become feasible to determine precise asteroseismic masses and relative ages for large samples of red giant stars. We present the CoRoGEE dataset, obtained from CoRoT light curves for 606 red giants in two fields of the Galactic disc that have been co-observed by the ApacheAnders, F. et al.
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12017 -
Stellar kinematics across the Hubble sequence in the CALIFA survey: general properties and aperture correctionsWe present the stellar kinematic maps of a large sample of galaxies from the integral-field spectroscopic survey CALIFA. The sample comprises 300 galaxies displaying a wide range of morphologies across the Hubble sequence, from ellipticals to late-type spirals. This dataset allows us to homogeneously extract stellar kinematics up to severalFalcón-Barroso, J. et al.
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12017 -
The inner mass distribution of late-type spiral galaxies from <monospace>SAURON</monospace> stellar kinematic mapsWe infer the central mass distributions within 0.4-1.2 disc scalelengths of 18 late-type spiral galaxies using two different dynamical modelling approaches - the asymmetric drift correction (ADC) and axisymmetric Jeans anisotropic multi-Gaussian expansion (JAM) model. ADC adopts a thin-disc assumption, whereas JAM does a full line-of-sight velocityKalinova, V. et al.
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12017 -
IMF and [Na/Fe] abundance ratios from optical and NIR spectral features in early-type galaxiesWe present a joint analysis of the four most prominent sodium-sensitive features (Na D, Na I λ8190Å, Na I λ1.14 μm, and Na I λ2.21 μm), in the optical and near-infrared spectral ranges, of two nearby, massive (σ ˜ 300 km s-1), early-type galaxies (named XSG1 and XSG2). Our analysis relies on deep Very Large Telescope/X-Shooter long-slit spectraLa Barbera, F. et al.
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12017 -
MUSE tells the story of NGC 4371: The dawning of secular evolutionWe use data from the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE), recently commissioned at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), to study the kinematics and stellar population content of NGC 4371, an early-type massive barred galaxy in the core of the Virgo cluster. We integrate this study with a detailed structural analysis using imaging data from theGadotti, D. A. et al.
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122015 -
Recovering star formation histories: Integrated-light analyses vs. stellar colour-magnitude diagramsContext. Accurate star formation histories (SFHs) of galaxies are fundamental for understanding the build-up of their stellar content. However, the most accurate SFHs - those obtained from colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of resolved stars reaching the oldest main-sequence turnoffs (oMSTO) - are presently limited to a few systems in the Local GroupRuiz-Lara, T. et al.
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112015 -
Tracing kinematic (mis)alignments in CALIFA merging galaxies. Stellar and ionized gas kinematic orientations at every merger stageWe present spatially resolved stellar and/or ionized gas kinematic properties for a sample of 103 interacting galaxies, tracing all merger stages: close companions, pairs with morphological signatures of interaction, and coalesced merger remnants. In order to distinguish kinematic properties caused by a merger event from those driven by internalBarrera-Ballesteros, J. K. et al.
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102015 -
Single stellar populations in the near-infrared. I. Preparation of the IRTF spectral stellar libraryWe present a detailed study of the stars of the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF) spectral library to understand its full extent and reliability for use with stellar population (SP) modeling. The library consist of 210 stars, with a total of 292 spectra, covering the wavelength range of 0.94 to 2.41 μm at a resolution R ≈ 2000. For every starMeneses-Goytia, S. et al.
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102015 -
The abundance of satellites depends strongly on the morphology of the host galaxyUsing the spectroscopic catalogue of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 10, we have explored the abundance of satellites around a sample of 254 massive (1011 M⋆ 2 × 1011 M⊙) local (z 0.025) galaxies. We have divided our sample into four morphological groups (E, S0, Sa, Sb/c). We find that the number of satellites with M⋆ ≳ 109 M⊙ and R 3Ruiz, P. et al.
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122015 -
The sensitivity of harassment to orbit: mass loss from early-type dwarfs in galaxy clustersWe conduct a comprehensive numerical study of the orbital dependence of harassment on early-type dwarfs consisting of 168 different orbits within a realistic, Virgo-like cluster, varying in eccentricity and pericentre distance. We find harassment is only effective at stripping stars or truncating their stellar discs for orbits that enter deep intoSmith, R. et al.
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122015
