Fundamental Research in Extragalactic Astrophysics

Fundamental Research in Extragalactic Astrophysics

Core Team

  • lourdes@iaa.es
  • Dpto. Astronomía Extragaláctica
    Instituto Astrofísica Andalucía
    Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n
    18008 Granada
    Spain

Fundamental Research in Extragalactic Astrophysics

During my PhD, I studied the interstellar medium in star-forming regions of our galaxy, later applying this to galaxy evolution. I initiated a new scientific line in Spanish astrophysics, consolidated in 1998 through a CSIC position, pioneering in Spain the study of atomic gas (HI) using radiointerferometry.

I soon identified the need for a multi-frequency study of galaxy evolution in extreme environments: isolated galaxies and compact groups, with an emphasis on the radio interferometric study of HI, due to its unique potential to advance the field. My work on compact groups clarified apparent contradictions about their star formation (Verdes-Montenegro et al. 1998 1; 88 citations). To understand their low levels, I characterised the HI in a sample of these groups using data from the Very Large Array (VLA) interferometer. This extensive work led me to propose an evolutionary sequence in Verdes-Montenegro et al. 2001 2 to explain their extreme HI deficiency, which has been widely studied by numerous international groups (steady citation rate, total > 240).

In 2003, I identified the need to build and characterise a sample of isolated galaxies. This led me to found the AMIGA group and project (Analysis of the Interstellar Medium of Isolated Galaxies, https://amiga.iaa.csic.es, ~1000 galaxies; Verdes-Montenegro et al. 2005 3; steady citation rate, total > 130). This initiative started a new international research area, culminating in the first international conference on isolated galaxies in 2009, which I organised. We proved that any observable interaction indicator reaches its minimum value in the AMIGA sample 4-33, solidifying it as a reference sample for environmental studies of galaxy formation mechanisms. Notably, in Sorgho et al. 2023 34, we found AMIGA galaxies to exhibit higher angular momentum, providing evidence that environmental processes can remove it from galaxies.

Once built, I returned to my goal of applying AMIGA to the study of dense groups, leading observing proposals at various international reference radio telescopes 2, 35-47. Recently, we conducted the most detailed study to date of all available VLA data (Jones et al. 2023 48). When MeerKAT began construction, I knew  It was the key tool to test the evolutionary model I proposed. In its first international call in 2021, I secured observing time as PI of a team of 30 international collaborators, and our proposal ranked fourth out of 150. We confirmed an extreme HI deficiency, suggesting missing gas in low column densities spread over great distances (Ianjamasimanana et al in prep., Sorgho et al in prep., Verdes-Montenegro et al in prep. 2024), making me eagerly anticipate what the SKAO will reveal.

Leveraging my 30 years of experience in radio interferometry, I have pushed current instruments to their limits, introduced in our community the interferometric study of HI in galaxies, and established the only research group in the country strategically positioned to extend it to the SKA.  I am a co-editor of the Spanish SKA White Book (2015) and lead author of the chapter “HI and Galaxy Evolution.” Additionally, I have co-authored 5 chapters of the international SKA Science Book (2015). From 2017 to 2019, SKAO invited me to Co-Chair the SKA Science Working Group “HI & Galaxy Evolution”.

 

References:

  1. Verdes-Montenegro,L., Yun, M.S., Perea, J., Del Olmo, A., Ho, P. T. P., “Effects of interaction-induced
    activities in Hickson compact groups: CO and Far-Infrared study”.      ApJ. 497, 89 (1998).

  2. Verdes-Montenegro, L., Yun, M.S., Williams, B. A., Huchtmeier, W. K., Del Olmo, A., Perea, J., “Where is the neutral atomic gas in Hickson Groups?”. A&A 377, 812 (2001).

  3. Verdes-Montenegro, L., Sulentic, J., Lisenfeld, U., Leon, S., Espada, D., Garcia, E., Sabater, J., Verley, S., “The AMIGA project. I. Optical characterization of the CIG catalog”. A&A 436, 443-455 (2005).

