Related papers: Understanding Galaxy Evolution through Emission Li…
High resolution rest frame UV quasar absorption spectra covering low and high ionization species, as well as the Lyman series lines, provide remarkably detailed information about the gaseous phases of galaxies and their environments. For…
We explore the prospects of predicting emission line features present in galaxy spectra given broad-band photometry alone. There is a general consent that colours, and spectral features, most notably the 4000 A break, can predict many…
We have explored the emission line trends in the integrated spectra of normal spiral galaxies of the Nearby Field Galaxy Survey, in order to investigate the relationships between dust extinction, metallicity and some macroscopic properties…
The current state-of-the-art of multi-wavelength diagnostic tools (evolutionary synthesis, photoionisation models) for massive star forming regions (HII regions, starbursts, etc.) and some of their input physics (especially model…
Metals -- heavy elements synthesized during various phases of stellar evolution or during supernova explosions -- play a fundamental role in shaping galaxy evolution. In fact, their relative abundances, spatial distribution, and scaling…
A few results that indicate the presence of temperature variations in gaseous nebulae are reviewed. The evidence is based on: a) temperatures derived from different methods, and b) on comparisons of abundances predicted by models of…
[Abbreviated] Rest-frame UV emission lines probe physical parameters of the emitting star-forming galaxies and their environments. The strongest main UV line, Ly$\alpha$, has been instrumental in advancing the general knowledge of galaxy…
The discovery of the M-sigma relation, the local galaxy bimodality, and the link between black-hole and host-galaxy properties, have raised the question whether AGN play a role in galaxy evolution. Several theoretical models implement AGN…
Molecules that trace the high-density regions of the interstellar medium may be used to evaluate the changing physical and chemical environment during the ongoing nuclear activity in (Ultra-)Luminous Infrared Galaxies. The changing ratios…
We present a set of new analytic solutions aimed at self-consistently describing the spatially-averaged time evolution of the gas, stellar, metal, and dust content in an individual starforming galaxy hosted within a dark halo of given mass…
Plasma diagnostics are the bases of investigation into the physical and chemical properties of line-emitting gaseous systems. To perform plasma diagnostics properly, it is essential to correct the input spectrum for extinction properly.…
Aims. We present a continuation of our study about the relation between stellar mass and gas-phase metallicity in the VIMOS VLT Deep Survey (VVDS). In this work we extend the determination of metallicities up to redshift = 1.24 for a sample…
Emission lines in X-ray spectra of clusters of galaxies reveal the presence of heavy elements in the diffuse hot plasma (the Intra Cluster Medium, or ICM) in virial equilibrium in the dark matter potential well. The relatively simple…
Stars are fossils that retain the history of their host galaxies. Elements heavier than helium are created inside stars and are ejected when they die. From the spatial distribution of elements in galaxies, it is therefore possible to…
We measured the oxygen abundances of the warm (T$\sim 10^{4}K$) phase of gas in seven early-type galaxies through long-slit observations. A template spectra was constructed from galaxies void of warm gas and subtracted from the…
The galaxy evolution is believed to be conditioned by the environment. Isolated galaxies or galaxies in poor groups are an excellent laboratory to study evolutionary mechanisms where effects of the environment are minimal. We present new…
Optical emission-line ratios in star-forming galaxies at $z \sim 3$-8, such as [OIII]/H$\beta$ and [OIII]/[OII], are strongly offset from those at $z \sim 0$-2, pointing to more extreme ionization and ISM conditions in the early Universe.…
In this review, I discuss some highlights of recent research on molecular gas in galaxies; large-scale CO maps of nearby galaxies are being made, which extend our knowledge on global properties, radial gradients, and spiral structure of the…
Nebular emission lines are critical to measure physical properties in the ionized gas (e.g., metallicity, the SFR, or dust attenuation). They also account for a significant fraction of broadband fluxes, in particular at the highest…
Observations of infrared fine-structure lines provide direct information on the metallicity and ionization structure of HII regions and indirectly on the hardness of the radiation field ionizing these nebulae. We have analyzed a sample of…