Benedetta Vulcani
Research interest:
GALAXY FORMATION AND EVOLUTION
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Role of galaxy mass, redshift and environment in galaxy evolution
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Star formation rate in different environments
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Groups and Clusters of galaxies
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Dynamics of central galaxies in groups and clusters
Research description:
My major research interest is to understand the most important factors that drive galaxy evolution through cosmic time, trying to disentangle and quantify the importance of galaxy mass, redshift and environment. My research is based on a combination of integrated and/or spatially resolved spectroscopy and photometric data.
I have been focusing on characterizing the history of stellar evolution and structure development of galaxies in different environments, by tracing the star formation rate, morphology and total stellar mass of galaxies at different redshifts. I am particularly interested in understanding how the galaxy stellar mass distribution can be affected by the environment in which galaxies reside, contrasting the role of the global and local environments.
To shed light on the physical processes that affect the mass distribution and other galaxy properties, I also make use of mock catalogs extracted from semi analytic models.
I am also interested in characterizing the group environment, especially as link between clusters and the field. A detailed analysis of the dependence of galaxy properties on redshift, groupcentric distance and group richness allows to understand the physical processes responsible for the galaxy transformations and the group history assembly. Making use of spatially resolved data, I also investigate which are the typical patterns left on the gas and stellar distribution by the different physical mechanisms affecting galaxies in the different environments.
The analysis of central group galaxies (BCGs) may also shed light on the assembly of galaxy groups. Characterizing their dynamical properties and their impact on the properties of their satellite might give us information on the timescales of their assembly, the age of assembly of the group or the amount of gas in the group, which may also correlate with group halo assembly history.
Main Projects:
The WIde-field Nearby Galaxy-cluster Survey is an all-sky (|b|>20) survey of a complete, X-ray selected sample of galaxy clusters in the redshift range 0.04-0.07. The goal of the WINGS project is the systematic study of the local cosmic variance of the cluster population and of the properties of cluster galaxies as a function of cluster properties and local environment. OmegaWINGS extends the study of galaxy properties to the cluster infalling regions (up to 2.5 virial radii). The main scientific aims are the study of galaxy morphologies, structural parameters, galaxy masses, integrated colors and galaxy color gradients out to large clustercentric distances, probing the cluster outskirts and surrounding groups and filaments.
GASP:
GASP (GAs Stripping Phenomena in galaxies with MUSE) is an integral-field spectroscopic survey with MUSE at the VLT aiming at a detailed investigation of gas removal processes in galaxies. The goal of this project is to significantly improve our understanding of gas removal processes from galaxies in different environments. It collects data for a statistically significant sample of stripped candidates selected from the cluster samples WINGS (Fasano et al. 2006, Moretti et al. 2014) and OmegaWINGS (Gullieuszik et al. 2015, Moretti et al. 2017) and the general field sample PM2GC (Calvi et al. 2011), with a range of galaxy masses and different degrees of optical evidence for gas stripping, in the different environments. The 2-D maps of stellar and gas kinematics, together with the resolved stellar population properties obtained with MUSE will permit to understand the physics of the gas stripping and the consequent quenching of the star formation. A number of follow-ups at different wavelengths is currently ongoing.
The Gemini Observations of Galaxies in Rich Early ENvironments (GOGREEN) Survey is built on multi-object spectroscopy of 21 galaxy clusters in the redshift range 1<z<1.5, representing the Universe when it was only a third of its present age. The targets are selected to span a wide range of masses, representing the range of building blocks from which today’s clusters were built. The sample of spectroscopically confirmed members will reach unprecedented stellar masses at this redshift, providing the first look at environmental effects on galaxy evolution at a time when galaxies were growing in a fundamentally different way from today. Our methodology takes full advantage of the new Hamamatsu detectors, which make Gemini’s GMOS spectrographs the best in the world for studying distant galaxy clusters.
The Galaxy Lens-Amplified Survey from Space is a cycle-21 large program with the Hubble Space Telescope, targeting 10 massive clusters, using the WFC3 and ACS grisms. Using the clusters as cosmic telescopes, GLASS is taking spectra of faint background galaxies with unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution. GLASS has three primary science drivers: 1) To shed light on the role of galaxies in reionizing the universe, the topology of high redshift intergalactic/interstellar medium, and on the Lyman alpha escape fraction. 2) To study gas accretion, star formation and outflows by mapping spatially resolved star formation and metallicity gradients in galaxies at z=1.3-2.3. 3) To study the environmental dependence of galaxy evolution, by mapping spatially resolved star formation in galaxies in the cluster cores and infalling regions. As GLASS follow-up, GLASS-ERS is a JWST program focused on two main science areas: understanding the Reionization of the universe less than 1 billion years after the Big Bang, and understanding how gas and heavy elements are distributed within and around galaxies over time.
Virgo Filaments:
The Virgo Filament project aims at characterising the large scale structures around the Virgo cluster, focusing on the most prominent filaments. The intent is to probe the gas content and distribution and investigate the role of the cosmic web in quenching the star formation galaxies. The survey is supported by a wealth of ancillary data enabling the precise measurement of the galaxy sizes, morphologies, stellar masses and star formation rates (SFR) from GALEX UV photometry, SDSS ugriz imaging, optical spectroscopy, and infrared (WISE and/or IRAS) fluxes. A major stride of our approach is to link the galaxy stellar properties from the UV to the far-IR to the galaxy gas content.
The MICADO Collaboration is developing the Multi-AO Imaging Camera for Deep Observations (MICADO), one of the first-light instruments for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The MICADO camera will provide the future largest telescope of the world, and will be equipped with both imaging and spectroscopic capabilities. It will observe from I to K band (0.8-2.4 micron). It will benefit of the aberration correction provided by state of the art Single Conjugate Adaptive Optics (SCAO) and Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO) systems. Adaptive Optics (AO) will provide the real-time correction of the optical turbulence and telescope residual aberrations. The current schedule foresees the instrument completed and mounted on the ELT in 2027 and fully commissioned by 2029.
Understanding the Evolution and Transitioning of Distant Proto-Clusters into Clusters:
We have assembled a Team of scientists with highly complementary expertise in clusters and protoclusters and with diverse research specialisations (observations and simulations, integrated and spatially resolved data, different wavelengths and focusing on different cosmic epochs) to tackle questions that cannot be addressed in isolation and combine efforts towards understanding cosmic cluster evolution. This team has access to complementary datasets and simulations that are ideally suited for evolutionary studies. The immediate goals of the proposed research include: 1) Investigate the nature of the galaxies within (proto)clusters, 2) Characterize the role of protoclusters in the evolution of galaxies destined to live in low-z clusters, 3) Determine the fuel of SF in high-z (proto)cluster and field galaxies, 4) Quantify the relative importance of different physical processes in quenching galaxies in different environments.