***********************************************************
JOINT DAUT-ICTP-OATS-SISSA COLLOQUIUM
***********************************************************
Speaker:
Andrea Cimatti (Arcetri Astronomical Observatory, Firenze)
Title:
From progenitors to fossils: the cosmic history of massive galaxies
***********************************************************
Abstract:
Despite the recent extraordinary progress in observational cosmology and the successful convergence on a single cosmological model, how and when galaxies formed and evolved is still rather unclear. I will briefly review the main open questions and show how massive spheroidal galaxies can be used as cosmological probes to trace the history of galaxy and structure formation. Then, I will present how the most recent results of deep observations with the modern ground- and space-based optical/near-infrared/mid-infrared facilities are unveiling substantial populations of massive galaxies up to z~2 and beyond. Finally, I will discuss how this new high-redshift picture compares with the properties of the present-day massive spheroids, and how these results can be used to better constrain the models of galaxy formation based on hierarchical merging.
***********************************************************