Study of HST images of galactic nuclei in the local universe

• Grant number: 14/20918-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2014
• End date: November 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Extragalactic Astrophysics
• Principal Investigator: João Evangelista Steiner
• Grantee: Fernanda Hüller Nascimento
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The nuclei are special regions of galaxies for many reasons. That is where the supermassive black holes, present in most massive galaxies, are located. These objects, while accreting gas, become luminous and, in this phase, are called Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). This region also hosts stellar populations that may reveal important information about the galaxy formation and evolution. The present project aims to study galaxies observed with the HST Space Telescope and that are part of the DIVING3D - Deep IFS View of Nuclei of Galaxies Project (a complete sample of 170 galaxies studied with the Gemini telescopes). We will collect all images obtained with the HST in broad (B,V, R, I) and narrow (as H±+[NII]) bands, available in public data bases, for the galaxies in the sample. A comparison with the data obtained with the Gemini telescopes will allow a more detailed study of the Active Nuclei as well as of the ionization cones and circumnuclear discs. The main goals of this project are: characterize the line emission properties of galactic nuclei; characterize their circumnuclear emission; study the stellar kinematics and study the stellar archeology.