Clusters of Galaxies are amongst the largest gravitationally bound structures in our Universe and consist of thousands of galaxies. It is in these gigantic systems where Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) are found, the most massive galaxies in our Universe. A BCG, as its name indicates, is the brightest galaxy in a cluster. These enormous galaxies exhibit special properties, suggesting that they experience a different evolutionary path than a normal galaxy. It is widely accepted that their evolution involves merger events, when the BCG accrete another galaxy, as well as interaction events, like tidal stripping and/or removal of star-forming gas. However, the moment when those interactions happen in the life of the BCG and the extent of their impact on the BCG properties are still under discussion. This thesis aims to explore the later stages of BCG evolution by studying the merger/interaction fraction of BCGs in the local Universe. In particular, this research will explore the significance of correlations between the merger/interaction fraction with a variety of BCG properties (Metric Luminosity, α Parameter, BCG distance from the cluster center, BCG offset from the cluster mean redshift) and with a variety of cluster properties (cluster velocity dispersion, luminosity difference between the BCG and the second ranked galaxy in the cluster). The dependence of the merger/interaction fraction on the kinematics of BCGs is also investigated, using data for the BCG stellar velocity dispersion and for the local normalised velocity dispersion of galaxies within 50 kpc of the BCG. To accomplish these analyses, this thesis uses a sample of 432 BCGs at z ≤ 0.08 imaged as part of the Warpfire survey - an all-sky imaging and spectroscopic survey of BCGs in the nearby universe. Interacting and Non Interacting candidates are classified via a visual inspection of the residual images. This classification is performed by three independent people to ensure its robustness and to minimize classification bias. A merger/interaction fraction of fm/i = 0.220 ± 0.025 (stat) ± 0.040 (sys) at z ≤ 0.08 is found, with a lower limit of fmin ≥ 0.07 ± 0.01 (stat) ± 0.04 (sys). Significant correlations between the interaction status of BCG and its Metric Luminosity and α Parameter are also revealed. Specifically, the BCG merger/interaction fraction more than doubles in amplitude from ∼0.2 to ∼0.5 as the α Parameter increases from 0.4 to 0.9. However, those correlations do not appear to alter the Lm – α relationship, which remains robust against BCG interaction status. No significant correlation is found between the interaction status and the location of the BCG in the cluster, nor between the interaction status and the difference between the Metric Luminosity of the BCG and that of the second brightest galaxy in the cluster. However, it is found that BCGs with strong interaction residuals have slightly higher stellar velocity dispersions. Finally, the normalised velocity dispersion of galaxies within 50 kpc of the BCG is found to be lower than the normalised velocity dispersion around random galaxies in the outskirts of the cluster. The results of this thesis clearly indicate ongoing merger activity involving BCGs. The above results are consistent with idea that while BCG stellar accretion is not a dominant process at the current epoch it is not a negligible one either. These results also support a two phased growth model of BCG where the bulk of their stellar mass is assembled prior to z = 0.5 but still continues at a low level today.

In recent years, the increasingly precise constraints on the value of the Hubble constant, H0, have highlighted a discrepancy between the results arising from early-time and late-time measurements. A potential solution to this so-called Hubble tension is the hypothesis that we reside in a cosmic void, i.e. an underdense cosmic neighbourhood characterized by a faster local expansion rate. In this thesis, we model this scenario through the Lemaître-Tolman-Bondi formalism for an isotropic but inhomogeneous universe containing matter, curvature and a cosmological constant, which we denote by ΛLTB. We numerically implement this framework with two different formulations for the local matter density profile, respectively based upon a more realistic Gaussian ansatz and the idealized scenario of the so-called Oppenheimer-Snyder model. We then constrain the background cosmology and the void parameters involved in each case through a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis with a combination of recent data sets: the Pantheon Sample of type Ia supernovae, a collection of baryon acoustic oscillations data points from different galaxy surveys and the distance priors extracted from the latest Planck data release. For both models, the resulting bounds on the investigated parameter space suggest a preference for a -13% density drop with a size of approximately 300 Mpc, interestingly matching the prediction for the so-called KBC void already identified on the basis of independent analyses using galaxy distributions. We quantify the level of improvement on the Hubble tension by analyzing the ΛLTB constraints on the B-band absolute magnitude of the supernovae, which provides the calibration for the local measurements of H0. Since no significant difference is observed with respect to an analogous fit performed with the standard ΛCDM model, we conclude that the potential presence of a local void does not resolve the tension.

