Related papers: Galaxy Interaction and Starburst-Seyfert Connectio…
The rate of star formation varies between galaxy types and evolves with redshift. Most stars in the universe have formed in episodes of an exceptionally high star-forming activity, commonly called a starburst. We here summarize basic…
An increasing amount of observational evidence supports the notion that there are two modes of star formation: a quiescent mode in disk-like galaxies, and a starburst mode, which is generally interpreted as driven by merging. Using a…
Gravitational interactions and mergers are shaping and reshaping galaxies throughout the observable universe. While observations of interacting galaxies at low redshifts yield detailed information about the processes at work, observations…
The nonthermal characteristics of starburst galaxies and galaxy clusters are reviewed and the perspectives for their observation in high energy gamma rays discussed. It is argued that starburst galaxies should have physically similar and…
We use numerical simulation to investigate the triggering of starbursts in merging disk galaxies. The properties of the merger-driven starbursts are sensitive to the structure of the progenitor galaxies; specifically, to the amount of…
We present results concerning the occurrence of Seyfert galaxies in a new automatically selected sample of nearby Compact Groups of galaxies (UZC-CGs). Seventeen Seyferts are found, constituting ~3% of the UZC-CG galaxy population. CGs…
We explore the formation of dusty gas walls induced by a circumnuclear starburst around an AGN. We concentrate our attention on the role of the radiation force by a starburst as well as an AGN, where the effects of optical depth of dusty…
We analyse star formation in the nuclei of 9 Seyfert galaxies at spatial resolutions down to 0.085arcsec, corresponding to length scales of less than 10pc in some objects. Our data were taken mostly with the near infrared adaptive optics…
We present the properties of the central supermassive black holes and the host galaxies of the interacting object SDSSJ134420.86+663717.8. We obtained optical long slit spectroscopy data from the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) using the…
In the context of the connection among galaxy-galaxy interaction, starbursts and nuclear activity, we present and discuss a quantitative morphological analysis based on BVR images and a detailed spectroscopic investigation of two…
Interacting galaxies are known to have higher global rates of star formation on average than normal galaxies, relative to their stellar masses. Using UV and IR photometry combined with new and published H-alpha images, we have compared the…
We study the variation of the stellar population properties as a function of distance from the nucleus for a sample of 35 Seyfert 2 galaxies using the technique of stellar population synthesis. We sample regions at the galaxies with…
We report the results of a spectroscopic investigation of a sample of 20 of the brightest type 2 Seyfert nuclei. Our goal is to search for the direct spectroscopic signature of massive stars, and thereby probe the role of circumnuclear…
A subgroup of dwarf galaxies have characteristics of a possible evolutionary transition between star-forming systems and dwarf ellipticals. These systems host significant starbursts in combination with smooth, elliptical outer envelopes and…
No mechanisms have hitherto been conclusively demonstrated to be responsible for initiating optically-luminous nuclear (Seyfert) activity in local disk galaxies. Only a small minority of such galaxies are visibly disturbed in optical…
Galaxy interactions/mergers, gravitational instabilities and density waves, such as bars, are frequently invoked to trigger starbursts. These mechanisms have been explored through numerical simulations, with the help of various star…
Starbursts are episodes of intense star-formation that occur in the central regions of galaxies, and dominate the integrated emission from the galaxy. They are a significant component of the present- day universe, being the site of $\sim$…
Most luminous infrared galaxies (LIGs) are closely interacting/merging systems rich in molecular gas. We study here the relationship between the stage of the galaxy-galaxy interactions, the molecular gas mass, and the star formation rate as…
Using parsec-resolution simulations of a typical galaxy merger, we study the triggering of starbursts by connecting the (inter-)galactic dynamics to the structure of the interstellar medium. The gravitational encounter between two galaxies…
Selected results from recent studies of star formation in galaxies at different stages of interaction are reviewed. Recent results from the Spitzer Space Telescope are highlighted. Ideas on how large-scale driving of star formation in…