WHEN GALAXIES MEET: ZOOMING INTO THE MULTI-SCALE
PHYSICS OF INTERACTION AND MERGERS ACROSS COSMIC TIME (GALMEET)

14 - 18 JUNE 2027

GARCHING NEAR MUNICH, GERMANY

 

Galaxies interact with each other throughout their lifetime. While most galaxies in the local Universe appear to reside in a self-regulatory equilibrium,  those undergoing interactions and mergers often exhibit intense starbursts, AGN activity, and extreme localized ISM conditions that are not found elsewhere. The rapid gas consumption and metal enrichment associated with these events can significantly alter the evolutionary pathway of a galaxy,  and the reshuffling of materials via tidal forces or stellar/AGN feedback may further bring transformation to the large-scale CGM or even IGM. These multi-scale physical processes are now being identified and intensively studied in the early Universe out to the first billion years of the known cosmic history, with mounting evidence pointing to galaxy interaction/mergers as a potentially important channel for early assembly of stellar mass and reionization. With the advent of wide-field, high-resolution, and multi-wavelength observations of galaxy pairs, we are entering a new era in which the impact of interaction/mergers on galaxy assembly can be investigated as a function of cosmic time. Do interactions/mergers trigger similar physical processes at low- and high-z? How do these processes change the ISM/CGM/IGM properties in and around progenitors with various masses, metallicity, and gas fractions? 

For the first time, we are equipped to tackle the above key questions, as new multi-wavelength facilities are providing sharp resolved views of the extreme multi-scale processes triggered by interaction/mergers out to the epoch of reionization, as well as highly detailed characterization of the multiphase ISM of local interacting systems at scales matched to state-of-the-art simulations. Looking ahead,  the emergence of a new generation of deep imaging/spectroscopic surveys will uncover connections between galaxies like never before and begin to normalize these “cosmic anomalies”.  On this front, application of machine learning algorithms on existing large survey datasets is already making strides towards more efficient identification and classification of galaxy interactions, and will soon enable statistical studies of spatially-resolved ISM/CGM/IGM properties across merger populations. We want to take advantage of these recent and foreseen breakthroughs to bring together field experts in observation and theory to revisit and consolidate knowledge, exchange ideas and methodology, and forge new collaborations that will lead to a more systematic, multi-scale, multi-epoch understanding of the impact of interaction and merger on the evolution of galaxies in the coming years,  in preparation for next-generation multi-wavelength facilities soon to come online (e.g., VLT/MOONS, ELT, ALMA WSU, MeerKAT+, LOFAR2.0…). 

Key science questions to be addressed in the workshop from both observational and theoretical perspectives: 

  • How do galaxy interactions/mergers affect star formation, AGN, and the onset and timescales of galaxy quenching? 
  • How do galaxy properties evolve along the merger sequence, and how do they vary with different merger configurations?
  • How do interactions and mergers affect galaxies in different mass and environmental regimes?
  • Do galaxy interactions/mergers have a similar effect on their progenitors across low and high-z? 
  • What is the impact of galaxy interaction/mergers on the ISM/CGM/IGM and the galaxies’ baryon cycle?

 

The workshop will take place at ESO Headquarters in Garching near Munich. 

Registration fees apply.

E-mail: GALMEET@eso.org

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