Glenn Kacprzak
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| NMSU Graduate Research Fellow |
| Entered: | 2003 |
| Office: | 101 Astronomy |
| Phone: | (575)646-4438 |
| Fax: | (575)646-1602 |
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| E-mail: | glennk |
| (append "@nmsu.edu") |
| |
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| M.S. | Saint Marys University (Nova Scotia), | 2005 |
| B.S. | Queens University, | 2001 |
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Research:
My Ph.D thesis, under the guidance of Dr. Chris Churchill, involved
using bright light from very distant quasars (QSOs) to probe the
gigantic gas halos surrounding foreground galaxies. The QSOs, acting
as a flashlight, shine through these halos, where the gas interacts
with the light. Virtually all types of galaxies are observed to
prominently absorb the Mg II 2796, 2803 doublet. By studying the
absorption signatures of the gas, we can study halo kinematics,
dynamics, chemical content, ionization conditions and cosmic evolution
back to half the current age of the universe. So what is happening in
those distant galaxies? One simple yet important unresolved question
is; are the stellar kinematics coupled to the halo gas kinematics?
Determining whether they are dynamically coupled or disjointed would
allow us to learn whether halos are static remnants of formation or
are constantly changing. Changes could either be due to accretion of
the intergalactic medium or due to reprocessing of interstellar gas.
A previous project that is now complete and was part of my MS thesis
from Saint Mary's University under the guidance of Dr. Gary Welch. An
interesting and long-standing puzzle is: why do many early-type
galaxies apparently have so little gas and are they undergoing
significant star formation? My work involved the study of the
interstellar gas and dust of NGC 5866 taken with the JCMT. The galaxy
is relatively isolated, and neither the kinematics nor morphology of
the gas suggests that a merger has taken place. NGC 5866 may be
entering an era of star formation fueled with gas donated by its aging
stellar population. Are we seeing a counter example of the popular
view that galaxies evolve through mergers?
My research is supported by a NMSU Graduate Research Enhancement Grant
(GREG).
Additional information to the below can be obtained on my personal
homepage.
Home Page
Glenn's CV (Postscript or PDF)
Publications:
Selected Publications ...
Halo Gas and Galaxy Disk Kinematics Derived from Observations and LambdaCDM Simulations of MgII Absorption Selected Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift
Kacprzak, G.G., Churchill, C.W., Ceverino, D., Steidel, C.C., Klypin, A., & Murphy, M.T. 2008, ApJ, submitted.
Halo Gas Cross Sections And Covering Fractions of MgII Absorption Selected Galaxies
Kacprzak, G.G., Churchill, C.W., Steidel, C.C., & Murphy, M.T. 2008, AJ, 135, 922
A Correlation Between Galaxy Morphology and MgII Halo Absorption Strength
Kacprzak, G.G., Churchill, C.W., Steidel, C.C., Murphy, M.T. & Evans, J.L. 2007 ApJ, 662, 909
On the Heterogeneity of Metal-Line and Ly-Alpha Absorption in Galaxy "Halos" at z ~ 0.7
Churchill, C.W., Kacprzak, G.G., Steidel, C.C., & Evans, J.L. 2007 ApJ, 661, 714
Models of
Five Absorption Line Systems Along the Line of Sight Toward PG0117+213
Masiero, J.R., Charlton, J.C., Ding, J.,
Churchill, C.W., & Kacprzak, G.G. 2005 ApJ, 623, 57
Conferences:
Selected Conferences ...
May 2008, Socorro, NM
Cosmic Web: Galaxies and the Large-Scale Structure
Title: Extended Halo Gas and Galaxy Kinematics at Intermediate Redshift
Apr. 2008, UC Irvine
4th UC Irvine Center for Cosmology Workshop:
Galaxy Formation and Evolution as Revealed by Cosmic Gas
Title: Extended Halo Gas and Galaxy Kinematics in The LCDM Paradigm
Oct. 2007, Rome,Italy
Formation & Evolution of Galaxy Disks
Title: Connecting Galaxy Disk & Extended Halo Gas Kinematics
Sept. 2007, Garching, Germany
Gas Accretion & Star Formation in Galaxies
Title: A Comparative Analysis Between Galaxy Disk & Extended Halo Gas Kinematics
Mar. 2005, Shanghai, China
IAU Colloquium 199: Probing Galaxies Through QSO Absorption Lines
Title: Galaxy-Halo Gas Kinematic Connection 0.3 < z < 1
Aug. 2004, Crete, Greece
The Environments of Galaxies:
from Kiloparsecs to Megaparsecs
Title:
Galaxy-Halo Gas Kinematic Connection 0.3 < z < 1
Future Work:
I successfully defended my PhD Thesis, The Morphological, Kinematic, and Halo Gas Properties of MgII
Absorption Selected Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift, on July 15, 2008. I have accepted
a postdoctoral position with Dr. Michael Murphy at Swinburne University in Australia, where
I will continue to explore questions concerning the growth of galaxies and of structure in
the early Universe.
Lab Presentations (PPT)
