April 15, 1999 Pratt Conference Room, 12:30 pm
Dwarf Galaxies: Key Players in Galaxy Evolution
Dr. Rafael Guzman, Yale
Abstract
Luminous blue compact dwarfs (LBCDs) at z < 1.5 are low-mass
starburst galaxies similar to the most luminous HII galaxies in the
local universe. Recently, various studies have highlighted the key
role that LBCDs play in galaxy evolution. For instance: i) LBCDs have
evolved more than any other galaxy class in the last 8 Gyrs; ii)
LBCDs are a major contributor to the observed enhancement of the star
formation rate density of the universe at z < 1.5; iii) LBCDs may be
lower-luminosity counterparts of the recently discovered star-forming
galaxies at z ~3; and iv) some LBCDs at z < 1.5 are optimum
candidates to be proto-spheroidal galaxies.