Speaker
Mr
Okkert Havenga
(North-West University)
Description
An important component of galaxy formation and evolution studies, is to accurately constrain their star formation histories (SFHs). While the SFHs of most massive early-type galaxies can be described using a single passively-evolving stellar component (Single Stellar Population [SSP]), there is a fraction of massive early-type galaxies in the centres of galaxy groups and galaxy clusters where recent star formation is observed and are better described by two or more stellar components (Composite Stellar Population [CSP]). In this project we identify and constrain possible recent star formation episodes in a sample of 23 BGGs (Brightest Group Galaxies), of which most are in the centres of X-ray rich groups and all are closer than 80Mpc, and a sub-sample of the Complete Local-Volume Groups Sample (CLoGS). We use archival spatially-resolved long-slit spectroscopy from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at the McDonald Observatory, and determine whether the BGGs are better described by a SSP or a CSP using ULySS. We compare the results with existing X-ray observations of some of the BGGs, obtained by Chandra/XMM-Newton, and the X-ray determined physical properties of the host groups, e.g. cooling time and central entropy. The results of these BGGs can then be compared to a comparable sample of 32 Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) in rich galaxy clusters at a redshift (z) between 0.05 and 0.3.
Supervisor details<br><b>If not a student, type N/A.</b><br>Student abstract submision<br>requires supervisor permission:<br>please give their name,<br> institution and email address.
Prof. S.I. Loubser - Centre for Space Research, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa (ilani.loubser@nwu.ac.za)
| Consideration for<br>student awards<br><b>Choose one option<br>from those below.</b><br>N/A<br>Hons<br>MSc<br>PhD | MSc |
|---|---|
| Please confirm that you<br>have carefully read the<br>abstract submission instructions<br>under the menu item<br>"Call for Abstracts"<br><b>(Yes / No)</b> | Yes |
Primary authors
Dr
ANDO RATSIMBAZAFY
(NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY)
Prof.
Arif Babul
(Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria)
Prof.
Ewan O'Sullivan
(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Dr
Ilani Loubser
(North-West University)
Mr
Okkert Havenga
(North-West University)
