The Formation and Evolution of M33 as Revealed by Its Star Clusters (eBook)

This thesis represents the first wide-field photometric and spectroscopic survey of star clusters in the nearby late-spiral galaxy M33. This system is the nearest example of a dwarf spiral galaxy, which may have a unique role in the process of galaxy formation and evolution. The cold dark matter paradigm of galaxy formation envisions large spiral galaxies, such as the Milky Way, being formed from the merger and accretion of many smaller dwarf galaxies. The role that dwarf spiral galaxies play in this process is largely unclear. One of the goals of this thesis is to use the star cluster population of M33 to study its formation and evolution from its early stages to the present. The thesis presents a new comprehensive catalog of M33 star clusters, which includes magnitudes, colors, structural parameters, and several preliminary velocity measurements. Based on an analysis of these data, the thesis concludes that, among other things, the evolution of M33 has likely been influenced by its nearby massive neighbor M31.

Izaskun San Roman was born in Alsasua, Spain. After high school she moved to Tenerife, Canary Islands, where she received her B.S. in physics and astrophysics from the University of La Laguna. While at ULL, she met her husband. She then moved to Gainesville, Florida, to attend graduate school at the University of Florida, where she worked on stellar population on the Local Group with Professor Ata Sarajedini. After receiving her Ph.D., Izaskun moved to Universidad de Concepcion, Chile, to work with Drs. Doug Geisler and Sandro Villanova. She has not given up her passion for music and still dreams of becoming a professional harpist. In the meantime, she plays guitar. Her thesis was awarded Runner-up for the 2012 Rodger Doxsey Travel Prize with AAS.

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This thesis represents the first wide-field photometric and spectroscopic survey of star clusters in the nearby late-spiral galaxy M33. This system is the nearest example of a dwarf spiral galaxy, which may have a unique role in the process of galaxy formation and evolution. The cold dark matter paradigm of galaxy formation envisions large spiral galaxies, such as the Milky Way, being formed from the merger and accretion of many smaller dwarf galaxies. The role that dwarf spiral galaxies play in this process is largely unclear. One of the goals of this thesis is to use the star cluster population of M33 to study its formation and evolution from its early stages to the present. The thesis presents a new comprehensive catalog of M33 star clusters, which includes magnitudes, colors, structural parameters, and several preliminary velocity measurements. Based on an analysis of these data, the thesis concludes that, among other things, the evolution of M33 has likely been influenced by its nearby massive neighbor M31.