Compact Galaxy Groups Over Cosmic Time
Supervisor: Dr. Sarah Gallgher
Project Description (Abstract):
Compact groups host a handful of galaxies within a few galaxy radii of each other. As nearby galaxies tug on each other, gas can be stripped and star formation triggered. As a result, these low-mass, dense environments are ideal for studying the effects of repeated gravitational interactions on the history of star formation and galaxy evolution over time. Our group studies light from baryons in all phases - molecular, neutral, and ionized - to trace the impact of interactions over cosmic time. We compare present-day compact groups with those in cosmological simulations to understand the suite of conditions in the early universe that gave rise to what we see today.