This project is an investigation of a cosmological model consisting of a five dimensional AdS-vacuum with a flux. By discharges in the flux, four dimensional bubbles can nucleate in the vacuum and collide with each other while expanding. Our observable universe is considered to be localized on the membrane of such a bubble. The main purpose of the model was to find a possible explanation for dark energy and inflation. We compute the Friedmann equation for an expanding bubble, as well as analytical expressions for the two slow roll parameters ε and η related to slow roll inflation. We also show that there exists a set of parameters of the model where both slow roll parameters are small enough in order for inflation to last for at least 60 Hubble times. However, our model doesn’t survive all consistency checks with today’s observations. We conclude that even if the resulting slow roll parameters look promising, one has to either look harder for a set of ”good” fundamental parameters of the model, or further develop it to have a chance of surviving all consistency checks. / Populärvetenskaplig sammanfattning: Det här projektet undersöker en kosmologisk modell bestående av ett femdimensionellt vakuum med negativ rumtidkrökning. I vakuumet finns ett elektriskt fält, som i högre dimensioner än fyra kallas flux (flöde). Urladdningar i detta flux gör det möjligt för fyrdimensionella bubblor att uppstå i vakuumet. Dessa vakuumbubblor expanderar snabbt och kommer så småningom att kollidera med varandra. Tanken är att vårt fyrdimensionella observerbara universum utgör en del av membranet på en av dessa expanderande vakuumbubblor. De andra vakuumbubblorna kan - om man vill - betraktas som parallella universum. Målet med detta projekt har varit att hitta en möjlig model för kosmisk inflation - epoken i vårt universums ungdom då rummet expanderade enormt snabbt under en väldigt kort tidsperiod. Inflationen i vår modell äger rum när vakuumbubblan för vårt universum kolliderar med andra vakuumbubblor. Vi lyckades visa att den här modellen kan ge upphov till inflation som varar tillräckligt länge för att det ska stämma överens med dagens observationer av vårt observerbara universum. Dock förutspår modellen även andra saker som inte stämmer överens med observationerna. Vår slutsats är att modellen ser lovande ut, men att man antingen behöver undersöka den noggrannare eller utveckla den på något sätt, om den ska ha en chans att stämma överens med universumet vi observerar. / <p>Presentationen skedde över videolänk på grund av Covid-19.</p>

The aim of this report is to explore different models of cosmology, depending on components as matter, radiation and dark energy. To be able to investigate the behaviour and age of these model universes, it is necessary to solve the Friedmann equation. Therefore a substantial part of this thesis is a study of general relativity, including mathematical tools as Riemannian geometry and the concept of curved space-time. / Denna rapport ämnar att utforska olika kosmologiska modeller beroende på innehåll som materia, strålning och mörk energi. För att undersöka beteendet och åldern av dessa modellerade universa så är det nödvändigt att lösa Friedmann-ekvationen. Därför ägnas en betydande del av detta arbete åt att studera allmän relativitetsteori, med matematiska verktyg som Riemanngeometri och konceptet krökt rum-tid.

As a result of the standardizability of SNe Ia light curves over a wide range of photometric bands, they are used as standard candles to accurately measure distances in the cosmos up to z ≈ 1 [22]. As dust extinction is smaller in the NIR than in the optical [21] there is less dispersion seen in the peak brightnesses of SNe Ia, making them truly standard candles. We use SNPY to fit light curves for 192 SNe Ia. The mean of all Hubble residuals of our sample is ≈ 0.101 mag with a standard deviation of ≈ 0.234 mag. After applying an original set of cuts, the mean of 173 Hubble residuals reduces to ≈ 0.080 mag with a standard deviation of 0.203 mag. We next estimate host galaxy stellar masses of 175 SNe. From our sample we detect a 0.039 ± 0.026 mag (1−2σ) mass-step. For reasons outlined in section 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 respectively, we increase our sBV cut to sBV &gt; 0.8 and decrease our extinction cut to E(B −V ) ≤ 0.2 mag to see the mass step disappear entirely (0.004 ± 0.034 mag). Fast-declining SNe occur with preference in high-mass galaxies, possibly pointing to an intrinsic contribution to this mass step [22]. As NIR data is seen to significantly reduce the 3−4σ [14] mass-step detected with optical data, it is concluded that extinction likely plays a large role in the mass-step, as proposed in Brout &amp; Scolnic 2020 [2]. / <p>Presentation given over zoom due to the COVID-19 crisis.</p>

Massive galaxies evolve through different phases including starburst-dominated and active galactic nuclei (AGN)-dominated phases. These phases are predicted to be prevalent at earlier times (z ∼ 2 − 3). In this thesis I present high-sensitivity observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array to investigate mid-J (Jupper = 4 and 5) CO emission in nine Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer-selected hyperluminous, hot dust-obscured galaxies (Hot DOGs). These sources are thought to represent a transition phase between starburst- and AGN-dominated galaxies at z ≈ 2.5 − 5. All nine sources are detected in continuum and line emission. I conclude that the sources are gas-rich with Mgas ≈ 1010−11 M . Previous far-infrared spectral energy distribution decomposition revealed that six of the sources have significant cold dust components suggesting high star-formation rates (SFR ≈ 2000 − 9000 M  yr−1 ). The molecular gas in the sources is shown to follow roughly the same star-formation trend as a smaller sample of Hot DOGs and other populations of star-forming and quasar-host galaxies at low- and high-redshift. The resolved CO emission line data displays large velocity dispersions (FWHM ≈ 400 − 900 km s−1 ) consistent with other high-z star-forming and quasar-host galaxies. For a subset of the sources, the line data shows disturbed morphologies and velocity gradients possibly consistent with rotation or galaxy interaction. The results from this analysis suggest that the studied sources are heavily dust-obscured quasars undergoing extreme starburst episodes. The estimated gas and dynamical masses of the sources are consistent with other populations of massive galaxies at low- and high-z, indicating that they likely represent a stage in the evolution of massive galaxies. / <p>Presentaiton given over zoom platform during COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are still puzzling scientists even 40 years after their discovery. Questions concerning the nature of the progenitors, the connection with supernovae and the origin of the high-energy emission are still lacking clear answers. Today, it is known that there are two populations of GRBs: short and long. It is also known that long GRBs are connected to supernovae (SNe). The emission observed from GRBs can be divided into two phases: the prompt emission and the afterglow. This thesis presents spectral analysis of the early X-ray afterglow of GRBs observed by the {\it Swift} satellite. For the majority of GRBs the early X-ray afterglows are well described by an absorbed power-law model. However, there exists a number of cases where this power-law component fails in fully describing the observed spectra and an additional blackbody component is needed. In the paper at the end of this thesis, a time-resolved spectral analysis of 74 GRBs observed by the X-ray telescope on board {\it Swift} is presented. Each spectrum is fitted with a power-law and a power-law plus blackbody model. The significance of the added thermal component is then assessed using Monte Carlo simulations. Six new cases of GRBs with thermal components in their spectra are presented, alongside three previously reported cases. The results show that a cocoon surrounding the jet is the most likely explanation for the thermal emission observed in the majority of GRBs. In addition, the observed narrow span in radii points to these GRBs being produced in similar environments. / <p>QC 20171031</p>

