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The Influence of Environment on Galaxy Evolution

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Planets, Stars and Stellar Systems

Abstract

Galaxy evolution is influenced by environment. The properties in terms of morphology, color, gas content, and star formation of galaxies residing in the field, groups, or clusters are markedly different. Environmental effects include gravitational interactions with other galaxies or the cluster potential and hydrodynamical effects as ram pressure stripping. An overview of the theoretical and observational aspects of galaxy evolution in different environments is given. Spherical, disk, and dwarf galaxies are discussed separately. Different simulation techniques for the modeling of environmental effects on the ISM are presented and compared. Environmental interactions leave imprints on the atomic and molecular hydrogen, dust, cosmic ray gas, and large-scale magnetic fields. They also modify the star formation of a galaxy that enters an environment of higher density. A global picture of galaxy evolution in different environments is drawn by combining integrated and resolved observations at multiple wavelengths. Special attention is given to multiwavelength interaction diagnostics of individual cluster galaxies. This leads to a more detailed understanding where and how different interactions occur. We are now at the point where we can study the reaction (phase change, star formation) of the multiphase ISM (molecular, atomic, ionized) to environmental interactions.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The strength parameter for a galaxy–galaxy collision has been defined by Gerber and Lamb (1994) as S = 2GM ∕ (bv rel v rot), where v rel is the relative velocity between the two galaxies and v rot is the rotation velocity of the primary galaxy.

  2. 2.

    Galaxy groups have sizes of ∼ 1 Mpc. The typical size of compact groups is about half this value.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank A. Boselli and J. Köppen for their careful reading of the manuscript and useful remarks and discussions

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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Vollmer, B. (2013). The Influence of Environment on Galaxy Evolution. In: Oswalt, T.D., Keel, W.C. (eds) Planets, Stars and Stellar Systems. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5609-0_5

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