Speaker
Mrs
ANDO RATSIMBAZAFY
(UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN CAPE)
Description
The expansion rate of the Universe can potentially be measured using age-dating of Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs). We explore the validity of the assumptions implicit in this method using LRGs identified in the Millenium Simulation (MS). We use stellar population modelling and spectral synthesis to estimate the errors on ages that can be expected and discuss optimization of such an experiment. We find that H(z) using simulated galaxies can be recovered with high accuracy. Using single stellar populations to age-date LRGs is not sufficient but if the MS star formation histories of galaxies are used, accurate ages are obtainable.
Primary author
Mrs
ANDO RATSIMBAZAFY
(UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN CAPE)
Co-authors
Prof.
Catherine Cress
(UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN CAPE)
Dr
Enrico Olivier
(South African Astronomical Observatory)
Dr
Kurt van der Heyden
(UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN)
Dr
Sarah Blythe
(UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN)
Dr
Steve Crawford
(South African Astronomical Observatory)