The first billion years from the beginning of the Universe is the focus of multiple astronomical facilities in the upcoming decade. This unique era is marked by the formation of the first stars and galaxies, which release ionising radiation into the intergalactic medium(IGM). As a result, these sources initiate a period during which the cold and dense IGM, primarily consisting of neutral hydrogen (HI ), is heated and ionised. We refer to this era as the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR). How the EoR transpired hence depends on the properties of these ionising sources, and this forms a vital piece to the puzzle of understanding the early Universe. This licentiate thesis aims to educate the reader on the power spectrum (PS) statistic of the 21-cm signal from HI during the EoR. The PS is a prospective observable by radio interferometers, such as the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) and the future Square Kilometre Array (SKA). It is an essential stepping stone in comprehending the dominant physical processes affecting the IGM at a given length scale during the EoR. In Paper I, we analyse the decomposition of the 21-cm PS from Lidz et al. (2007) (eq. 2)and study the evolution of its terms. We conduct our investigation for a set of C 2 -Ray and 21cmFAST simulations with volumes of (714 cMpc)3, concentrating on large-scales (k &lt; 0.3 Mpc−1 ) as the signal-to-noise ratio of observing these scales will be high. We find that the 21-cm PS tracks the PS of neutral hydrogen fluctuations, which itself past a certain scale tracks the matter PS after a global ionisation fraction of x̄HII∼ 0.1. Hence, the 21-cm PS possesses a two-regime form for which the large-scale PS is a biased version of the cosmological density field and the small-scale PS depends on the astrophysics of the EoR. We construct a bias parameter to explore whether the 21-cm PS can be used as a probe of cosmology on large k-scales. We discover a transition feature for both simulations, following the ktrans ≈ 2/λMFP empirical formula. The transition scale between the scale-independent and scale-dependent bias regimes is directly related to the value of the mean free path of ionising photons (λMFP ).

No description available.

Le Modèle Standard de la cosmologie décrit la formation des structures à grande échelle dans l'Univers récent dans un cadre quasi–newtonien. Ce modèle requiert la présence de composantes inconnues, la Matière Noire et l'Énergie Noire, afin de vérifier correctement les observations. Ces deux quantités représentent à elles seules près de 95% du contenu de l'Univers. Bien que ces composantes sombres soient activement recherchées par la communauté scientifique, il existe plusieurs alternatives qui tentent de traiter le problème des structures à grande échelle. Les théories inhomogènes décrivent l'impact des fluctuations cinématiques sur le comportement global de l'Univers. D'autres théories proposent également d'aller au-delà de la relativité générale. Durant cette thèse, j'ai mis au point des éléments clés d'une théorie lagrangienne totalement relativiste de la formation des structures. Supposant un feuilletage particulier de l'espace–temps j'ai résolu le système d'équations du premier ordre afin d'obtenir des solutions décrivant l'évolution de la matière dans un espace à la géométrie perturbée. J'ai également développé un schéma de résolution pour les ordres supérieurs de perturbation ainsi que leurs équivalent newtoniens. Une autre partie de ce travail de thèse consiste en le développement de quelques applications directes : la description d'un Univers silencieux ou l'hypothèse de courbure de Weyl et le problème de 'entropie gravitationnelle. Les objectifs à plus ou moins court terme seraient d'obtenir la description d'observables physiques and le développement d'autres applications. Cette étape de développement sera une interaction entre approches théorique et numérique et requerra de se rapprocher fortement des observateurs / The standard model of cosmology describes the formation of large scale structures in the late Universe within a quasi–Newtonian theory. This model requires the presence of unknown compounds of the Universe, Dark Matter and Dark Energy, to properly fit the observations. These two quantities, according to the Standard Model, represent almost 95% of the content of the Universe. Although the dark components are searched for by the scientific community, there exist several alternatives which try to deal with the problem of the large scale structures. Inhomogeneous theories describe the impact of the kinematical fluctuations on the global behaviour of the Universe. Or some theories proposed to go beyond general relativity. During my Ph.D. thesis, I developed key–elements of a fully relativistic Lagrangian theory of structure formation. Assuming a specific space–time slicing, I solved the first order system of equations to obtain solutions which describe the matter evolution within the perturbed geometry, and I developed higher order schemes and their correspondences with the Lagrangian perturbation solutions in the Newtonian approach. I also worked on some applications of these results like the description of a silent Universe or the Weyl curvature hypothesis and the problem of gravitational entropy. Further objectives are the description of physical observables and the development of direct applications. Next step of the development is an interaction between theoretical and numerical approaches, a study which would require strong cooperation with observers