Dissertation

Galaxy formation traced by heavy element pollution

Galaxies form and evolve through close interaction with their surroundings. As a result, the heavy elements ('metals') that are synthesized in stars, are found both inside and outside galaxies.

Author

M.C. Segers

Date

28 November 2017

Links

Thesis in Leiden Repository

Galaxies form and evolve through close interaction with their surroundings. As a result, the heavy elements ('metals') that are synthesized in stars, are found both inside and outside galaxies. They trace the gas returned by stars, while providing information on the time-scales and physical conditions characterizing various stages of galaxy evolution through their elemental composition and ionization state. In this thesis, we explore what metals can tell us about galaxy formation. We complement theoretical work using the EAGLE simulations, where we focus on the galaxies as well as the surrounding medium, with an observational study of the low-redshift

• cosmological simulations
• galaxy formation
• intergalactic medium
• quasar absorption lines
• spectroscopy
• star formation