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I present an investigation into the X-ray properties of galaxy clusters, consisting of a principal component analysis of ROSAT data and studies of three clusters observed with the XMM-Newton satellite. The principal component analysis provides an investigation into similarities between cluster surface brightness profiles. Initial results for 42 clusters are presented and compared to existing models. The cluster profiles are reproduced to good accuracy using three principal components. Correlation of the principal components to physical properties is investigated but the results are inconclusive. Observations of Abell 1413, Abell 665 and Abell 2163 made with XMM-Newton were investigated spectrally and spatially to determine cluster properties. Global temperatures were found to be 7.08 +/- 0.140.13 keV for Abell 665 and 11.98 +/- 1.2 keV for Abell 2163. The temperature and abundance profiles of the clusters are very different, with some differences attributed to the recent merging of subclusters in Abell 665 and Abell 2163. Spatial analysis of the cluster surface brightness profiles is undertaken with beta and NFW models. The profiles produced for the three clusters are used to estimate the variation of gas, gravitational and iron mass with radius. These are used to draw general conclusions, such supernovae numbers (NSNII 109--11). The cosmological density and matter density parameters are found; &OHgr;0 = 0.22 -- 0.33 +/- 0.1 and &OHgr; m ? 0.12+/-0.060.04. This suggests a low density universe, but is subject to uncertainty due to extrapolation to larger radii.

The evolution of galaxy populations is dependent upon the environment in which they are located, from low mass galaxy groups to rich galaxy clusters. However, what remains unclear is which physical process(es) dominate this evolution. We investigate this using uniform CFHT Megacam photometry for X-ray selected galaxy clusters from the X-Ray Multi-Mirror (XMM) Large Scale Structure (LSS) survey and the Canadian Cluster Comparison Project (CCCP). These clusters possess X-ray temperatures of 1<kT(keV)<12 and occupy a redshift interval 0.15<z<0.41 to minimise any redshift dependent photometric effects. We investigate the colour bimodality of cluster galaxy populations and compute blue fractions, identifying a trend of increasing blue fraction versus redshift. We also identify an environmental dependence of cluster blue fraction with cool clusters displaying higher values than hotter clusters. Using the local galaxy density parameter, ∑5, we find a greater variation in blue fraction as a function of ∑5 in low mass groups compared to high mass clusters, but all samples show a decrease in blue fraction with increasing local galaxy density, consistent with galaxy-galaxy interactions. Global cluster environment is also playing a role, at similar local galaxy densities, there is a greater decrease in blue fraction as cluster temperature increases. Through simple modelling, we find that our mid and hot samples have had large enough halo masses for sufficient lengths of time for environmental mechanisms to act and observe that the value of fB does not depend strongly on the current state of the X-ray gas. Our dwarf-to-giant ratios add further support to an emerging picture of galaxy-cluster and galaxy-galaxy interactions where we find that the dwarf population is produced via ram-pressure stripping and passive reddening before conversion into giants via the effects of merging. Using the GIM2D modelling package to determine morphological parameters, we observe an increase in the fraction of bulge-dominated galaxies with increasing local galaxy density, however, the morphological mix responds less strongly to variations in global environment than does the colour mix. / Graduate / 0605 / 0606 / sheonaurquhart4@gmail.com

We find two chemically distinct populations separated relatively cleanly in the [Fe/H]-[Mg/Fe] plane, but also distinguished in other chemical planes, among metal-poor stars (primarily with metallicities [Fe/H] < -0.9) observed by the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) and analyzed for Data Release 13 (DR13) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. These two stellar populations show the most significant differences in their [X/Fe] ratios for the alpha-elements, C+N, Al, and Ni. In addition to these populations having differing chemistry, the low metallicity high-Mg population (which we denote "the HMg population") exhibits a significant net Galactic rotation, whereas the low-Mg population (or "the LMg population") has halo-like kinematics with little to no net rotation. Based on its properties, the origin of the LMg population is likely an accreted population of stars. The HMg population shows chemistry (and to an extent kinematics) similar to the thick disk, and is likely associated with in situ formation. The distinction between the LMg and HMg populations mimics the differences between the populations of low-and high-a halo stars found in previous studies, suggesting that these are samples of the same two populations.

