Galaxy Evolution

ARC researchers study the evolution of galaxies by studying galaxies near and far, including our own. They use large surveys as well as state-of-the-art telescopes/instruments (e.g. JWST, SPT, Chandra, ALMA, MUSE AND MeerKAT)  to compile statistics of galactic properties and study galaxies at multiple epochs to generate an evolutionary timeline.   ARC researchers also pursue theoretical and computational modelling of galaxy evolution (c.f. COSMOLOGY).

Canada France Imaging Survey (CFIS)

Canada France Imaging Survey (CFIS) uses new u band observations on the Canada France Hawaii Telescope to observe halo stars in the Milky Way.

Contact: Alan McConnachie, Sara Ellison

Students:

  • Jaclyn Jensen 
  • Bobby Bickley
  • Scott Wilkinson

Galaxy Mergers

Gravitational interactions are known to dramatically alter the properties of their constituent galaxies. The UVic group studies the galaxy merger process by using both state-of-the-art simulations to predict the impact of the interaction on properties such as black hole accretion and star formation, as well as large observational datasets that test these predictions.

Contact: Sara Ellison

Students:

  • Mallory Thorp
  • Shoshannah Byrne-Mamahit
  • Bobby Bickley
  • Scott Wilkinson

Collaborators:

  • Salvatore Quai

Galaxy Groups and Clusters

Studying the formation and evolution of galaxies, including the brightest cluster galaxies, and their circumgalactic media in dense group and cluster environment: Canadian Cluster Comparison Project (CCCP) / The Complete Local-Volume Groups Sample (CLoGs) / Local Cluster Substructure Survey (LoCuSS)

Contact: Arif Babul

 

The ALMaQUEST Survey

Understanding galactic star formation requires detailed spatial studies of both molecular gas and star formation rates in a statistically meaningful sample of galaxies. The ALMA MaNGA Quenching and Star-Formation (ALMaQUEST) survey achieves this goal thanks to its sample of over 50 galaxies, which span the range from starbursts to galaxies in the process of quenching, observed at kpc-scales with both the MaNGA IFU survey and ALMA. The ALMaQUEST survey is tackling questions such as: Why do galaxies quench? What physical mechanism drives a starburst? What regulates galactic scaling relations?

Contact: Sara Ellison

Students:

  • Mallory Thorp

Collaborators:

  • Salvatore Quai