Related papers: Implications for optical identifications of QSO ab…
There exists a significant population of broad line, z~2 QSOs which have heavily absorbed X-ray spectra. Follow up observations in the submillimetre show that these QSOs are embedded in ultraluminous starburst galaxies, unlike most…
We describe the use of partially overlapping galaxies to provide direct measurements of the effective absorption in galaxy disks, independent of assumptions about internal disk structure. The non-overlapping parts of the galaxies and…
The relation between high redshift galaxies and QSO absorption systems is discussed in the context of hierarchical galaxy formation. It is demonstrated that imprints of the reionization history of the universe are detectable in the…
We present our investigation into the physical conditions of the gas in five intervening quasar absorption line systems along the line of sight toward the quasar PG 0117+213, with redshifts of z=0.57, z=0.72, z=1.04, z=1.32 and z=1.34.…
Studies of galaxy evolution at optical and near-infrared wavelengths have reached an interesting point in their historical development and the arrival of a new millenium provides an appropriate occasion to review the overall direction in…
We present synthesis models of the X-ray background where the available X-ray observational constraints are used to derive information on the AGN population properties. We show the need for luminous X-ray absorbed AGNs, the QSO2s, in…
We show that some characteristics of multiply-imaged QSO systems are very model-independent and can be deduced accurately by simply scrutinizing the relative positions of images and galaxy-lens center. These include the time-ordering of the…
Intrinsic emission and absorption lines of QSOs provide several independent probes of the metal abundances in QSO environments. They indicate that the metallicities are typically solar or higher out to redshifts z > 4. These results support…
Recent observations have shown that (some) metal line absorption systems in QSO spectra arise from gas in galactic halos with radii much larger than the optical radii of galaxies. We show that the observed galaxy-absorber connections are…
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…
The central problem of galaxy formation is understanding the cooling and condensation of gas in dark matter halos. It is now clear that to match observations this requires further physics than the simple assumptions of single phase gas…
Unexpected in the AGN unified scheme, there exists a population of broad-line z~2 QSOs which have heavily absorbed X-ray spectra. These objects constitute 10% of the population at luminosities and redshifts characteristic of the main…
We determined C, N and alpha-element relative abundances in the gas surrounding six QSOs at an average redshift of < z > ~ 2.4, by studying six narrow associated absorption systems in UVES high-resolution spectra. We found five systems with…
The observable characteristics and subsequent evolution of young stellar populations is dominated by their massive stars. As our understanding of those massive stars and the factors affecting their evolution improves, so our interpretation…
Explaining the formation and evolution of galaxies is one of the most challenging problems in observational cosmology. Many observations suggest that galaxies we see today could have evolved from the merging of smaller subsystems. Evolution…
A scenario is explored in which Lyman alpha absorbers at low redshift arise from lines of sight through extended galaxy disks, including those of dwarf and low surface brightness galaxies. A population of galaxies is simulated based upon…
Future prospects in observational galaxy evolution are reviewed from a personal perspective. New insights will especially come from high-redshift integral field kinematic data and similar low-redshift observations in very large and…
The classification of galaxies as spirals or ellipticals is a crucial task in understanding their formation and evolution. With the arrival of large-scale astronomical surveys, such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), astronomers now…
We have developed a new stellar population synthesis model designed to study early-type galaxies. It provides optical and near-infrared colors, and line indices for 25 absorption lines. It can synthesize single age, single metallicity…
We show autoconsistent chemical and spectro-photometric evolution models applied to spiral and irregular galaxies. Evolutionary synthesis models usually used to explain the stellar component spectro-photometric data, are combined with…