AMIGA : Analysis of the interstellar Medium of Isolated GAlaxies

Secular evolution is thought to be a driving factor behind many aspects of galaxy morphology and structure. The challenge is to identifywhich propert

Secular evolution is thought to be a driving factor behind many aspects of galaxy morphology and structure. The challenge is to identifywhich properties are due to internal secular evolution and which are linked to formative evolution or external influences. Understanding internal mechanisms requires study of samples of isolated galaxies avoiding loose definitions like "the field", and comparison with matching samples of galaxies from well-defined denser environments. This is the aim of AMIGA project (Analysis of the interstellar Medium in Isolated GAlaxies). An earlier phase of the project involved refinement of the CIG in order to produce a vetted catalogue of ~1000 isolated galaxies with a multiwavelength characterization (public access to the data is provided by aVO compliant interface). The catalogue provides a statistically significant list of galaxies that have not interacted with a significant mass neighbour in the past ~3Gyr. The current phase of the project is namedAMIGA4GAS(AMIGA for GTC, ALMA, and SKA pathfinders, funded under AYA2011-30491-C02, co-funded by MICINN and FEDER funds) and builds on the results of AMIGA3 (AYA2008-06181). Our multiwavelength studies made clear that the role of nurture has been reduced beyond anything yet achieved. The galaxies in our catalog show different physical properties from even loose groups: e.g. level of optical asymmetry, clumpiness and concentration, LFIR (< 10.5 Lsun), radio-excess above the radio-FIR correlation (0%), rate of AGNs (22%), or HI asymmetry (< 20%) are minimized(e.g.Verdes-Montenegro et al. 2005;Sulentic et al. 2006;Verley et al. 2007abc;Lisenfeld et al. 2007;Sabater et al. 2008;Leon et al. 2008;Espada et al. 2011). Thethree major threads proposed in AMIGA4GASare: a) Testing the hypothesis that our sample is pseudobulge dominated, as a challenge to the hierarchical formation scenario b) Exploring the roles of gas accretion versus secular evolution in shaping the outer parts of galaxies and c) Studying feeding and feedback in the interstellar medium (ISM), in order to discriminate between different heating mechanisms and excitation conditions in two extreme environments: isolated galaxies and isolated dense groups. We also plan to go one step further with respect to our previoustechnical developments, designing and developpingVO-services-based astronomical workflows for analysis and kinematical modelling of astronomical 3D data. Thoseare not only needed to support the science use cases of this project, but will also provide the astronomicalcommunity with a transparent, federated access to deploy computations into the existing heterogeneouscomputational infrastructures. This project is a collaboration between astronomers atIAA(CSIC) and theFCSCL supercomputing centre. Activitieswill be carried out in close collaboration with the BSC, Portuguese Ibergrid initiative, LOFAR/TARGET in theNetherlands and PrepSKA activities.
 

Analysis of the interstellar Medium of Isolated GAlaxies

Secular evolution is thought to be a driving factor behind many aspects of galaxy morphology and structure. The challenge is to identify which properties are due to internal secular evolution and which are linked to formative evolution or external influences. Understanding internal mechanisms requires study of samples of isolated galaxies avoiding loose definitions like "the field", and comparison with matching samples of galaxies from well-defined denser environments. This is the aim of AMIGA project (Analysis of the interstellar Medium in Isolated GAlaxies).

An earlier phase of the project involved refinement of the CIG in order to produce a vetted catalogue of ~1000 isolated galaxies with a multiwavelength characterization (public access to the data is provided by a VO compliant interface). The catalogue provides a statistically significant list of galaxies that have not interacted with a significant mass neighbour in the past ~3Gyr. The current phase of the project is named AMIGA4GAS (AMIGA for GTC, ALMA, and SKA pathfinders, funded under AYA2011-30491-C02, co-funded by MICINN and FEDER funds) and builds on the results of AMIGA3 (AYA2008-06181).

Our multiwavelength studies made clear that the role of nurture has been reduced beyond anything yet achieved. The galaxies in our catalog show different physical properties from even loose groups: e.g. level of optical asymmetry, clumpiness and concentration, LFIR (< 10.5 Lsun), radio-excess above the radio-FIR correlation (0%), rate of AGNs (22%), or HI asymmetry (< 20%) are minimized (e.g. PDF File Verdes-Montenegro et al. 2005; PDF File Sulentic et al. 2006; Verley et al. 2007 PDF File a PDF File b PDF File c; PDF File Lisenfeld et al. 2007; PDF File Sabater et al. 2008; PDF File Leon et al. 2008; PDF File Espada et al. 2011).

The three major threads proposed in AMIGA4GAS are:

a) Testing the hypothesis that our sample is pseudobulge dominated, as a challenge to the hierarchical formation scenario
b) Exploring the roles of gas accretion versus secular evolution in shaping the outer parts of galaxies and
c) Studying feeding and feedback in the interstellar medium (ISM), in order to discriminate between different heating mechanisms
and excitation conditions in two extreme environments: isolated galaxies and isolated dense groups.

We also plan to go one step further with respect to our previous technical developments, designing and developping VO-services-based astronomical workflows for analysis and kinematical modelling of astronomical 3D data. Those are not only needed to support the science use cases of this project, but will also provide the astronomical community with a transparent, federated access to deploy computations into the existing heterogeneous computational infrastructures.

AMIGA4GAS: AMIGA for ALMA; GTC and SKA pathfinders

This project is a collaboration between astronomers at IAA (CSIC) and the FCSCL supercomputing centre. Activities will be carried out in close collaboration with the  BSC, Portuguese Ibergrid initiative, LOFAR/TARGET in the Netherlands and PrepSKA activities.