Lourdes Verdes-Montenegro (Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia)

The Legacy of AMIGA for environmental studies of galaxies - Lourdes Verdes-Montenegro Colloquium

ATNF Marsfield Lecture Theatre

Abstract

A major and long-lasting debate in astronomy involves the relative roles of ``nature'' and ``nurture'' in galaxy formation and evolution. It is now well known that certain types of galaxy activity are strongly affected, or even driven, by the influence of nearby galaxies (``nurture''). What is lacking is a well defined sample of isolated galaxies where the effects of ``nurture'' are minimized, to serve as baseline for assessing the frequency and amplitude of these external influences. I will present MIGA project (Analysis of the interstellar Medium of Isolated GAlaxies), an international collaboration involving vetting and analyzing the Catalogue of Isolated Galaxies (N = 1050 galaxies, CIG. A refinement of the sample has been performed including: 1) revision of optical positions, 2) analysis of optical properties, 3) revised optical morphologies and 4) reevaluation of the isolation degree. We have then performed a multiwavelength characterization including optical, FIR, radio-continuum, Ha emission, CO, HI and nuclear activity data. The data are being released and periodically updated at http://www.iaa.es/AMIGA.html where a Virtual
Observatory interface has been implemented. We find that our AMIGA sample is both the most isolated one in the literature and the most quiescent one, with the lowest values of FIR luminosity, radio continuum power and level of nuclear activity, both at optical and radio continuum wavelenghts relative to any other existing sample.