Spiral Galaxies: Evolution and Consequences

    General
    Description

    Our small group is well known and respected internationally for our innovative and important work on various aspects of the structure and evolution of nearby spiral galaxies. We primarily use observations at various wavelengths, exploiting synergies that allow us to answer the most pertinent questions relating to what the main properties of galaxies are, and how galaxies have evolved to their current state. We use imaging and spectroscopy, at UV, optical, infrared, millimetre, and radio wavelengths, fully exploiting observing facilities available to us in Spain, at ESO, or elsewhere, along with state-of-the-art analysis tools. The success of this approach can be measured from the employment opportunities offered to ex-members of the group, from the number and quality of collaborations with leading external scientists, from continued citation of our published work, and from invitations to co-organise or speak at the leading international conferences in the field.

    In the last few years our group has put a lot of effort into opening up joint research lines with computer scientists, recognising the paradigm shift that is upon us due to the enormous quantities of data that will soon be produced by facilities such as LSST, Euclid, and SKA. We collaborate with computer scientists and aim to prepare the analysis tools, including detection of structure from noise, correction for scattered light and Galactic cirrus, and the use of machine learning-based techniques, so that once LSST (2020) and Euclid (2023) start releasing their huge data sets, our group is ready to analyse them and extract the science from the oceans of bytes.

    Principal investigator
    Project staff
    1. From thermal and non-thermal radio maps of the centre of NGC 1097, we discovered that the massive star formation is quenched by non-thermal effects, including pressure from the magnetic field, cosmic rays and turbulence.
    2. In the centre of NGC 7742, we found a slightly warped inner disk, and two separate stellar components: an old population that counter-rotates with the gas, and a young one, concentrated to the ring, that co-rotates with the gas.
    3. We re-analysed our deep IR imaging of thick disks to correct for the extended S4G point spread function (PSF), confirming all our previous results and in particular confirming the significant mass present in the thick disk component.
    4. Analysing a new high-resolution e-MERLIN 1.5 GHz radio continuum map together with HST and SDSS imaging of NGC 5322, an elliptical galaxy hosting radio jets, we found that the low-luminosity AGN/jet-driven feedback may have quenched the late-time nuclear star formation promptly.
    5. From MUSE observations of low-surface-brightness Lyman-α emission surrounding faint galaxies at redshifts between 3 and 6 we find that the projected sky coverage approaches 100 per cent.

