27 May 2004

Speaker: Sandra Faber (UC Observatories/Lick Observatory)

Title: Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Lecture: Galaxy Evolution over the Latter Half of Cosmic History

Abstract: Several experiments are now gathering data in statistically valid numbers for intermediate-redshift galaxies out to z = 1 for the first time. The speaker will review results from DEEP2 and other surveys to sketch the current picture of the final stages of galaxy evolution. Galaxies are found to be divided into red and blue classes (ellipticals and spirals) as early as z = 1.2, but strong evolution seems to be occurring within each class. Morphologies of spiral-type precusors are highly irregular at z = 1, and the zeropoint and possibly the slope of the TF relation have changed. The total stellar mass in E/S0s has roughly doubled since that epoch. The processes whereby these events are occurring are not understood, and toy models for galaxy evolution do not fit the data. The key to understanding the Hubble sequence apparently lies in the properties of these galaxies at intermediate redshifts.

Video of the Presentation (Talks can be viewed with RealPlayer. Free download is available from www.real.com )

References for students: