We review the status of current observations of the fundamental parameters of intermediate redshift (z ≤ 1.2) disk galaxies. Advances in instrumentation of 8-10m class telescopes have made possible detailed measurements of galaxy luminosity, morphology, kinematics and mass, in both the optical and the infrared passbands. By studying such well known star formation indicators as [OII]3727A (in the optical) and Hα (redshifted to the infrared), the internal velocity structure and star formation rates of galaxies can be traced through this entire redshift regime. The combination of throughput and optimum seeing conditions yields spectra which can be combined with high resolution multiband imaging to explore the evolution of galaxies of various morphologies, and to place constraints on current models of galaxy formation and star formation histories.

Out to redshifts of unity, these data form a high redshift Tully-Fisher relation that spans four magnitudes and extends to well below L*, with no obvious change in shape or slope with respect to the local relation. A comparison of disk surface brightness between local and high redshift samples yields an offset in accordance with distance-dependent surface brightness selection effects, as can the apparent change in disk size with redshift for disks of a given mass. These results support low Ω0 models of formation, and provide further evidence for modest increases in luminosity with lookback time for the bulk of the observed field spiral galaxy population.

Finally, a comparison of spatially resolved spectra versus integrated emission line widths for distant galaxies suggests that observational constraints bias each type of observational sample toward different sub-groups of galaxies, with different evolutionary histories. Like varying selection effects, this will lead to a wide range of projected evolutionary trends.

The Tully-Fisher Relation (TFR) links two fundamental properties of disk galaxies: their luminosity and their rotation velocity (mass). The pioneering work of Vogt et al. in the 1990's showed that it is possible to study the TFR for spiral galaxies at considerable look-back-times, and use it as a powerful probe of their evolution. In recent years, several groups have studied the TFR for galaxies in different environments reaching redshifts beyond one. In this brief review I summarise the main results of some of these studies and their consequences for our understanding of the formation and evolution of disk galaxies. Particular emphasis is placed on the possible environment-driven differences in the behaviour of the TFR for field and cluster galaxies.

I report on recent measurements of two scaling relations of spheroids in the distant universe, the Fundamental Plane, and the relation between lensing velocity dispersion and stellar velocity dispersion. The joint analysis of the two scaling relations indicates that the most massive (above ~1011.5M⊙) spheroids are consistent with no evolution since z ~ 1 both in terms of star formation and internal structure. Furthermore their total mass density profile is on average well described by an isothermal sphere with no evidence for redshift evolution. At smaller masses the picture appears to be substantially different, as indicated by evidence for substantial recent star formation (as much as 20–40% of stellar mass formed since z ~ 1), and by hints of a reduced dark matter content at smaller masses. A larger sample of lenses extending to velocity dispersions below 200\kms, and to redshifts above >0.5 is needed to verify these trends.

Galaxy bimodality is caused by the bulge-disc nature of galaxies as opposed to two distinct galaxy classes. This is evident in the colour-structure plane which clearly shows that elliptical galaxies (bulge-only) lie in the red compact peak and late-type spiral galaxies (disc-dominated) lie in the blue diffuse peak. Early-type spirals (bulge plus disc systems) sprawl across both peaks. However after bulge-disc decomposition the bulges of early-type spirals lie exclusively in the red compact peak and their discs in the blue diffuse peak (exceptions exist but are rare, e.g., dust reddened edge-on discs and blue pseudo-bulges). Movement between these two peaks is not trivial because whilst switching off star-formation can transform colours from blue to red, modifying the orbits of ~1 billion stars from a planar diffuse structure to a triaxial compact structure is problematic (essentially requiring an equal mass merger). We propose that the most plausible explanation for the dual structure of galaxies is that galaxy formation proceeds in two stages. First an initial collapse phase (forming a centrally concentrated core and black hole), followed by splashback, infall and accretion (forming a planar rotating disc). Dwarf systems coule perhaps follow the same scenario but the lack of low luminosity bulge-disc systems would imply that the two components must rapidly blend to form a single flattened spheroidal system.

New observations in favour of a significant role of secular evolution are reviewed: central star formation boosted in pseudo-bulge barred galaxies, relations between bulge and disk, evidence for rejuvenated bulges. Numerical simulations have shown that secular evolution can occur through a cycle of bar formation and destruction, in which the gas plays a major role. Since bars are weakened or destroyed in gaseous disks, the high frequency of bars observed today requires external cold gas accretion, to replenish the disk and allow a new bar formation. The rate of gas accretion from external filaments is compatible with what is observed in cosmological simulations.

