Title: Extragalactic archaeology: tracing the build-up of galaxies with their fossil record
Speaker: Prof. Po-Feng Wu (NTU)
Date: December 1 at 14:30
Location: R521, General Building II
Abstract:
The optical light of galaxies is a linear combination of their component stars. The colors and spectra of galaxies thus hold the fossil record of the formation histories. I will describe the technique that digs out the archaeological information from different types of datasets across cosmic time and how this information can help us to understand galaxy formation and evolution. In particular, we can identify galaxies with a recent rise or fall in their star-formation rates and know when the event happens. These galaxies serve as natural clocks, allowing us to describe the transformation process in chronological order from an ensemble of galaxies. I will show a few selected results with this approach and discuss the coming possibilities and challenges.