  4. Leon, S., Verdes-Montenegro, L., “Revised positions for CIG galaxies”. A&A, 411, 391 (2003).

  5. Sulentic, J., Verdes-Montenegro, L., Bergond, G., Lisenfeld, U., Durbala, A., Espada, D., Garcia, E., Leon, S., Sabater, J., Verley, S., Casanova, V., Sota, A., “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies. II. Morphological refinement”. A&A, 449, 937-949 (2006).
  6. Lisenfeld, U., Verdes-Montenegro, L., Sulentic, J., Leon, S., Espada, D., Bergond, G., Garcia, E., Sabater, J., Verley, S., Santander-Vela, J. D., “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies. III. IRAS data and infrared diagnostics”. A&A, 462, 507-523 (2007).
  7. Verley, S., Odewahn, S. C., Verdes-Montenegro, L., Leon, S., Combes, F., Sulentic, J., Bergond, G., Espada, D., Garcia, E., Lisenfeld, U., Sabater, J., “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies. IV. A catalogue of neighbours around isolated galaxies”. A&A, 470, 505-513 (2007)
  8. Verley, S., Leon, S., Verdes-Montenegro, L., Combes, F., Sabater, J., Sulentic, J., Bergond, G., Espada, D., Garcia, E., Lisenfeld, U., Odewahn, S. C., “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies. V. Quantification of the isolation”. A&A, 472, 121-130 (2007).
  9. Verley, S., Combes, F., Verdes-Montenegro, L., Bergond, G., Leon, S., “Star Formation in isolated AMIGA Galaxies: Dynamical influence of bars”. A&A, 474, 35-41 (2007).
  10. Leon, S., Verdes-Montenegro, L., Sabater, J., Espada, D., Ballu, A., Lisenfeld, U., Sulentic, J., Verley, S., Bergond, G., Garcia, E., “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies. VI. Radio continuum properties of isolated galaxies: a very radio quiet sample”. A&A, 485, 475 (2008).

  11. Sabater, J., Leon, S., Verdes-Montenegro, L., Lisenfeld, U., Sulentic, J., Verley, S., “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies. VII. Far infrared and radiocontinuum study of nuclear activity”. A&A, 486, 73 (2008).

  12. Durbala, A., Sulentic, J. W., Buta, R., Verdes-Montenegro, L., “Photometric characterization of a well-defined sample of isolated galaxies in the context of the AMIGA project”. MNRAS 390, 881 (2008).

  13. Durbala, A., Sulentic, J. W., Buta, R., Verdes-Montenegro, L., “Fourier photometric analysis of isolated galaxies in the context of the AMIGA project”. MNRAS 397, 1756 (2009).

  14. D. Espada, J. C. Muñoz-Mateos, A. Gil de Paz, J. Sabater, L.
    Atthanasoula, S. Boissier, A. Bosma, S. Leon, L. Verdes-Montenegro, S.
    Verley, M. Yun, “Star formation in the extended gaseous disk of the isolated galaxy CIG 96”. ApJ, 736, 20 (2011).

  15. D. Espada, L. Verdes-Montenegro, W. K. Huchtmeier, S. Leon, J. Sabater, J. Sulentic, and S. Verley, “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies. VIII. On the rate of asymmetric HI profiles in spiral galaxies”.  A&A 52 id. A117 (2011).

  16. Portas, A., Scott, T. C., Brinks, E., Bosma, A., Verdes-Montenegro, L.,
    Heesen, V., Espada, D., Verley, S., Sulentic, J., Sengupta, C.,
    Athanassoula, E., Yun, M. S., “H I asymmetries in the isolated galaxy CIG 292”. ApJL, 739(1): L27 (2011)

  17. U. Lisenfeld, D. Espada, L. Verdes-Montenegro, N. Kuno, S. Leon, J. Sabater, N. Sato, J. Sulentic, S. Verley, and M. S. Yun, “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies IX. Molecular gas properties”. A&A 534 A102 (2011).

  18. M. Fernández-Lorenzo, J. Sulentic, L. Verdes-Montenegro, J.E. Ruíz, J. Sabater, S. Sánchez. “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies X. A First Look at Isolated Galaxy Colors”. A&A, 540, A47, 9pp. (2012).

  19.  

    Sabater, J., Verdes-Montenegro, L., León, S., Sulentic, J., “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies. XI. Optical characterization of nuclear activity”. A&A 545, A15, 15pp (2012).

  20. Sengupta, C., Scott, T., Verdes-Montenegro L, Bosma, A. Verley, S., Vilchez JM, Durbala A, Fernández Lorenzo, M.; Espada, D.; Yun, M. S.; Athanassoula, E.; Sulentic, J.; Portas, A.,  “HI asymmetry in the isolated galaxy CIG 85 (UGC 1547)”. A&A, 2012, Volume 546, A95, 10 pp.

  21. M. Fernandez Lorenzo, J. Sulentic, L. Verdes–Montenegro, M. Argudo–Fernandez, “The stellar mass–size relation for the most isolated galaxies in the local Universe”. MNRAS, Volume 434, Issue 1, p.325-335 (2013)

  22. Argudo-Fernández, M.; Verley, S.; Bergond, G.; Sulentic, J.; Sabater, J.; Fernández
    Lorenzo, M.; Leon, S.; Espada, D.; Verdes-Montenegro, L.; Santander-Vela, J. D.; Ruiz, J. E.; Sánchez-Expósito, S., “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies XII. Revision of the isolation degree for AMIGA galaxies using the SDSS”. A&A 560, 9 (2013)

  23. S. Martín, L. Verdes-Montenegro, R. Aladro, D. Espada, M. Argudo-Fernández, C. Kramer, and T. C. Scott, “Chemistry in isolation: High CCH/HCO+ line ratio in the AMIGA galaxy CIG 638″A&A,  563, L6, 4pp (2014).

