NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2006A-0464
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2006A-0464 |
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PI: Kate E. Dellenbusch, University of Wisconsin - Madison, dellenb@astro.wisc.edu
Address: Department of Astronomy, 475 N. Charter St., Madison, WI 53706, USA
CoI: John S. Gallagher III, University of Wisconsin - Madison
CoI: Patricia M. Knezek, WIYN Observatory
Title: Oxygen Abundances and Evolutionary Paths in Starbursting Transition Dwarf Galaxies
Abstract:
Dwarf galaxies show a wide range of evolutionary states, indicating
that the evolution of lower mass galaxies is quite complex. For
example, van den Bergh (1977) noted dwarf galaxies are typically either
very actively forming stars or are inactive, with few dwarfs between
these states. Is there then a population of objects in an intermediary
state, and do dwarf galaxies transition over time from one state to
another? Almost 30 years after van den Bergh's presentation, it still is
not clear whether significant fractions of dwarf galaxies outside of
clusters remain in a single morphological class or rapidly evolve from
one morphology to another over time by some process such as interaction.
We are studying a sample of galaxies which appear to be undergoing such
a transition and may be evolving from a gas-rich actively star forming
state to a gas-poor inactive one. Chemical abundances are key tracers
of galaxy evolution, which we propose to exploit here. Long slit
spectrophotometry will allow HII region oxygen abundances to be
measured, providing an essential step towards understanding whether and
how evolutionary transitions occur.
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2006A-0464 |
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