GECKOS: Turning galaxy evolution on its side with deep observations of edge-on galaxies

TL;DR

GECKOS is a large ESO VLT/MUSE program that studies 35 nearby edge-on galaxies to understand galaxy formation and evolution by analyzing their chemodynamical properties and outflows, connecting Galactic Archaeology with extragalactic observations.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive integral field spectroscopic survey of edge-on galaxies to link detailed Milky Way studies with broader galaxy evolution processes.

Findings

Spatially resolved stellar and gas properties obtained

Insights into galaxy assembly and outflow mechanisms

Extended analysis methods from Galactic to extragalactic scales

Abstract

We present GECKOS (Generalising Edge-on galaxies and their Chemical bimodalities, Kinematics, and Outflows out to Solar environments), a new ESO VLT/MUSE large program. The main aim of GECKOS is to reveal the variation in key physical processes of disk formation by connecting Galactic Archaeology with integral field spectroscopic observations of nearby galaxies. Edge-on galaxies are ideal for this task: they allow us to disentangle the assembly history imprinted in thick disks and provide the greatest insights into outflows. The GECKOS sample of 35 nearby edge-on disk galaxies is designed to trace the assembly histories and properties of galaxies across a large range of star formation rates, bulge-to-total ratios, and boxy and non-boxy bulges. GECKOS will deliver spatially resolved measurements of stellar abundances, ages, and kinematics, as well as ionised gas metallicities, ionisation parameters, pressure, and inflow and outflow kinematics; all key parameters for building a complete chemodynamical picture of disk galaxies. With these data, we aim to extend Galactic analysis methods to the wider galaxy population, reaping the benefits of detailed Milky Way studies, while probing the diverse mechanisms of galaxy evolution.