How do cluster environments affect the molecular gas in galaxies? | Dr Nikki Zabel скачать в хорошем качестве

How do cluster environments affect the molecular gas in galaxies? | Dr Nikki Zabel

How do cluster environments affect the molecular gas in galaxies? Dr Nikki Zabel (Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen) Understanding galaxy formation and evolution is one of the key goals of astronomical research. With roughly half of the galaxies in the local Universe residing in dense environments, it is therefore important to study the effects of environment on galaxy evolution. It has been known for several decades that galaxy clusters harbour a relatively large fraction of early-type galaxies. This suggests that dense environments can cause the premature quenching of star formation. Several environmental processes have been suggested to contribute to this, such as ram pressure stripping, starvation, violent fly-bys, and tidal interactions. However, the relative importance of these mechanisms, and how exactly they lead to the quenching of star formation, is still poorly understood. Typically distributed in an extended disc, atomic gas has long served as an excellent tracer for environmental processes. However, it is the molecular gas that is the direct fuel for star formation. Therefore, any direct effects of the cluster environment on the more tightly bound and centrally located molecular gas would have strong implications for galaxy evolution in dense environments. In this talk Dr Zabel discusses studies of the molecular gas in galaxies in the nearby Fornax cluster, and closes with some early results from the recently published paper "VERTICO: The Virgo Environment Traced in CO Survey".