Advancing Experimental Methods for Studying Galaxy Formation and Evolution

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The infrared window offers a unique opportunity for studying the nature of galaxies in both the nearby and distant universe. Fundamental questions related to the assembly and evolution of galaxies, the origins of their stars and the processes that halt star formation, and the growth of supermassive blackholes can be studied using innovative infrared instrumentation. I propose a tightly coupled scientific research and instrumentation development program that will address these key scientific questions: 1) Do the most massive galaxies in our Universe form differently from other galaxies? 2) How do galaxy properties evolve as a function of their environment? 3) Is the growth of supermassive black holes in spiral galaxies different from their elliptical counterparts? The proposed five-year program will consist of two major instrumentation and observational programs, and three smaller instrument development projects. First, we have almost completed the construction of an integral field infrared spectrograph, which we will use to carry out a survey of nearby galaxies. In this survey we will study the stellar properties of these galaxies to understand how they formed and evolved over time. Second, we have begun the development of a novel infrared spectrograph for 8-10-meter class telescopes that we will use to study galaxies in distant galaxy clusters. We will discover how galaxies are transformed in these environments. Lastly, the three smaller instrumentation projects will involve developing new sensing technologies for adaptive optics, optical fibre technology to make sensitive infrared measurements, and an infrared observatory in the Canadian High Arctic. These technological innovations can revolutionize observations of faint, distant galaxies in the infrared and benefit the next generation of instrumentation for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).