Halo merger trees are the essential backbone of semi-analytic models for galaxy formation and evolution. Srisawat et al. (2013) show that different tree building algorithms can build different halo merger histories from a numerical simulation for structure formation. In order to understand the differences induced by various tree building algorithms, we investigate the impact of halo merger trees on a semi-analytic model. We find that galaxy properties in our models show differences between trees when using a common parameter set. The models independently calibrated for each tree can reduce the discrepancies between global galaxy properties at z=0. Conversely, with regard to the evolutionary features of galaxies, the calibration slightly increases the differences between trees. Therefore, halo merger trees extracted from a common numerical simulation using different, but reliable, algorithms can result in different galaxy properties in the semi-analytic model. Considering the uncertainties in baryonic physics governing galaxy formation and evolution, however, these differences may not necessarily be significant.

How galaxies are affected by their neighboring galaxies during galaxy-galaxy interactions is a long- standing question. We investigate the role of neighbors in galaxy pairs based on the SDSS data release 7 and the KIAS value-added galaxy catalog. Three groups of galaxies are identified: (a) galaxies with an early-type neighbor, (b) with a late-type neighbor, and (c) isolated ones with no neighbor. We compare their UV + optical colors and Hα emission as indicators of the recent star-formation rate (SFR). Given that galaxies show systematic differences in SFR as functions of morphology, luminosity, and large-scale environments, we construct a control sample in which the galaxies have the same conditions (in terms of morphology, luminosity, and large-scale environment) except for the neighbor's properties (i.e., morphol- ogy, mass, and distance). The results are as follows. (1) Galaxies with a late-type companion demonstrate more enhanced SFR than those with an early-type companion. (2) Galaxies with an early-type neighbor show NUV- and u-band derived SFRs that are even lower than that of isolated galaxies, while they have similar or slightly higher Hα-based SFR compared to isolated ones.

It has been suggested that only the most luminous AGNs (L ≳ 1045 erg/s) are triggered by galaxy mergers, while less luminous AGNs (L ~ 1043 erg/s) are driven by other internal processes. The lack of merging features in low luminosity AGN host galaxies has been a primary argument against the idea of merger triggering of low luminosity AGNs. But a merger, especially a rather minor one, might still have played an important role in low luminosity AGNs, as minor merging features at low luminosities are more difficult to identify than major merging features. Using SNUCAM on the 1.5 m telescope at Maidanak observatory, we obtained deep optical images of NGC 7743, a barred spiral galaxy classified as a Seyfert 2 AGN with a low bolometric luminosity of 5 X 1042 erg/s. Surprisingly, we discovered a merging feature around the galaxy, which indicates past merging activity in the galaxy. This example indicates that the merging fraction of low luminosity AGNs may be much higher than previously thought, hinting at the importance of galaxy mergers even in low luminosity AGNs.

Galaxy clusters, the largest gravitationally bound systems, are an important subject of study to place constraints on cosmological models. Moreover, they are excellent places to test galaxy evolution models in connection to their environments. To date, massive clusters have been found unexpectedly (Kang & Im 2009; Gonzales et al. 2012) and the evolution of galaxies in clusters is still controversial (Elbaz et al. 2007; Faloon et al. 2013). Finding galaxy cluster candidates at z > 1 in a wide, deep imaging survey data will enable us to solve such issues of modern extragalactic astronomy. We report new candidate galaxy clusters in one of the wide and deep survey fields, the European Large Area ISO Survey North1 (ELAIS-N1) and North2 (ELAIS-N2) fields, covering a sky area of 8.75 deg2 and 4.85 deg2 each. We also suggest a new useful color selection technique to separate z > 1 galaxies from low - z galaxies by combining multi-wavelength data.

We present the results of the analysis of FLS 1718+59, a galaxy-galaxy gravitational lens system in the Spitzer First Look Survey (FLS) field. A background galaxy (zs = 0.245) is severely distorted by a nearby elliptical galaxy (zl = 0.08), via gravitational lensing. The system is analysed by several methods, including surface brightness fitting, gravitational lens modeling, and spectral energy distribution fitting. From Galfit and Ellipse we measure basic parameters of the galaxy, such as the effective radius and the average surface brightness within it. gravlens yields the total mass inside the Einstein radius (REin), and MAGPHYS gives us an estimate of the stellar mass inside REin. By comparing these parameters, we confirm that the lens galaxy is an elliptical galaxy on the Fundamental Plane and calculate the stellar mass fraction inside REin, and discuss the results with regards to the initial mass function.

Weak gravitational lensing is an ecient technique for detecting galaxy clusters and probing their mass distribution. We present a weak gravitational lensing analysis of a large sample of galaxy clusters. We have built a nearly complete sample of 50 optically rich clusters, located in the redshift range 0:1 < z < 0:6 and observed in the Canada France Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey (CFHT-LS). We used weak gravitational lensing to measure, for each galaxy cluster, the density radial prole, the total mass and the mass-to-light ratio (by comparing with the total luminosity of the member galaxies). This project is a preliminary step towards the next analysis of the weak lensing galaxy clusters in the surveys KiDS and VOICE, which are currently collecting data with the VLT Survey Telescope, in Chile.