We present N-body and hydrodynamical simulations of the response of the Milky Way's baryonic disc to the presence of the Large Magellanic Cloud during a first infall scenario. For a fiducial Galactic model reproducing the gross properties of the Galaxy, we explore a set of six initial conditions for the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) of varying mass which all evolve to fit the measured constraints on its current position and velocity with respect to the Galactic Centre. We find that the LMC can produce strong disturbances - warping of the stellar and gaseous discs - in the Galaxy, without violating constraints from the phase-space distribution of stars in the Solar Neighbourhood. All models correctly reproduce the phases of the warp and its antisymmetrical shape about the disc's mid-plane. If the warp is due to the LMC alone, then the largest mass model is favoured (2.5 x 10(11) M-circle dot). Still, some quantitative discrepancies remain, including deficits in height of Delta Z = 0.7 kpc at R = 22 kpc and Delta Z = 0.7 kpc at R = 16 kpc. This suggests that even higher infall masses for the LMC's halo are allowed by the data. A comparison with the vertical perturbations induced by a heavy Sagittarius dSph model (10(11) M-circle dot) suggest that positive interference with the LMC warp is expected at R = 16 kpc. We conclude that the vertical structure of the Galactic disc beyond the Solar Neighbourhood may jointly be shaped by its most massive satellites. As such, the current structure of the Milky Way suggests we are seeing the process of disc heating by satellite interactions in action.

Yes / Galaxy (https://galaxyproject.org) is deployed globally, predominantly through free-to-use services, supporting user-driven research that broadens in scope each year. Users are attracted to public Galaxy services by platform stability, tool and reference dataset diversity, training, support and integration, which enables complex, reproducible, shareable data analysis. Applying the principles of user experience design (UXD), has driven improvements in accessibility, tool discoverability through Galaxy Labs/subdomains, and a redesigned Galaxy ToolShed. Galaxy tool capabilities are progressing in two strategic directions: integrating general purpose graphical processing units (GPGPU) access for cutting-edge methods, and licensed tool support. Engagement with global research consortia is being increased by developing more workflows in Galaxy and by resourcing the public Galaxy services to run them. The Galaxy Training Network (GTN) portfolio has grown in both size, and accessibility, through learning paths and direct integration with Galaxy tools that feature in training courses. Code development continues in line with the Galaxy Project roadmap, with improvements to job scheduling and the user interface. Environmental impact assessment is also helping engage users and developers, reminding them of their role in sustainability, by displaying estimated CO2 emissions generated by each Galaxy job. / NIH [U41 HG006620, U24 HG010263, U24 CA231877, U01 CA253481]; US National Science Foundation [1661497, 1758800, 2216612]; computational resources are provided by the Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Coordination Ecosystem (ACCESS-CI), Texas Advanced Computing Center, and the JetStream2 scientific cloud. Funding for open access charge: NIH. ELIXIR IS and Travel grants; EU Horizon Europe [HORIZON-INFRA-2021-EOSC-01-04, 101057388]; EU Horizon Europe under the Biodiversity, Circular Economy and Environment program (REA.B.3, BGE 101059492); German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF [031 A538A de.NBI-RBC]; Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg (MWK) within the framework of LIBIS/de.NBI Freiburg. Galaxy Australia is supported by the Australian BioCommons which is funded through Australian Government NCRIS investments from Bioplatforms Australia and the Australian Research Data Commons, as well as investment from the Queensland Government RICF program. / Please note, contributors are listed in alphabetical order.

Ram pressure stripping is a well-known galactic quenching mechanism capable of removing star-forming gas from a galaxy as it falls into a group or cluster. However, prior to stripping, ram pressure can induce brief periods of enhanced star formation by compressing the gas on the leading side of an infalling galaxy. Studies of this phenomenon have focused primarily on a unique population of galaxies for which a stripped tail of gas opposing the direction of motion is visible, known as jellyfish galaxies. The role of this effect in galaxy evolution overall is currently unknown. This thesis investigates the importance of ram pressure-induced star formation across all infalling galaxies to generalize our understanding of the effect. We use several metrics to measure the star formation asymmetries of a large sample of group and cluster galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey using $u$-band imaging from the Canada-France Imaging Survey as a tracer for star formation rate. We find that the distributions of star formation asymmetries of satellite galaxies are indistinguishable from those of a control sample of isolated field galaxies. Subdividing the sample by host halo mass and time since infall, we still find no environmental dependence of ram pressure as an enhancer of star formation. We conclude that any statistical star formation enhancement is small for infalling galaxies, suggesting that this effect is either uncommon or short-lived. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

