Physics Program Presents
Galaxy Transformation in the Virgo Cluster
Friday, May 8, 2015
Hegeman 107
Hugh L. Crowl, Bennington College
Galaxies are large, self-gravitating collections of dark matter, gas, dust, and billions of stars. They are largely "islands," spending much of their time in relative isolation. When galaxies do interact with one another, they can be spectacularly transformed. In our galactic neighborhood, galaxies are fairly sparse and transformations are typically modest. However, in some special parts of the universe, galaxies are clustered much more closely. It is in these cluster environments where we can observe the evolution of galaxies most directly. The Virgo Cluster, being the nearest sizable cluster of galaxies to us, provides an ideal laboratory to study the effect of environment on galaxies. I will present results from several studies of galaxies in the Virgo cluster, showing both the immediate and long-term effect of environment on galaxy populations.
For more information, call 845-758-7302, or e-mail [email protected].
Location: Hegeman 107