We identify a strong lensing galaxy in the cluster IRC 0218 that is spectroscopically confirmed to be at z = 1:62, making it the highest-redshift strong lens galaxy known. The lens is one of the two brightest cluster galaxies and lenses a background source galaxy into an arc and a counterimage. With Hubble Space Telescope (HST) grism and Keck/LRIS spectroscopy, we measure the source redshift to be zS = 2:26. Using HST imaging, we model the lens mass distribution with an elliptical power-law prole and account for the effects of the cluster halo and nearby galaxies. The Einstein radius is θE = 0.38+0.02-0.01" (3.2+0.2 -0.1 kpc) and the total enclosed mass is Mtot(< θE) = 1.8+0.2 -0.1 X 1011 M⊙. We estimate that the cluster environment contributes ~ 10% of this total mass. Assuming a Chabrier IMF, the dark matter fraction within θE is fChab DM = 0.3+0.1 -0.3, while a Salpeter IMF is marginally inconsistent with the enclosed mass (fSalp DM = -0.3+0.2 -0.5).

The FastSound project is a galaxy redshift survey using Subaru/FMOS to detect Hα emitting galaxies at z ~ 1.3, for the purpose of probing the origin of the accelerated expansion of the universe. The survey has detected ~4,000 galaxy redshifts in a total area of 30 deg2, and detected the redshift space distortion at this redshift range for the first time. The redshift space distortion (RSD) signal will be used to derive a measurement of the growth rate of large scale structure, which will provide a test for modified gravity as a possible origin of accelerated cosmic explansion. Here we present an overview and the current status of the project.

We study galaxies drawn from the semi-analytic models of Guo et al. (2011) based on the Millennium Simulation. We establish a set of four observationally measurable parameters which can be used in combination to identify a subset of galaxy groups which are old, with a very high probability. We therefore argue that a sample of fossil groups selected based on the luminosity gap will result in a contaminated sample of old galaxy groups. By adding constraints on the luminosity of the brightest galaxy, and its offset from the group luminosity centroid, we can considerably improve the age-dating.

We have conducted a near-infrared monitoring campaign at the UK InfraRed Telescope (UKIRT), of the Local Group galaxy M33. The main aim was to identify stars in the very nal stage of their evolution, and for which the luminosity is more directly related to the birth mass than the more numerous less-evolved giant stars that continue to increase in luminosity. The pulsating giant stars (AGB and red supergiants) are identified and their distributions are used to derive the star formation rate as a function of age. These stars are also important dust factories; we measure their dust production rates from a combination of our data with Spitzer Space Telescope mid-IR photometry. The mass-loss rates are seen to increase with increasing strength of pulsation and with increasing bolometric luminosity. Low-mass stars lose most of their mass through stellar winds, but even super-AGB stars and red superginats lose ~40% of their mass via a dusty stellar wind. We construct a 2-D map of the mass-return rate, showing a radial decline but also local enhancements due to agglomerations of massive stars. By comparing the current star formation rate with total mass input to the ISM, we conclude that the star formation in the central regions of M33 can only be sustained if gas is accreted from further out in the disc or from circum-galactic regions.

We use multi-wavelength observations of galaxy groups to probe the formation models for galaxy for- mation in cosmological simulations, statistically. The observations include Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observations, optical photometry and radio observations at 1.4 GHz and 610 MHz. Using a large sample of galaxy groups observed by the XMM-Newton X-ray telescope as part of the XMM-Large Scale Survey, we carried out a statistical study of the redshift evolution of the luminosity gap for a well de- fined mass-selected group sample and show the relative success of some of the semi-analytic models in reproducing the observed properties of galaxy groups up to redshift z ~ 1.2. The observed trend argues in favour of a stronger evolution of the feedback from active galactic nuclei at z < 1 compared to the models. The slope of the relation between the magnitude of the brightest cluster galaxy and the value of the luminosity gap does not evolve with redshift and is well reproduced by the models. We find that the radio power of giant elliptic galaxies residing in galaxy groups with a large luminosity gap are lower compared to giant ellipticals of the same stellar masses but in typical galaxy groups.

In Kang (2015) we calculated the acceleration of cosmic-ray electrons at weak spherical shocks that are expected to form in the cluster outskirts, and estimated the diffuse synchrotron radiation emitted by those electrons. There we demonstrated that, at decelerating spherical shocks, the volume integrated spectra of both electrons and radiation deviate significantly from the test-particle power-laws predicted for constant planar shocks, because the shock compression ratio and the flux of inject electrons decrease in time. In this study, we consider spherical blast waves propagating through a constant density core surrounded by an isothermal halo with  ∝ r−n in order to explore how the deceleration of the shock affects the radio emission from accelerated electrons. The surface brightness profile and the volumeintegrated radio spectrum of the model shocks are calculated by assuming a ribbon-like shock surface on a spherical shell and the associated downstream region of relativistic electrons. If the postshock magnetic field strength is about 0.7 or 7 μG, at the shock age of ∼ 50 Myr, the volume-integrated radio spectrum steepens gradually with the spectral index from inj to inj + 0.5 over 0.1–10 GHz, where inj is the injection index at the shock position expected from the diffusive shock acceleration theory. Such gradual steepening could explain the curved radio spectrum of the radio relic in cluster A2266, which was interpreted as a broken power-law by Trasatti et al. (2015), if the relic shock is young enough so that the break frequency is around 1 GHz.