The evolution and the interplay of the luminous and dark matter content of massive (compact) galaxies

大质量星系的聚集是对星系形成和演化模型的关键考验。在高红移时，当宇宙只是当前年龄的一小部分时，我们观察到没有活跃恒星形成特征的大质量星系，这些星系比附近宇宙中类似的大质量非恒星形成星系小几倍。一些观测和理论研究表明，随着宇宙年龄的增长，超紧凑的大质量系统应该完全消失。 ******光谱测量揭示了星系的距离及其性质。高分辨率图像显示星系实际上是多么紧凑。同时使用两个观测面，当宇宙年龄超过其当前年龄的一半时，我在远处发现了一群密集的非恒星形成（即静止）星系。这种极端的、相对较近的星系群弥合了遥远宇宙和本地宇宙之间的差距，并为我们在银河系附近观察到的大质量致密星系和扩展恒星系统之间的过渡通道提供了见解。成熟宇宙中大量的致密大质量系统为研究极端星系的特性提供了机会，这些星系在更远的距离和更早的宇宙时代不容易接近。使用大量静止致密星系样本，我发现超密集星系优先存在于星系团的密集区域，并且它们跨越了一系列星系年龄：从刚刚停止形成恒星的系统到已经“红色和死亡”了数十亿年的系统。 ******基于这些令人信服的结果，我将采用密集光谱调查、高分辨率大面积空间和/或地面成像以及强引力透镜来：1）追踪大规模致密系统的组装，2）探索致密星系和扩展大质量星系之间的关系，以及3）研究致密星系光轮廓与其暗物质晕演化之间的相互作用。对高分辨率图像中检测到的所有星系（高于一定亮度限制）进行密集光谱调查将提供完整的星系样本，其中包括典型星系和最极端、罕见的天体。除了绘制出极端系统的时间演化之外，这些数据集还将能够搜索典型星系的组合与我们在最极端系统中观察到的转变之间的联系。强透镜星系团的质量分布（发光物质和暗物质）使来自遥远光源的光线弯曲，产生多个图像、弧线和/或环。通过重建观察到的透镜弧形状，我们可以绘制星系团内总质量的分布。强透镜团中的超致密星系样本将揭示大质量致密星系的环境在塑造其暗物质和光轮廓方面所发挥的作用。

The assembly of massive galaxies is a key test for the models of galaxy formation and evolution. At high redshift, when the Universe was a fraction of its current age, we observe massive galaxies with no signatures of active star formation that are several times smaller than their similarly massive non-star-forming counterparts in the nearby universe. Some observational and theoretical studies have suggested that ultra-compact massive systems should completely disappear as the universe ages. ******Spectroscopic measurements reveal galaxy's distance and its nature. High-resolution images show how compact galaxies really are. Using both observational facets simultaneously, I discovered a population of dense non-star-forming (i.e., quiescent) galaxies at distances when the universe was more than half of its current age. This extreme, relatively close galaxy population bridges the gap between distant and local universe and provides an insight into the transitional channels between massive compact galaxies and extended stellar systems we observe in the Milky Way's neighbourhood. The abundance of compact massive systems in mature universe presents an opportunity to study properties of extreme galaxies that are not easily accessible at larger distances and earlier cosmic times. Using massive quiescent compact galaxy samples I have shown that ultra-dense galaxies preferentially reside in dense regions of galaxy clusters, and that they span a range of galaxy ages: from systems that have just stopped forming stars to the ones that have been "red and dead" for a few billion years. ******Building on these compelling results, I will employ dense spectroscopic surveys, high-resolution large-area space- and/or ground-based imaging, and strong gravitational lensing to: 1) trace the assembly of massive compact systems, 2) explore the relations between compact and extended massive galaxies, and 3) study the interplay between compact galaxy light profiles and their dark matter halo evolution. Dense spectroscopic surveys of all galaxies (above certain brightness limit) detected in high-resolution images will provide complete galaxy samples that include both typical galaxies and the most extreme, rare objects. In addition to mapping out the temporal evolution of extreme systems, these datasets will enable the search for links between the assembly of typical galaxies and the transformations we observe in the most extreme systems. The mass distribution (luminous and dark matter) of strong lensing galaxy clusters bends the light from a distant source producing multiple images, arcs and/or rings. By reconstructing the observed shapes of lensing arcs we can map the distribution of the total mass within galaxy cluster. A sample of ultra-dense galaxies in strong lensing clusters will unveil the role that the environment of massive compact galaxies plays in sculpting their dark matter and light profiles.