Highlight
New SPIRE/Herschel image (courtesy of Herschel/HerMES)
Galaxy Formation and Evolution
In the current cosmological paradigm, early
fluctuations of the dark matter distribution grow into stable structures
(halos), attracting baryonic matter that cools, triggering star
formation. Halos merge to form larger galaxies, which develop a
spheroidal, stellar component and inflowing cooling gas or dark matter
collapse to spawn a central, massive black hole. The relationship
between the mass of the black hole and that of the surrounding spheroid
can be explained if the black hole regulates the star formation via some
feedback mechanism. The ‘baryon physics’ comprising gas collapse, star
and black hole formation and subsequent feedback, is the main bottleneck
in our understanding of galaxy formation.
Our
group includes experts in both the theoretical and observational sides
of star formation in galaxies, chemical enrichment and AGN physics. MSSL
has recently expanded its research in this theme, with the emphasis on
the analysis of data from the ongoing and future missions in which MSSL
plays a key role.
The coming period will see
spectacular advances in this field. Imminently, Herschel will open a new
window of exploration in the far infrared Universe. Amongst a number of
UK groups, MSSL has played a major role in the Herschel SPIRE
instrument. MSSL staff has been a leader in designing the major
guaranteed-time extragalactic survey HerMES to be carried out with
Herschel and which will be transformational for studies in this science
area.
From 2012, Gaia will reveal the
kinematics and chemical abundances of our own Galaxy in unprecedented
accuracy. MSSL have also had major roles in both the mission development
of Gaia and in the data processing consortium for the spectroscopy,
which places us optimally to exploit that mission. On one hand, we will
test theories of galaxy formation with our observations of the distant
Universe ‘as it happened’ and on the other hand, we will confront
theories for the chemical and dynamical evolution of galaxies with the
fossil record in the form of the present day Milky Way.
Related MSSL projects
Staff active in these research areas
Boudreault, Cropper, Ferreras, Inoue, Kawata, Page, Matsuura,
Saxton, Seabroke, Seymour, Soria, Symeonidis, Wu
