Related papers: Quasar Elemental Abundances and Host Galaxy Evolut…
I review the observational characteristics of intermediate-to-high redshift star forming galaxies, including their star formation rates, dust extinctions, ISM kinematics, and chemical compositions. I present evidence that the mean rate of…
In this thesis, I present an investigation into the environments of quasars with respect to galaxy clusters, and environment evolution with redshift and luminosity. The orientation of the quasar with respect to the major axis of the closest…
To address the problem concerning the early formation of stars in massive galaxies, we present the results of a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation which includes a physical description of starbursts triggered by galaxy interactions.…
There is a growing consensus that the emergence of quasars at high redshifts is related to the onset of galaxy formation, suggesting that the detection of concentrations of gas accompanying such quasars should provide clues about the early…
We study the gas metallicity of quasar hosts using cosmological hydrodynamic simulations of the Lambda-cold dark matter model. Galaxy formation in the simulations is coupled with a prescription for black hole activity enabling us to study…
A large deep and nearly complete B<24.5 redshift sample is used to measure the change in distribution function of the stellar mass production rate in individual galaxies with redshift. The evolution of the star formation rate distribution…
Analysis of the deepest available images of the sky, obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope, reveals a large number of candidate high-redshift galaxies. A catalogue of 1,683 objects is presented, with estimated redshifts ranging from $z=0$…
Observations of the high redshift Universe, interpreted in the context of a new generation of computer simulated model Universes, are providing new insights into the processes by which galaxies and quasars form and evolve, as well as the…
I discuss current observational constraints on the star-formation and stellar-assembly histories of galaxies at high redshifts. The data on massive galaxies at z<1 implies that their stellar populations formed at z>2, and that their…
The past few years have seen a steady progress in the determination of element abundances at high redshifts, with new and more accurate measures of metallicities in star-forming galaxies, in QSO absorbers, and in the intergalactic medium.…
The formation of the first galaxies at redshifts z ~ 10-15 signaled the transition from the simple initial state of the universe to one of ever increasing complexity. We here review recent progress in understanding their assembly process…
By modeling the rich emission line spectra of a sample of high redshift (HzRG, z\sim 2.5) radio galaxies we find that solar and supersolar metallicities are common in the extended gas of these objects. Our models and the comparison with…
In typical astrophysical environments, the abundance of heavy elements ranges from 0.001 to 2 times the solar concentration. Lower abundances have been seen in select stars in the Milky Way's halo and in two quasar absorption systems at…
We aim to measure the average dust and molecular gas content of massive star-forming galaxies ($\rm > 3 \times 10^{10}\,M_\odot$) up to z=4 in the COSMOS field to determine if the intense star formation observed at high redshift is induced…
The distribution on the sky of clusters of galaxies shows significant association with relatively nearby, large, active galaxies. The pattern is that of clusters paired equidistant across a central galaxy with the apparent magnitudes and…
The emergence of the first sources of light at redshifts of z ~ 10-30 signaled the transition from the simple initial state of the Universe to one of increasing complexity. We review recent progress in our understanding of the formation of…
The recent discoveries of luminous quasars at high redshifts imply that black holes more massive than a few billion solar masses have been assembled already when the universe was less than a billion years old. We show that the existence of…
The global star formation rate in high redshift galaxies, based on optical surveys, shows a strong peak at a redshift of z=1.5, which implies that we have already seen most of the formation. High redshift galaxies may, however, emit most of…
Observations of the most luminous quasars at redshift z>6 reveal the existence of numerous supermasssive black holes (>10^9 Msun) already in place about twelve billion years ago. In addition, the interstellar medium of the galaxies hosting…
The 1<z<2 redshift window hosts the peak of the star formation and metal production rates. Studies of the metal content of the star forming galaxies at these epochs are however sparse. We report VLT-ISAAC near-infrared spectroscopy for a…