The Environmental Impact of Galaxy Evolution

TL;DR

This paper investigates how galaxy evolution influences the surrounding environment, especially the intergalactic medium, using X-ray observations of galaxy groups to understand feedback processes and galaxy activity history.

Contribution

It presents initial results from high-quality X-ray data of nearby galaxy groups, offering insights into galactic feedback and evolution not previously detailed.

Findings

X-ray observations reveal the thermodynamic and chemical state of intergalactic gas.

Feedback from AGN and star formation significantly impacts the properties of galaxy groups.

The study provides new constraints on the history of galaxy activity in groups.

Abstract

Galaxy evolution reveals itself not only through the evolving properties of galaxies themselves but also through its impact on the surrounding environment. The intergalactic medium in particular holds a fossil record of past galaxy activity, imprinted on its thermodynamic and chemical properties. This is most easily discerned in small galaxy groups, where the gravitational heating of this gas renders it observable by X-ray telescopes while still leaving its properties highly susceptible to the effects of galactic feedback. X-ray observations of the hot gas in groups can therefore provide a view of galactic feedback history that can complement dedicated studies of AGN and star formation activity at low and high redshift. Based on high-quality X-ray data of a sample of nearby groups, we present initial results of such a study and discuss some implications for the AGN and star formation histories of the group members.