Daniel H. McIntosh, Ph.D.
Senior Postdoctoral Research Associate
Department of Astronomy
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003
(413) 545 5680 (office)
(413) 545 4223 (FAX)
dmac(AT)astro.umass.edu
UMass webpage
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CV (Nov. 2007)
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Research Interests Topics
I am an empirical astronomer interested in the origins and evolution of galaxies in a cosmological context. I am particularly curious about the hierarchical growth of the massive galaxy population. To explore the physics that drive galaxy evolution, I use two observational approaches:
(1) look-back studies of galaxy populations from epochs spanning billions of years;
(2) comparisons of galaxies living in environments that span a broad range in complexity and density.
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Galaxy mergers on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched AGNs glitter in the dark near the center of a spiral. All those moments will be lost in time like SCUBA galaxies with z. Time to classify."
-- A. Robaina
  • Bimodal Galaxy Evolution (morphological transformation; star-formation histories)
  • Galaxy-Galaxy Mergers (rates; progenitors; environments; interaction dynamics)
  • Massive Galaxies (formation; assembly histories; number density evolution)
  • Cosmological Environments (galaxy clusters; halo occupation; large-scale structure)
  • Structure of Galaxies (sizes & morphologies; quantitative image analysis)
  • Active Galactic Nuclei (feedback & star-formation quenching; high-z quasars)
  • Extragalactic Surveys (facilitating new insights into all of the above)
    • Ongoing Projects
    The Galaxy - Dark Matter Connection
    Exploring galaxy interactions, morphology, and structure as a function of environment defined by the virial mass of, and position within, the host galaxy group. By assuming that all galaxies reside in extended dark-matter halos, we now study galaxy evolution in this cosmological framework. The group catalog is based on the NYU VAGC version of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Team includes Yicheng Guo (graduate student), Neal Katz, Houjun Mo, and Martin Weinberg (UMass), Frank van den Bosch and Anna Pasquali (MPIA), and Xiaohu Yang (SHAO).
    Major pair of galaxies in line-of-sight projection; physically reside in separate groups. Residual image shows no excess structure. Images are 80x80 kpc. Major pair of merging galaxies at the center of a Mvir = 2e14 Msun group. Residual image shows structure indicative of tidal interaction. Images are 80x80 kpc.
    STAGES: Space Telescope A901/902 Galaxy Evolution Survey
    In collaboration with P.I. Meghan Gray (Nottingham U) and the STAGES team (see collaborators), we are studying the physical drivers of galaxy evolution in the dense super-cluster environment of Abell 901/902 (z=0.18), using morphological and structural information from HST F606W imaging of cluster members with redshifts from COMBO-17. An additional 8000 background galaxies with high-resolution imaging provide an excellent sample of distant galaxies for look-back studies of galaxy evolution.
  • STAGES SkyWalker 5.0 - zoom around the Abell 901/902 supercluster for close up views of galaxies in this dynamic environment!
  • Press Releases from 211th AAS in Austin, Jan. 2008 -- STScI
    • A901a (pink=DM) A901b (pink=DM) A902 (pink=DM) SW group (pink=DM)
    GEMS: Galaxy Evolution from Morphology and SEDs
    In collaboration with P.I. Hans-Walter Rix (MPIA) and the GEMS team (see collaborators), we are studying the morphological and structural evolution of galaxies and QSO host galaxies using HST F606W and F850LP imaging of 8000 galaxies with redshifts spanning 0.2 < z < 1.1 from COMBO-17.
  • GEMS SkyWalker 2.1 - zoom around the Extended Chandra Deep Field South for close up views of distant galaxies!
  • Press Releases from 203rd AAS in Atlanta, Jan. 2004 -- Max Planck Society, Astrobiology Magazine
  • GEMS-related publications.
    • Optical and Near-Infrared Studies of Galaxies
    In collaboration with Eric Bell (MPIA), Ari Maller (CUNY), Neal Katz and Martin Weinberg (UMass). Studies of the global galaxy population of the nearby universe using the statistical power of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Two-Micron All Sky Survey.
  • See also Galaxy - Dark Matter Connection above.
  • Related publications.
    • Massive Clusters of Galaxies
    In collaboration with Hans-Walter Rix (MPIA), Nelson Caldwell (CfA), Ann Zabludoff (Steward), and Daniel Christlein (Yale). Studies of galaxy membership in massive clusters. Started with wide-field (pre-SDSS) UVI imaging survey of 12 Abell clusters (sample) toward a detailed analysis of photometric, structural, and morphological properties of known cluster members (subject of PhD thesis). Present work on galaxies in Abell clusters with STAGES (see above).
  • Press Releases from 199th AAS in Washington D.C., Jan. 2002 -- Eureka Alert, SpaceRef.com, UMass Campus Chronicle.
  • Related publications.
    • Miscellaneous (Past/Present)
  • Scaling relations of local spirals with Courteau (Queens U), MacArthur (CalTech), Dekel (Hebrew U), van den Bosch (MPIA), and Dale (Wyoming).
  • Survey of Nearby Nuclei with STIS (SUNNS) with Hans-Walter Rix (MPIA) and the SUNNS team (see collaborators). Related publications.
  • QSO candidate searches in Hubble and Keck Deep Fields with Cathy Petry and Chris Impey (Steward).
  • Rest-frame optical spectroscopic properties of z=2 quasars with Marcia Rieke (Steward), Hans-Walter Rix (MPIA), and Craig Foltz (NSF). Related publications.
    • Version: April 10, 2008
    by D. H. McIntosh