Galaxies are not distributed randomly throughout space but are instead arranged in an intricate "cosmic web" of filaments and walls surrounding bubble-like voids. There is still no compelling observational evidence of a link between the structure of the cosmic web and how galaxies form within it. However, such a connection is expected on the basis of our understanding of the origin of galaxy angular momentum: disk galaxies should be highly inclined relative to the plane defined by the large-scale structure surrounding them. Using the two largest galaxy redshift surveys currently in existence (2dFGRS and SDSS), we show at the 99.7% confidence level that these alignments do indeed exist: spiral galaxies located on the shells of the largest cosmic voids have rotation axes that lie preferentially on the void surface.

We present estimates of CN and Mg overabundances with respect to Fe for early-type galaxies in 8 clusters over a range of richness and morphology. Spectra were taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR1, and from WHT and CAHA observations. Abundances were derived from absorption lines and single burst population models, by comparing galaxy spectra with appropriately broadened synthetic model spectra. We detect correlations between [Mg/CN] and [CN/Fe] and cluster X-ray luminosity. No correlation is observed for [Mg/Fe]. We also see a clear trend with the richness and morphology of the clusters. This is interpreted given varying formation timescales for CN, Mg and Fe, and a varying star formation history in early-type galaxies as a function of their environment: intermediate-mass early-type galaxies in more massive clusters are assembled on shorter timescales than in less massive clusters, with an upper limit of ∼ 1 Gyr.

We present a detailed stellar population analysis of 27 massive elliptical galaxies within 4 very rich clusters at redshift z~0.2: A115, A655, A963 and A2111. Using the new, high-resolution stellar populations models developed in our group, we obtained accurate estimates of the mean luminosity-weighted ages and relative abundances of CN, Mg and Fe. We have found that [CN/H] and [Mg/H] are correlated with sigma while [Fe/H] and Log(age) are not. In addition, both abundance ratios [CN/Fe] and [Mg/Fe] increase with sigma. Furthermore, the [CN/H]-sigma and [CN/Fe]-sigma slopes are steeper for galaxies in very rich clusters than those in the less dense Virgo and Coma clusters. On the other hand, [Mg/H]-sigma and [Mg/Fe]-sigma slopes keep constant as functions of the environment. Our results are compatible with a scenario in which the stellar populations of massive elliptical galaxies, independently of their environment and mass, had formation timescales shorter than ~1 Gyr. This result implies that massive elliptical galaxies have evolved passively since, at least, as long ago as z~2. For a given galaxy mass the duration of star formation is shorter in those galaxies belonging to more dense environments; whereas the mass-metallicity relation appears to be also a function of the cluster properties: the denser the environment is, the steeper are the correlations. Finally, we show that the abundance ratios [CN/Fe] and [Mg/Fe] are the key "chemical clocks" to infer the star formation history timescales in ellipticals. In particular, [Mg/Fe] provides an upper limit for those formation timescales, while [CN/Fe] apperars to be the most suitable parameter to resolve them in elliptical galaxies with sigma<300 km/s.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA

Context. Hydrodynamical cosmological simulations predict flows of the intergalactic medium along the radial vector of the voids, approximately in the direction of the infall of matter at the early stages of the galaxy formation. Aims. These flows might be detected by analysing the dependence of the warp amplitude on the inclination of the galaxies at the shells of the voids with respect to the radial vector of the voids. This analysis will be the topic of this paper. Methods. We develop a statistical method of analysing the correlation of the amplitude of the warp and the inclination of the galaxy at the void surface. This is applied to a sample of 97 edge-on galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Our results are compared with the theoretical expectations, which are also derived in this paper. Results. Our results allow us to reject the null hypothesis (i.e., the non-correlation of the warp amplitude and the inclination of the galaxy with respect to the void surface) at 94.4% C. L., which is not conclusive. The absence of the radial flows cannot be excluded at present, although we can put a constraint on the maximum average density of baryonic matter of the radial flows of ρ b <∼ 4Ω b ρ crit .

We present a complete analysis, which includes morphology, kinematics, stellar populations, and N-body simulations, of CGCG 480Ϫ022, the most distant ( km s Ϫ1 ) isolated galaxy studied so far in such cz p 14,317 detail. The results all support the hypothesis that this galaxy has suffered a major merger event with a companion of ∼0.1 times its mass. Morphology reveals the presence of a circumnuclear ring and possibly further ring debris. The radial velocity curve looks symmetrical, while the velocity dispersion increases with radius, reaching values that do not correspond to a virialized system. Moreover, this galaxy deviates significantly from the fundamental plane and the Faber-Jackson relation. The stellar population analysis show that the ring is younger and more metal-rich, which suggest that it has undergone a fairly recent burst of star formation. Both morphological and dynamical results are in broad agreement with our N-body simulations.