Spinrad Galaxy Formation and Evolution

1. Auflage 2006
ISBN: 978-3-540-29007-0
Verlag: Springer-Verlag
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 198 Seiten

An Astronomical Life - Observing the Depths of the Universe' Though science as a subject can be di?cult, what has been more important for me is that its practice can also be rewarding fun! This book is crafted to expose the reader to the excitement of modern observational cosmology through the study of galaxy evolution over space and cosmic time. Recent extragalactic research has led to many rapid advances in the ?eld. Even a suitable skeptic of certain pronouncements about the age and structure of the Universe should be pleased with the large steps that have been taken in furthering our understanding of the Universe since the early 1990's. My personal involvement in galaxy research goes back to the 1960's. At that point, galaxies were easily recognized and partially understood as organized c- lections of stars and gas. What their masses were presented a problem, which I supposed would just fade away. But fade it didn't. Distant active nuclei and quasars were discovered in the mid-1960's. A c- mon view of QSOs was that they have large redshifts, but what use are they for cosmology or normal galaxy astrophysics? I shared that conclusion. My expec- tions fell below their potential utility. In short, the Universe of our expectations rarely matches the Universe as it is discovered.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Spinrad, Hyron

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Table of contents;9
2;1 Taking the Measure of the Low- Redshift Universe;12
2.1;1.1 Local Galaxy Types and their Bulk Properties;13
2.2;1.2 Starbursts and ULIRGs;26
2.3;1.3 Merger Rates and Merger Signs;27
2.4;1.4 The Nature of AGN;30
2.5;1.5 Groups, Clusters, and Rich Clusters of Galaxies;34
2.6;1.6 Astronomical Instrumentation at the Millennium;37
2.7;1.7 The Role of Large Sky Surveys;42
2.8;1.8 Summary;43
2.9;REFERENCES;44
3;2 Which Properties of Galaxies can Likely Evolve ( and be Measured)?;47
3.1;2.1 Galaxy Interactions;48
3.2;2.2 Evolution of the Stellar Content of Normal Galaxies;51
3.3;2.3 Evolution of the Gas Mass Fraction;52
3.4;2.4 The Chemical Evolution of Galaxies;53
3.5;2.5 The Chemical Evolution of AGN at Moderate Distance;55
3.6;2.6 Summary;57
3.7;REFERENCES;58
4;3 Observations of an Evolving Universe;61
4.1;3.1 The Metric Measures of an Evolving Universe;61
4.2;3.2 What is New in Galaxy Counts?;62
4.3;3.3 The Sizes and Morphologies of Galaxies at Fairly High Redshift;67
4.4;3.4 Explaining “Building Block Galaxies at High Redshift;74
4.5;3.5 One Small Problem – Resolving Galaxy Bars;76
4.6;3.6 Is there Evolution in the Stellar Content of E Galaxies?;78
4.7;3.7 Galaxy Clusters – Now, and as they were at Moderate Redshift;80
4.8;3.8 Global Star-formation: Changes from;83
4.9;3.9 Emission Lines as a Star-formation Proxy, out to;84
4.10;3.10 Abundance Variations at Moderate Redshifts – Di . erent Targets and Methods;87
4.11;3.11 QSOs, AGN: Evolution at Large Redshifts;103
4.12;3.12 Measures of Large scale Structure;109
4.13;3.13 Summary;115
4.14;REFERENCES;117
5;4 Galaxies at the Contemporary Limits;122
5.1;4.1 Non-traditional Searches for Great Distance;122
5.2;4.2 Traditional Searches for Distant Objects;126
5.3;4.3 Record Redshifts;138
5.4;4.4 QSOs and AGN near the Contemporary Limits;139
5.5;4.5 Galaxy Morphology at High-;143
5.6;4.6 Large scale Structure at High-;144
5.7;4.7 Summary;144
5.8;REFERENCES;146
6;5 Observational Cosmology;149
6.1;5.1 The Advent of the Cosmological Constant;153
6.2;5.2 “Dark Energy ;155
6.3;5.3 CMB-derived parameters;159
6.4;5.4 Summary;171
6.5;REFERENCES;172
7;6 Astronomical Instrumentation of the Future;174
7.1;6.1 Of Needs and Strategies;174
7.2;6.2 New Techniques at the Focal Plane;175
7.3;6.3 New Tools to Reach Dim and Distant Galaxies;180
7.4;6.4 Summary;187
7.5;REFERENCES;188
8;7 Briefly: Some Overall Conclusions and Problems;189
8.1;7.1 General;189
8.2;7.2 Galaxy Growth;189
8.3;7.3 Proper Sizes;190
8.4;7.4 SFR and Mergers;191
8.5;7.5 The Re-ionization by Stars in Young Galaxies;191
8.6;7.6 The Re-Ionization State of the Early IGM;193
8.7;7.7 Evolution of QSOs;194
8.8;7.8 A Concluding Remark;196
8.9;7.9 Acknowledgments;196
8.10;REFERENCES;196
9;Index;198