Kristin Coppin - A Dusty Universe: The Dark Side of Galaxy Formation
A Dusty Universe: The Dark Side of Galaxy Formation
We now know that at least half of the energy generation in the history of the Universe comes from dust-enshrouded massive star-formation in very distant galaxies - previously hidden activity to which even the deepest visible-light images were insensitive. These dusty star-forming galaxies are among the most intrinsically luminous systems discovered to date and glow brightly in the far-infrared and we can detect them easily at sub-millimeter wavelengths. These so-called "submillimeter galaxies" are forming stars at remarkable rates of ~100-1000x that of the Milky Way, and as such it has been speculated that they correspond to the formation phase of the most massive galaxies today. Building on the success of the first pioneering extragalactic submillimeter surveys, I will discuss how multi-wavelength pursuits of this elusive high-redshift galaxy population spanning Xray-to-radio wavelengths have helped to advance our understanding of their nature and physical properties. I will discuss the promise and synergy of CCAT & ALMA for taking us towards a complete census of dust-obscured activity in the Universe while simultaneously disentangling the complex astrophysics of these systems, including the triggers and processes governing star formation and central supermassive black hole growth.
Host: Martha Haynes
