Connecting Gas Dynamics and Star Formation Histories in Nearby Galaxies: The VLA-ANGST Survey

TL;DR

This study combines high-resolution HST star formation histories with VLA neutral hydrogen observations in nearby galaxies to explore galaxy evolution processes like star formation triggers and interstellar medium dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach by integrating detailed star formation histories with HI data to better understand galaxy evolution.

Findings

Enhanced understanding of star formation triggers.

Insights into feedback mechanisms from massive stars.

Detailed mapping of interstellar medium structure.

Abstract

In recent years, HST revolutionized the field of star formation in nearby galaxies. Due to its high angular resolution it has now become possible to construct star formation histories of individual stellar populations on scales of a few arcseconds spanning a range of up to ~600 Myr. This method will be applied to the ANGST galaxies, a large HST volume limited survey to map galaxies up to distances of 3.5-4.0 Mpc (excluding the Local Group). The ANGST sample is currently followed--up by high, ~6'' resolution VLA observations of neutral, atomic hydrogen (HI) in the context of VLA-ANGST, an approved Large VLA Project. The VLA resolution is well matched to that of the spatially resolved star formation history maps. The combination of ANGST and VLA-ANGST data will provide a new, promising approach to study essential fields of galaxy evolution such as the triggering of star formation, the feedback of massive stars into the interstellar medium, and the structure and dynamics of the interstellar medium.