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The intriguing properties of local compact massive galaxies: What are they?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 July 2013

A. Ferré-Mateu
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, SPAIN email: [email protected] Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, SPAIN
A. Vazdekis
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, SPAIN email: [email protected] Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, SPAIN
I. Trujillo
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, SPAIN email: [email protected] Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, SPAIN
P. Sánchez-Blázquez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Física Teórica, Univ. Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, SPAIN
E. Ricciardelli
Affiliation:
Departament d'Astronomia i Astrofísica, Universitat de València, SPAIN
I. G. de la Rosa
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, SPAIN email: [email protected] Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, SPAIN
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Abstract

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Studying the properties of the few compact massive galaxies that exist in the local Universe (Trujillo et al. 2009) might provide a closer look to the nature of their high redshift (z ≥ 1.0) massive counterparts. By this means we have characterized their main kinematics, structural properties, stellar populations and star formation histories with a set of new high quality spectroscopic and imaging data (Ferré-Mateu et al. 2012 and Trujillo et al. 2012). These galaxies seem to be truly unique, as they do not follow the characteristic kinematics, stellar surface mass density profiles and stellar population patterns of present-day massive ellipticals or spirals of similar mass. They are, instead, more alike their high-z analogs.

Summarizing, local compact massive galaxies are rare, unique and the perfect laboratory to study their high redshift counterparts.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2013 

References

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