Spuren von Verschmelzung und Gasabflüsse in X-förmigen Radiogalaxien

• Antragstellerin: Dr. Mar Mezcua Pallerola
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Astrophysik und Astronomie
• Förderung: Förderung in 2012
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 222150530

One of the major challenges that astronomy faces today is the understanding of how galaxies form and grow. This proposal is aimed at broadening our current knowledge on galaxy evolution by studying a peculiar type of galaxies called “X-shaped radio galaxies”. The importance of these galaxies comes from their currently debated nature as being related to galaxy mergers. The occurrence of a galactic merger can be best traced by studying the distribution and kinematics of the neutral hydrogen gas within galaxies. However, no studies of gas kinematics in X-shaped radio galaxies have been done so far. We requested observing time with the Australian Telescope Compact Array (ATCA, Australia) to study the hydrogen gas of a sample of X-shaped radio galaxies, and we were granted an observing run in February 2012. These observations will allow us to reveal the occurrence of a merger in these galaxies and yield strong constraints to the existing models for galaxy formation and evolution. My presence for the observations and analysis of the data are mandatory to guarantee the control on the data production and the publication of the results obtained. The purposes of this proposal are the acquisition and analysis of the aforementioned astronomical data with ATCA, the preparation of the publication of the results obtained in scientific journals, the scientific exchange with colleagues in order to establish stronger links between German and Australian scientists, and a talk delivery for career consolidation in the Australian Telescope National Facility (Sydney), the University of Sydney, and the Mount Stromlo Observatory (Canberra).

• DFG-Verfahren: Sachbeihilfen