We review our recent work on the formation and evolution of disks within triaxial dark matter (DM) halos by means of numerical simulations, including star formation and feedback from stellar evolution. The growing disks are strongly influenced by shapes of DM halos and modify them in turn. Disk parameters are in a broad agreement with those in the local universe. Gas-rich stellar bars grow in tandem with the disk and facilitate the angular momentum redistribution in the system and radial gas inflow. Nested bars appear to form as a by-product. Interactions between various non-axisymmetric components—bars, disks and halos lead to decay of bars or washing out of ellipticity in the inner halo.

The Triangulum Spiral Galaxy Messier 33 offers unique insights into the building of a galactic disk. We identify spectacular arcs of intermediate age (0.6 Gyr − 2 Gyr) stars in the low-metallicity outer disk. The northern arc spans ~120 degrees in azimuth and up to 5 arcmin in width. The arcs are located 2-3 disk scale lengths from the galaxy centre (where 1 disk scale length is equivalent to 0.1 degrees in the V-band) and lie precisely where there is a warp in the HI profile of M33. Warps and infall are inextricably linked (Binney, 1992). We present spectroscopy of candidate stars in the outer northern arc, secured using the Keck I telescope in Hawaii. The target stars have estimated visual magnitudes as faint as V~ 25m. Absorption bands of CN are seen in all spectra reported in this review talk, confirming their carbon star status. Also presented are PAH emissivity radial profiles generated from IRAC observations of M33 using the Spitzer Space Telescope. A dramatic change of phase in the m = 2 Fourier component is detected at the domain of the arcs. M33 serves as an excellent example how the disks of spiral galaxies in our Universe are built: as dynamically open systems, growing from the inward, outward.

We discuss bulges in the Hubble sequence, based on the analysis of deep near-IR images for a sample of 216 nearby galaxies. Using a 2D multicomponent decomposition code, we find that the average bulge-to-total (B/T) flux ratio is less than 0.25 across all morphological types. Even 50% of the early-type galaxies (S0-S0/a) are found to have nuclear bars, inner disks or nuclear rings inside the bulge. Also, the shape parameter of the bulge is on average ≤2 for all Hubble types. Our results are consistent with the picture in which bulges even in many early-type galaxies were formed by secular evolutionary processes. We find two galaxies that might be stripped spirals, belonging to the so far empty S0c morphological class introduced by van den Bergh (1979).

I very briefly discuss the ages and kinematics of spheroids as well as the black hole relations, via a few recent and illustrative studies, which include results on the downsizing, scaling laws, angular momentum and central massive objects.

We use two methods to establish the relationship between galaxies and dark matter halos. One is based the conditional luminosity function model, which links galaxies and dark matter halos by matching the number density and clustering properties of galaxies with those of dark matter halos in the current CDM model. The second is based on galaxy systems identified from large redshift surveys of galaxies. The galaxy – dark halo relationships established by these two methods match well, and can provide important constraints on how galaxies form and evolve in the universe.

I assess the similarities and differences between the star-formation modes in quiescent spiral galaxies versus those in violent starburst regions, including galactic nuclei. As opposed to the quiescent star-formation mode, current empirical evidence on the star-formation processes in the extreme, high-pressure environments induced by galaxy encounters strongly suggests that star cluster formation is an important and perhaps even the dominant mode of star formation in such starburst events. This implies that by using star clusters as unique diagnostic probes, we can trace a galaxy's most violent star formation history very well, at least for the past few Gyr. The sizes, luminosities, and mass estimates of the young massive star clusters are entirely consistent with what is expected for young Milky Way-type globular clusters (GCs). Recent evidence lends support to the scenario that GCs, which were once thought to be the oldest building blocks of galaxies, are still forming today.

I review the current status of stellar population modelling, with particular emphasis on the treatment of the Thermally-Pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch stellar phase. I discuss how much the physical properties of galaxies that are derived applying these models to real data, depend on the adopted model.

I present a brief review of current work on dwarf galaxy age-metallicity relationships.

We review the possibility that metallicity could provide a diagnostic for the age of a galaxy, hence that the most metal-poor star forming galaxies in the local universe may be genuinely young. Indeed, observational evidence for “downsizing” shows the average age of the stars in a galaxy to decrease with decreasing mass and metallicity. However, we conclude both from observational and theoretical viewpoints that metallicity is not an arrow of time. Consequently the most metal–poor galaxies of our local universe are not necessarely young. Current observations suggest that an old stellar population is present in all metal-poor galaxies, although a couple of cases, e.g. IZw18, remain under debate. Further observations with more sentitive equipement should settle this question in the coming years.

