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OATS-DAUT SEMINAR
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Speaker: Samuel Boissier (Marseille Observatory)

Title: Backward Evolutionary models: Stellar Mass and Velocity Functions of Galaxies
Date: Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
Time: 15:00
Venue: Villa Bazzoni

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Abstract: In recent years, stellar mass functions of both star-forming and quiescent galaxies have been observed at different redshifts. In addition, star formation rates (SFR) and their distributions were also obtained. Taken together, they offer complementary pieces of information concerning the evolution of galaxies. Simple ''backward'' models of the chemical evolution of galaxies (calibrated in the local universe) can predict the redshift evolution of the stellar mass and the SFR. I will show that using such models, and combining them with the observed absence of evolution of the stellar mass function of star-forming galaxies allows us to predict the evolution of a number of quantities, such as the SFR function, the cosmic SFR density, quenching rates and the velocity function. Because the velocity is a model parameter attached to a galaxy during its history (contrary to the stellar mass), this approach allows us to quantify the number density evolution of galaxies of a given velocity, e.g. of the Milky Way siblings.
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contact: Francesca Matteucci (DAUT)