GALEX-GAMA

GALEX Galaxy And Mass Assembly

GALEX-GAMA is a survey done with NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) of a 108 square degrees covered by the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey (GAMA). GAMA is a multiwavelength (ugrizYJHK FIR/submm) imaging, spectroscopic (370-880nm and 21cm HI) survey of the nearby galaxy population (125k galaxies out to z~0.25), covering 144 sq. deg. of the equatorial sky using the 3.9m Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT). Dedicated observations of the fields are underway or guaranteed with AAT (66 nights), UKIRT (30 nights), VST (60 nights), VISTA (45 nights), Herschel (200 hours) and the Australian Square Kiliometre Array Pathfinder ASKAP (equivalent one year observing time). The spectroscopic depth of GAMA is well matched to the imaging depth of GALEX in MIS mode for normal spiral galaxies, providing an optimum basis for the study of a deep volume-limited sample of the local population of spiral and dwarf galaxies in the UV to test the CDM paradigm. In particular, the very high redshift density (12 x that of the SDSS) is ideal to probe structure traced by UV-emitting galaxies on the sub Mpc scales on which dark matter halos virialize and merge, and baryons decouple, collapse and eventually start forming stars detectable in UV light by GALEX in, and around the periphery of, the complex visible structures that are galaxies. In particular, we will be in a position to compare and contrast the UV LF of field galaxies with the LF of galaxies in clusters and groups as a function of the depth of the gravitational potential in the parent dark matter halos, as probed by the dispersion of galaxian velocities in the groups and clusters. This will constrain the efficiency of conversion of baryons into stars as a function of halo mass.

Team


Ivan Baldry		Liverpool John Moores University
Steven Bamford		University of Nottingham
Simon Driver		University of St. Andrews
Loretta Dunne		University of Nottingham
Steve Eales		Cardiff University
Brad Gibson		University of Central Lancashire
Andrew Hopkins		Anglo-Australian Observatory
Jochen Liske		ESO
Jon Loveday		University of Sussex
Barry Madore		Carnegie Institution of Washington
Peder Norberg		University of Edinburgh
John Peacock		University of Edinburgh
Cristina C. Popescu	PI	University of Central Lancashire
Mark Seibert		Carnegie Institution of Washington
Richard J. Tuffs	PI	MPIK
Dinuka Wijesinghe		University of Sydney