NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2006B-0165
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2006B-0165 |
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PI: Sara Ellison, University of Victoria, sarae@uvic.ca
Address: Department of Physics & Astronomy, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC V8V 4L1, Canada
CoI: Jessica Rosenberg, Harvard CfA
CoI: Martin Zwaan, ESO
Title: The Damped Lyman-alpha System -- Galaxy Connection: Clues from Local HI Galaxy Surveys
Abstract:
Damped Lyman-alpha systems (DLAs) trace the evolution of gas in
galaxies. However, whilst almost every theoretical model of chemical
evolution predicts that DLA metallicities should reach solar at z=0,
observed values are barely 1/10 this value. One explanation for this is
that the HI cross-section of the gas-rich galaxy population is not
dominated by solar metallicity gas. We propose to use the relationship
between stellar mass and metallicity to make an estimate of the HI cross-
section weighted metallicity for a sample of local analogs to the DLA
population. To achieve this, we need J, H and K-band observations to
determine galactic stellar masses for the last 10 galaxies in our
complete sample which do not appear in the 2MASS survey and which could
not be scheduled in 2006A.
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 > 2006B-0165 |
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