Series: Astronomy Colloquium
Date: Wednesday 09-Sep-2009
Time: 16:00-17:00 (4:00-5:00 pm)
Location: CSS 2400
Speaker: Prof. Eric Bell (University of Michigan)
Title: Old, Red and Dead Galaxies in a Lambda CDM Universe
Roughly half of all stars reside in 'old, red and dead' galaxies. These galaxies form stars at very low rates, have little cold gas and typically have a dominant stellar spheroid supported by random motions. In this talk, I will review the evolution of the old, red and dead early-type galaxy population, demonstrating that there is growth in this population between z~1 and the present day. I will show that this build-up affects even the most massive galaxies, although in that case the degree of growth in the population is substantially less certain. In both cases, I will argue that galaxy merging in the amount naturally predicted in a cosmological framework is a key (but by no means the only) driver of that evolution.
Colloquia are usually preceded by espresso and ice cream at 1:45 pm in the first floor lobby of the Astronomy Department and followed by an informal reception in room CSS 0254. Anyone interested in having lunch or talking with the speaker should contact the colloquium organizer given below. The hour immediately after lunch will normally be reserved for the speaker to talk to graduate students. Students are urged to contact the coordinator to arrange this.
Colloquium Organizer:
Prof. Richard Mushotzky
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS:
Special accommodations for individuals with disabilities can be made by calling (301) 405-3001. It would be appreciated if we are notified at least one week in advance.