    Related publications

    LeMMINGs. VI. Connecting nuclear activity to bulge properties of active and inactive galaxies: radio scaling relations and galaxy environment 2023MNRAS.522.3412D
    Sociology and hierarchy of voids: A study of seven nearby CAVITY galaxy voids and their dynamical CosmicFlows-3 environment 2023A&A...673A..38C
    Identification of tidal features in deep optical galaxy images with convolutional neural networks 2023MNRAS.521.3861D
    MaNGIA: 10 000 mock galaxies for stellar population analysis 2023A&A...673A..23S
    MIGHTEE-H I: possible interactions with the galaxy NGC 895 2023MNRAS.521.5177N
    WEAVE-StePS: A stellar population survey using WEAVE at WHT 2023A&A...672A..87I
    Hidden depths in the local Universe: The Stellar Stream Legacy Survey 2023A&A...671A.141M
    A possible signature of the influence of tidal perturbations in dwarf galaxy scaling relations 2023MNRAS.521.2012W
    Evidence for globular cluster collapse after a dwarf-dwarf merger: A potential nuclear star cluster in formation 2023A&A...671L...7R
    A giant umbrella-like stellar stream around the tidal ring galaxy NGC 922 2023A&A...669A.103M
    Prospects for future studies using deep imaging: analysis of individual Galactic cirrus filaments 2023MNRAS.519.4735S
    Star formation in outer rings of S0 galaxies. V. UGC 4599: An S0 with gas probably accreted from a filament 2023A&A...669L..10S
    First detection of the outer edge of an AGN accretion disc: very fast multiband optical variability of NGC 4395 with GTC/HiPERCAM and LT/IO:O 2023MNRAS.519.3366M
    The Isaac Newton Telescope Monitoring Survey of Local Group Dwarf Galaxies. V. The Star Formation History of Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular Galaxy Derived from Long-period Variable Stars 2023ApJ...942...33P
    Launching the VASCO Citizen Science Project 2022Univ....8..561V
    Linking star formation thresholds and truncations in the thin and thick disks of the low-mass galaxy UGC 7321 2022A&A...667A.109D
    Cloud-scale radio surveys of star formation and feedback in Triangulum Galaxy M 33: VLA observations 2022MNRAS.517.2990T
    The edges of galaxies: Tracing the limits of star formation 2022A&A...667A..87C
    How to write and develop your astronomy research paper 2022NatAs...6.1021K
    How to plan your astronomy research paper in ten steps 2022NatAs...6.1015C
    Extragalactic Magnetism with SOFIA (SALSA Legacy Program). III. First Data Release and On-the-fly Polarization Mapping Characterization 2022ApJ...936...65L
    Preparing for low surface brightness science with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory: Characterization of tidal features from mock images 2022MNRAS.513.1459M
    Stellar masses, sizes, and radial profiles for 465 nearby early-type galaxies: An extension to the Spitzer survey of stellar structure in Galaxies (S<SUP>4</SUP>G) 2022A&A...660A..69W
    The multifarious ionization sources and disturbed kinematics of extraplanar gas in five low-mass galaxies 2022A&A...659A.153R
    The Seventeenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys: Complete Release of MaNGA, MaStar, and APOGEE-2 Data 2022ApJS..259...35A
    Implications for galaxy formation models from observations of globular clusters around ultradiffuse galaxies 2022MNRAS.511.4633S
    LeMMINGs - IV. The X-ray properties of a statistically complete sample of the nuclei in active and inactive galaxies from the Palomar sample 2022MNRAS.510.4909W
    Euclid preparation. XVI. Exploring the ultra-low surface brightness Universe with Euclid/VIS 2022A&A...657A..92E
    Euclid preparation. XIII. Forecasts for galaxy morphology with the Euclid Survey using deep generative models 2022A&A...657A..90E
    A low-cost chopping system and uncooled microbolometer array for ground-based astronomy 2021ExA...tmp...30R
    WALLABY pilot survey: H I gas disc truncation and star formation of galaxies falling into the Hydra I cluster 2022MNRAS.510.1716R
    Extragalactic Magnetism with SOFIA (Legacy Program) - II: A Magnetically Driven Flow in the Starburst Ring of NGC 1097 2021ApJ...923..150L
    Discovery and analysis of low-surface-brightness galaxies in the environment of NGC 1052 2021A&A...656A..44R
    Capturing the Physics of MaNGA Galaxies with Self-supervised Machine Learning 2021ApJ...921..177S
    Extragalactic Magnetism with SOFIA (Legacy Program). I. The Magnetic Field in the Multiphase Interstellar Medium of M51 2021ApJ...921..128B
    Fractal dimension of optical cirrus in Stripe82 2021MNRAS.508.5825M
    Molecular gas and star formation within 12 strong galactic bars observed with IRAM-30 m 2021A&A...654A.135D
    LeMMINGs III. The e-MERLIN legacy survey of the Palomar sample: exploring the origin of nuclear radio emission in active and inactive galaxies through the [O III] - radio connection 2021MNRAS.508.2019B
    Introducing the LBT Imaging of Galactic Halos and Tidal Structures (LIGHTS) survey. A preview of the low surface brightness Universe to be unveiled by LSST 2021A&A...654A..40T
    WALLABY pre-pilot survey: two dark clouds in the vicinity of NGC 1395 2021MNRAS.507.2905W

    Related talks

    No related talks were found.

    Related conferences

    No related conferences were found.