High Spatial Resolution 2D Nebular Abundances in Disk Galaxies

Galaxies evolve through the changes that face their various components such as the gas, dust, stars, and dark matter. Gas and dust are prime ingredients for the formation of new stars, and thereafter the massive stars newly formed will quickly modify the chemical composition of galaxies whereas low mass stars will take more time to contribute to the interstellar gas enrichment. Beside the stars, other processes occurring during the galaxies's assembly affect the gas abundances distribution : accretion, interactions, and mergers. The spatial distribution of the gas abundances is therefore an important clue to improve our understanding of how galaxies form and evolve. By the light of their numerous star-forming regions, nearby spiral galaxies are ideal environments for the detailed observation of nebular abundances. For that reason, my project has focused on seven neighboring spiral galaxies with various morphologies (Sb to Sd, barred and non-barred). Using SpIOMM, a prototype Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrograph (IFTS) for the visible, we performed a high resolution analysis of the ionized gas content. The results obtained are a preview of the large capacity of SITELLE, the new Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope's IFTS, for the study of the ionized gas. Some results from SITELLE's first lights will also be presented.

Fecha: 
12/11/2015 - 13:30
Conferenciante: 
Laurie Rousseau-Nepton
Filiación: 
Universite de Laval, Quebec, Canada


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