NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2013A-0437
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2013A-0437 |
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PI: Erik A. Hoversten, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, ehoverst@live.unc.edu
Address: Physics Department, Phillips Hall, CB #3255, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255, USA
CoI: Sheila Kannappan, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill
CoI: David Stark, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill
CoI: John Salzer, Indiana University
CoI: Kathleen Eckert, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill
CoI: Amanda Moffett, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill
Title: The Origin of Gas in Post-Starburst E/S0 Galaxies
Abstract:
In recent years it has been discovered that there is a population of
low mass galaxies with E/S0 morphologies, but with blue colors more
typical of late type galaxies. It has been shown that these blue E/S0
galaxies are most likely post-merger systems rebuilding first gas and
then stellar disks. Recent studies have measured metallicity gradients
to determine the source of the gas accreting onto galaxies that
experienced recent mergers. Two pictures emerge: one in which the gas
consists of tidal debris from earlier in the merger falling back into
the galaxy, and one in which the source of gas is cosmic accretion from
a relatively pristine reservoir. We have prior SOAR spectroscopy of one
blue E/S0 that shows evidence for the cosmic accretion model. Here we
propose a small survey of 63 blue E/S0 galaxies (a subset of a larger
volume-limited survey) to study the source of gas in this subpopulation
and track the disk building potential as a function of environment.
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 > 2013A-0437 |
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