Pierre-Alain Duc

Research

My research mainly focusses on the understanding of galaxy formation and evolution, in particular through tidal interactions and mergers. Collisions are a fundamental process in current cosmological models. They trigger the mass assembly of galaxies and morphological transformations. I scrutinize the immediate environment of systems located in the nearby Universe in order to identify and characterize debris of past collisions. On the ultra deep images I am using, they appear as diffuse and extended "low-surface brightness" (LSB) structures. With the help of numerical simulations, I then try to reconstruct the merging history of the host galaxies.

Collisions also induce strong star-forming episodes known as starbursts, as well as the formation of star clusters, and even new galaxies, the so-called Tidal Dwarfs (TDGs), which I co-discovered as part of my PhD work. I study the genesis of these objects using multi-wavelength observations coupled with simulations.

One class of objects is specifically sensitive to its environment, the dwarf galaxies. As such they are used as laboratories to study a number of astrophysical processes. I am involved in a number of projects that aim at making their complete census and study their formation and evolution.

Past investigations include the evolution of galaxies in clusters, and the search for optical counterparts of Gamma Ray bursts and compact X-ray binaries.

Projects

MATLAS and deep imaging surveys with CFHT

MATLAS (Mass Assembly of early-Type GaLAxies with their fine Structures) investigates the mass assembly of Early-Type Galaxies (ETGs) and the build-up of their scaling relations, with extremely deep optical images. The stellar populations in the outermost regions of ETGs, the fine structures (tidal tails, stellar streams, and shells) around them, the Globular Cluster (GCs) and dwarf satellites, preserve a record of past merger events and more generally of the evolution and transformation of galaxies. I am the PI of this Large Programme at CFHT.
Data are complemented by images from the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS) and the Canada France Imaging Survey (CFIS), which also provide data on a large sample of nearby Late-Type galaxies.

Euclid

The Euclid space mission, to be launched in 2022, will map 15 000 square degrees of the sky in order to get constrains on the nature of the dark matter an energy. However, the exclusive high spatial resolution (HST like) images the survey will provide in the visual and near-infrared windows will have a strong legacy values for many scientific topics, in particular galaxy science. As a member of the Euclid Consortium I explore these capabilities, collaborating with the Local Universe and Galaxy evolution &AGN science working groups. I am particularly involved in the activities of the Morphology transverse work package (which I co founded) and the Low surface brightness (dwarf) galaxy WP which I co-lead.

Rubin / LSST

The Rubin observatory ,a facility based in Chile, will also map the southern sky in several optical bands. Having primary cosmological aims similar as Euclid, the LSST will also be particularly useful to study galaxy evolution, and explore their LSB features. I prepare the exploitation of these scientific capabilities within the Galaxy science collaboration.

Past projects

Services

Direction

Depuis 2017, j'occupe le poste de directeur de l'observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg (ObAS), structure qui est à fois un Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers (OSU), avec une mission de services, une composante / faculté de l'Université de Strasbourg, avec une mission d'enseignements, et une unité mixte de recherche CNRS / Université de Strasbourg. A l'ObAS, les fonctions de directeur d'OSU, de composante et d'unité de recherche sont exercées par la même personne.

Précédemment j'ai été directeur-adjoint du laboratoire AIM à Saclay

Médiation scientifique

Je donne régulièrement des conférences et visites grand public, le plus souvent sur le thème des galaxies ou du patrimoine astronomique. J’interviens pontuellement dans des écoles sur le métier d'astronome. Je suis régulièrement sollicité pour des interventions pour des radio ou télés locales ou écrire des article de vulgarisation scientifique.

Ci dessous quelques interventions récentes

Outreach

Je donne régulièrement des conférences grand public, le plus souvent sur le thème des galaxies. J’interviens pontuellement dans des écoles.

cv/liens

Curriculum

Production

Pages web personnelles

Contact

Adresse

Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg
11 rue de l'université, 67000 Strasbourg, France

e-mail

pierre-alain.duc @ astro.unistra.fr

Contact

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Elements

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