Date/Time
Date(s) - 22/09/2010
3:20 pm - 4:20 pm

Title: Modes of Star Formation and Galaxy Evolution in Compact Galaxy Groups

Speaker: Dr. Sarah Gallagher, Unviersity of WesternON

Institute: University of Western Ontario

Location: ABB 102

Description:

The high densities and low velocity dispersions of compact galaxy groups — small neighbourhoods with member separations comparable to a galaxy radius — make them ideal for studying star formation and morphological transformation under the influence of multiple, ongoing gravitational encounters. Spitzer surveys of the infrared properties of these systems reveal evidence for rapid evolution of the galaxy populations in this environment, and a combined ultraviolet and infrared study of the specific star formation rates supports this conclusion. Within a local sample of 12 Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs), we focus on case studies of three groups, HCGs 7, 31, and 92, that reveal different paths of galaxy and group evolution. Detailed analysis of their star cluster populations from Hubble Space Telescope imaging in the context of their known multiwavelength properties offers a window into their past and future evolution, and insights into galaxy evolution at higher redshift.