  24. Argudo-Fernández, M.; Verley, S.; Bergond, G.; Sulentic, J.; Sabater, J.; Fernández Lorenzo, M.; Espada, D.; Leon, S.; Sánchez-Expósito, S., Santander-Vela, J.D., Verdes-Montenegro, L., “Effects of the environment on galaxies in the Catalogue of Isolated Galaxies: physical satellites and large scale structure”. A&A, 564, A94 (2014).

  25. T. C. Scott, C. Sengupta, L. Verdes Montenegro, A. Bosma, E. Athanassoula, J. Sulentic, D. Espada, M. S. Yun, and M. Argudo–Fernandez, “A ~ 12 kpc HI extension and other HI asymmetries in the isolated galaxy CIG 340 (IC 2487)”. A&A 567, A56, 9pp (2014). 

  26. Fernández Lorenzo, M.; Sulentic, J.; Verdes-Montenegro, L.; Blasco-Herrera, J.; Argudo-Fernández, M.; Garrido, J.; Ramírez-Moreta, P.; Ruiz, J. E.; Sánchez-Expósito, S.; Santander-Vela, J. D., “Are (Pseudo)bulges in Isolated Galaxies Actually Primordial Relics?”. ApJL, 788, L.39 (2014).

  27. Michael G. Jones, Daniel Espada, Lourdes Verdes-Montenegro, Walter K. Huchtmeier, Ute Lisenfeld, Stephane Leon, Jack Sulentic, Jose Sabater, David E. Jones, Susana Sanchez, Julian Garrido, “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies XIII. The HI content of an almost “nurture free” sample”. A&A, Volume 609, A17, 28 pp. (2018).

