Related papers: Towards an accurate model for the Antennae Galaxie…
Near-field observations may provide tight constraints - i.e. "boundary conditions" - on any model of structure formation in the Universe. Detailed observational data have long been available for the Milky Way (e.g. Freeman $\&$…
Aims:In this study we investigate the evolution of shape and kinematics of elliptical galaxies in a cosmological framework. Methods: We use a set of hydrodynamic, self-consistent simulations operating in the context of a concordance…
In large scale structure formation, massive systems assemble through the hierarchical merging of less massive ones. Galaxy clusters, being the most massive and thus the most recent collapsed structures, still grow by accreting smaller…
Recent observations have revealed a class of unusually HI-rich early-type galaxies. By combining observations of their morphology, stellar populations and neutral hydrogen we aim to understand how these galaxies fit into the hierarchical…
We examine the accretion and merger histories of central and satellite galaxies in a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) cosmological simulation that resolves galaxies down to 7e9 M[Sun]. Most friends-of-friends halos in the simulation…
Imaging of the Antennae galaxies (NGC 4038/4039) with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) aboard the Spitzer Space Telescope reveals large concentrations of star forming activity away from both nuclei of the two merging galaxies. These images…
An overview over the current status of modeling galaxies by means of numerical simulations is given. After a short description of how galaxies form in hierarchically clustering scenarios, success and failures of current simulations are…
Driven by gravity, massive structures like galaxies and clusters of galaxies are believed to grow continuously through hierarchical merging and accretion of smaller systems. Observational evidence of accretion events is provided by the…
Recent studies have shown that massive galaxies in the distant universe are surprisingly compact, with typical sizes about a factor of three smaller than equally massive galaxies in the nearby universe. It has been suggested that these…
A number of theoretical and simulation results on star and structure formation in galaxy interactions and mergers is reviewed, and recent hydrodynamic simulations are presented. The role of gravity torques and ISM turbulence in galaxy…
Many spiral galaxy haloes show stellar streams with various morphologies when observed with deep images. The origin of these tidal features is discussed, either coming from a satellite infall or caused by residuals of an ancient, gas-rich…
We present high-resolution (R ~ 24,600) near-IR spectroscopy of the youngest super star clusters (SSCs) in the prototypical starburst merger, the Antennae Galaxies. These SSCs are young (3-7 Myr old) and massive (10^5 - 10^7 M_sun for a…
We examine the hypothesis that mergers and close encounters between galaxies can fuel AGNs by increasing the rate at which gas accretes towards the central black hole. We compare the clustering of galaxies around radio-loud AGNs with the…
We review recent developments in the field of chemodynamical simulations of elliptical galaxies, highlighting (in an admittedly biased fashion) the work conducted with our cosmological N-body/SPH code GCD+. We have demonstrated previously…
The Andromeda galaxy (M 31) has experienced a tumultuous merger history as evidenced by the many substructures present in its inner halo. We use planetary nebulae (PNe) as chemodynamic tracers to shed light on the recent merger history of M…
We are exploring galaxy evolution in low density environments exploiting smooth particle hydrodynamic simulations including chemo-photometric implementation. From a large grid of simulations of galaxy encounters and mergers starting from…
The ACS and NICMOS have been used to obtain new HST images of NGC 4038/4039 ("The Antennae"). These new observations allow us to better differentiate compact star clusters from individual stars, based on both size and color. We use this…
Multiple, sequential mergers are unavoidable in the hierarchical build-up picture of galaxies, in particular for the minor mergers that are frequent and highly likely to have occured several times for most present-day galaxies. However, the…
Galaxy clusters offer powerful laboratories for studying galaxy evolution in dense environments. In this context, the CLONE, Constrained LOcal and Nesting Environment, project provides a zoom-in hydrodynamical simulation of the Virgo…
Many recent observations and numerical simulations suggest that nearby massive, early-type galaxies were formed through a "two-phase" process. In the proposed second phase, the extended stellar envelope was accumulated through many dry…