Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Jun 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010aspc..423..303m&link_type=abstract
Galaxy Wars: Stellar Populations and Star Formation in Interacting Galaxies ASP Conference Series Vol. 423, proceedings of a con
Mathematics
Logic
Scientific paper
Billions of years of star formation and mass assembly have produced red and blue galaxy populations with unique characteristics. Major mergers between galaxies of comparable mass are dramatic examples of hierarchical structure formation, a key tenet of the standard cosmological model. These gravitational interactions play an important role in modern theories of galaxy evolution, and are a leading explanation for a growing population of old, non-star-forming, spheroid galaxies. Despite recent progress in our understanding of major mergers both observationally and theoretically, we lack a complete picture of the overall role that this dynamic evolutionary process has played in producing the bimodal galaxy population. In particular, we remain unclear regarding what portion of the spheroid and elliptical galaxy population originated from major mergers. With the advent of modern surveys of local and distant galaxies, better merger statistics will help constrain this important aspect of galaxy evolution soon, and address other unknowns like the environmental dependencies of mergers. I will review the status of constraints on important merger demographics such as mass, environment and progenitor makeup.
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