  28. P. Ramírez-Moreta, L. Verdes-Montenegro, J. Blasco-Herrera, S. Leon, A. Venhola, M. Yun, V. Peris, R. Peletier, G. Verdoes Klejin, E. Unda-Sanzana, D. Espada, A. Bosma, E. Athanassoula, M. Argudo-Fernández, J. Sabater, J. Muñoz-Mateos, M. Jones, W. Huchtmeier, J. Ruiz, J. Iglesias-Páramo, M. Fernández-Lorenzo, J. Beckman, S. Sánchez-Expósito, J. Garrido, “Unveiling the environment and faint features of the isolated galaxy CIG 96 with deep optical and HI observations”. A&A, Volume 619, id.A 163, 22pp (2018).
  29. R. Buta, L. Verdes-Montenegro, A. Damas-Segovia, M. G. Jones, J. Blasco, M. Fernández-Lorenzo, S. Sánchez, J. Garrido, P. Ramírez-Moreta, J. Sulentic, “A comprehensive examination of the optical morphologies of 719 isolated galaxies in the AMIGA sample”. MNRAS, Volume 488, Issue 2, p. 2175-2189 (2019). 
  30. R. Rampazzo, M. Uslenghi, I.Y. Giorgiev, A. Cattapan, L. Verdes-Montenegro, M. Bonaglia, J.L. Borelli, L. Busoni, W. Gaessler, D. Magrin, A. Marino, P. Mazzei, T. Mazzoni, D. Peter, S. Rabien, R. Ragazzoni, M. Rosensteiner, “High resolution morphology and surface photometry of KIG 685 and KIG 895 with ARGOS+LUCI using the Large Binocular Telescope”, Astronomische Nachrichten, Volume 341, Issue 1, pp. 10-25 (2020). 
  31. Rampazzo, R.; Omizzolo, A.; Uslenghi, M.; Román, J.; Mazzei, P.; Verdes-Montenegro, L.; Marino, A.; Jones, M. G., “Morphology and surface photometry of a sample of isolated early-type galaxies from deep imaging”. A&A, Volume 640, id.A38, 28 pp. (2020). 
  32. Bok, J.; Skelton, R. E.; Cluver, M. E.; Jarrett, T. H.; Jones, M. G.; Verdes-Montenegro, L., “H I study of isolated and paired galaxies: the MIR SFR-M⋆ sequence”. MNRAS, Volume 499, Issue 3, pp.3193-3213 (2020).
  33. Sánchez-Alarcón, P. M., Román, J., Knapen, J. H… Sánchez-Exposito, S. Includes Verdes-Montegro, L (4/13), “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies. XIV. Disc breaks and interactions through ultra-deep optical imaging”. A&A, Volume 677, id.A117, 20 pp (2023). 
  34. Sorgho, A. ; Verdes-Montenegro, L. ; Hess, K. M. ; Jones, M. G. ; Jarrett, T. H.; Sanchez-Expósito, S. ; Garrido, J., “The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies – effects of environment on angular momentum”. MNRAS, Volume 528, Issue 2, pp.1630-1654 (2024).
  35. Yun, M.S., Verdes-Montenegro, L., Del Olmo, A., Perea, J., “Molecular gas and infrared emission in HCG 31 & HCG 92 (Stephan’s Quintet) and tidal interactions in compact group environment”. ApJ 475, L21-24 (1997).
  36. Verdes-Montenegro, L., Del Olmo, A., Perea, J., Athanassoula, E., Márquez, I., Augarde, R., “Hickson 96: a physical compact group”. A&A, 321, 409-423 (1997).
  37. Verdes-Montenegro, L., Yun, M.S., Perea, J., Del Olmo, A., Ho, P. T. P., “Effects of interaction-induced activities in Hickson compact groups: CO and Far-Infrared study”. ApJ, 497, 89 (1998).
  38. Williams, B. A., Yun, M.S., Verdes-Montenegro, L., “The VLA H I Observations of Stephan’s Quintet (HCG 92)”. AJ, 123, 2417(2002).
  39. Verdes-Montenegro, L., Del Olmo, A., Iglesias-Pramo, J., Perea, J., Vilchez, J. M., Yun, M.S., Huchtmeier, W. K., “Ripples and tails in the compact group of galaxies Hickson 54”. A&A, 396, 815-832 (2002).
  40. Verdes-Montenegro, L., Del Olmo, A., Yun, M.S., J., Perea, J., “The evolution of HCG 31: Optical and high-resolution HI study”. A&A, 430, 443-464 (2005).
  41. Rasmussen, J., Ponman, T., Verdes-Montenegro, L., Yun, M. S., Borthakur, S., “Galaxy evolution in Hickson compact groups: the role of ram-pressure stripping and strangulation”. MNRAS, 388, 1245 (2008).
  42. Borthakur, S., Yun, M. S., & Verdes-Montenegro, L., “Detection of Diffuse Neutral Intragroup Medium in Hickson Compact Groups”. ApJL, 710, 385 (2010).
  43. V. Martinez-Badenes, U. Lisenfeld, D. Espada, L. Verdes-Montenegro, S. García-Burillo, S. Leon, J. Sulentic, and M. S. Yun, “Molecular gas content and SFR of Hickson compact groups: enhanced or deficient?”. A&A 540, A96, 17pp (2012).
  44. Alatalo, K.; Appleton, P. N.; Lisenfeld, U.; Bitsakis, T.; Guillard, P.; Charmandaris, V.; Cluver, M.; Dopita, M. A.; Freeland, E.; Jarrett, T.; Kewley, L. J.; Ogle, P. M.; Rasmussen, J.; Rich, J. A.; Verdes-Montenegro, L.; Xu, C. K.; Yun, M., “Strong far-infrared cooling lines, peculiar CO kinematics, and possible star-formation suppression in Hickson Compact Group 57”. ApJ, 795, Issue 2, article id. 159, 16 pp. (2014).
  45. F.P.A. Vogt, M.A. Dopita, S. Borthakur, L. Verdes-Montenegro, T. M. Heckman, M. S. Yun, K. C. Chambers, “Galaxy interactions in compact groups – II. Abundance and kinematic anomalies in HCG 91c”. MNRAS 450(3):2593-2614 (2015).
  46. S. Borthakur, M.S. Yun, L. Verdes-Montenegro, T. M. Heckman, G. Zhu, “Distribution of faint atomic gas in Hickson Compact Groups”. ApJ, 812, Issue 1, article id. 78, 15 pp. (2015).
  47. M. G. Jones, L. Verdes-Montenegro, A. Damas-Segovia, S. Borthakur, M. S. Yun, A. del Olmo, J. Perea, J. Román, S. Luna, D. Lopez Gutiérrez, B. Williams, F. P. A. Vogt, J. Garrido, S. Sánchez, J. Cannon, P. Ramírez-Moreta. “Evolution of compact groups from intermediate to final stages: A case study of the HI content of HCG 16”. A&A, Volume 632, id. A78 (2019).
  48. Jones, M. G.; Verdes-Montenegro, L; Moldon, J;…; Sanchez, S. (2/14), “Disturbed, diffuse, or just missing? A global study of the H I content of Hickson compact groups”. A&A, Volume 670, id. A21, 47 pp. (2023).