This thesis is concerned with the role the rich cluster environment plays in the evolution of its galaxy population. We approach this issue from two angles, first we use deep wide-field imaging to investigate the effect of the cluster environment on the spatial and luminosity distribution of galaxies. Secondly, we focus on one particularly interesting class of galaxy, the enigmatic E+A galaxies, using a combination of state-of-the-art telescopes and novel instrumentation to elucidate the physical mechanisms and environmental influences causing the rapid change in star-formation activity in these galaxies. We present results from a deep photometric study of the rich galaxy cluster Abell 2218 (z=0.18) based on Hubble Space Telescope images. These have been used to derive the cluster luminosity function to extremely faint limits. We find the faint-end slope of the luminosity function to vary with environment within the cluster - in the sense that the ratio of `dwarf' galaxies to `giant' galaxies increases in the lower-density outskirt regions. Using imaging obtained with the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) we confirm the presence of luminosity segregation in Abell 2218. However, luminosity segregation in clusters does not appear to be ubiquitous, with two other clusters studied with the INT (A119 at z=0.04 and A2443 at z=0.11) showing no sign of luminosity segregation of their galaxy populations. We use integral field spectroscopy of a sample of E+A galaxies in intermediate redshift clusters, obtained with the FLAMES system on the European Southern Observatory's VLT and the GMOS instrument on Gemini-North, to determine the radial variation in the strength of Hdelta absorption in these galaxies, and hence map out the distribution of the recently formed stellar population. We find a diversity of behaviour amongst these galaxies in terms of the radial variation in Hdelta absorption: with gradients that are either negative, flat, or positive. By comparing with numerical simulations we suggest that the first of these different types of radial behaviour provides evidence for a merger/interaction origin, whereas the latter two types of behaviour are more consistent with the truncation of star formation in normal disk galaxies.

This work presents detailed analysis from the GEEC2 spectroscopic survey of galaxy groups at 0.8<z<1. This deep survey, which has a magnitude limit of r_AB<24.75, had previously found a population of intermediate ('green') galaxies between the star-forming ('blue') and quiescent ('red') sequences. GMOS-S spectroscopy for the 11 X-ray selected galaxy groups was obtained and is highly complete ( > 66 per cent) for eight of the eleven groups. Using an optical-NIR colour-colour diagram, the galaxies in the sample are separated with a dust insensitive method into the three categories, star-forming, quiescent, and intermediate. The strongest environmental dependence is observed in the fraction of quiescent galaxies, which is higher inside groups than in the field for all stellar masses. While intermediate galaxies represent ~15-20 per cent of the star-forming population in both the group and field, the average specific star formation rates (sSFR) of the group population is lower by a factor of ~3. The intermediate population also does not show the strong Hδ absorption that is characteristic of starburst galaxies. Inside groups, only 4.4-6.7 per cent of star-forming galaxies are starbursts, which gives additional validity to the assumption that the quenching of star-formation is the primary process in the transition from the star-forming to the quiescent state. With the use of stellar synthesis models, two possible scenarios for the origins of the intermediate population are investigated, including the quenching of star-forming galaxies via environmental processes and the rejuvenation of star formation in early-type galaxies via mixed mergers. To model the quenching scenario, we have tested the use of different exponential quenching timescales (τ_2) and different types of delays between satellite accretion and the onset of quenching. We found that the fraction of intermediate galaxies depends most strongly on the value of τ_2. The relative fractions of galaxies rule out both the no-delay scenario, which would require a long τ_2 that over-produces intermediate galaxies, as well as the constant 3 Gyr delay model, which does not produce a sufficient number of quiescent galaxies. The observed fractions are best matched with a model that includes a dynamical delay time and a τ_2=0.25 Gyr, but this model also predicts intermediate galaxies Hδ strength higher than that observed. For the rejuvenation scenario, we found that the time visible in the intermediate region is directly related to the size of the second 'burst' of star-formation, which can then be further constrained by the Hδ strength for the intermediate population. The observations are best matched to a burst size of ~1 per cent, at a rate of ~3 times per Gyr. In order to properly distinguish between the two scenarios, we will need to both increase the signal-to-noise ratio for the Hδ measurements and conduct a deeper survey of satellite galaxies both inside groups and in the field.