IZw18 has been recurrently claimed to be a young galaxy, but stars of increasingly older ages are found every time deeper magnitude levels are reached with high-resolution photometry: from the original few Myrs to, possibly, several Gyrs. We summarize the history of IZw18's age and an HST project which will allow us to derive both its distance and age.

Integrated spectra of 10 concentrated Galactic open clusters were obtained in the (3600-6800)Å range using the CASLEO (Argentina) 2.15 m telescope. The method used to determine ages and reddening of the clusters consists of the following steps: (1) Estimation of the cluster age from equivalent widths of the Balmer lines. This age is practically independent of the reddening. (2) Choice of the template whose spectral features better resemble those of the observed spectrum. This choice was made by using the libraries of template spectra which were available at the moment of making use of this methodology. In a first approach, the age inferred by the previous method was adopted. (3) Variation of the reddening of the observed spectrum until obtaining the best match to the chosen template. The reddening corrections were done using the normal reddening law. In Table 1 we show the parameters derived here, where the ages values are in Myr.

Five out of the ten studied clusters have not been the subject of previous studies so that their fundamental parameters determined turn out to be the first of their kind. For the remaining clusters, the parameters derived exhibit good agreement with those determined in previous studies.

With the exception of ESO429-SC2, the remaining Galactic open clusters are located within two 90°. sectors centered at l = 343° and l = 253°, respectively. A comparison of the properties of the Galactic open clusters here studied to those of well-known clusters located in the above mentioned sectors, shows that, unless major star forming events had occurred in the Galactic disk in the last 100 Myr or so, the present results would favour an important dissolution rate of star clusters in the above mentioned Galactic sectors.

The statistical algorithm MEMPHIS (Cubarsi & Alcobé 2006) was applied to a large sample from the Hipparcos catalogue with the full space motions (Cubarsi & Alcobé 2004), to segregate the kinematic populations of the solar neighbourhood. Four stellar populations were obtained, namely early-thin disk, young-thin disk, the whole thin disk (which contains both previous populations plus the continuum of old thin disk stars), and the thick disk population. Now, we wish to point out two main results from the analysis of such a segregation (Alcobé & Cubarsi 2005). First, the relationship between the maximum stellar velocity of a sample and its average age τ can be approximated by the relation |V|max ∝ τ. Second, the local stellar populations can be described from a Titius-Bode like law (TBLL) for the radial velocity dispersion, , so that for values n = 2, 3, 5, 8 it determines some average energy levels of discrete populations, while for continuous intervals n ≤ 5 and n ≥ 7 it describes the velocity-age evolution of thin and thick disk components, as shown in the Table below.

Thus, the velocity dispersions of the local kinematic populations seem to follow a geometrical progression, allowing us to do an analogy with the old Titius-Bode distribution for keplerian orbits, although a physical explanation for the later law remains still open (Lynch 2003). Indeed, such a TBLL in the velocity space could be already conjectured from previous published kinematic parameters of the Galactic components (e.g. Alcobé & Cubarsi 2001). As in the keplerian case, it is possible to argue that velocity dispersion values have too much uncertainty, but, even so, it is not possible to ignore anymore such a resemblance.

Such results are consistent with Galactic formation models that predict some quasi-continuous stellar populations in the sense that the continuity is constricted by σ1 levels of the TBLL. The physical meaning of the variable n involved in the TBLL may be related with the average epicycle energy ER ~ σ21 of the stars representative of the disk heating process. It shows continuity from n = 3 to 5 for the thin disk, and from 7 to 8 for the thick disk, but discreteness from n = 2 to 3 between early-thin and young-thin disk, and from 5 to 8 between thin and thick disk components. For the thin disk, for example, the level n = 5 should represent the saturation point of maximum velocity dispersion, likely corresponding to the limited predicted by the observed wavenumber of spiral structure of the Milky Way, while the discontinuity from n = 5 to 7 indicates an abrupt jump in the average energy, that was produced when the thick disk was formed about 10±1 Gyr ago.

Most dwarf elliptical galaxies except for ‘dE, N’ galaxies which are characterized by young stellar populations in the nuclear regions are located in the high density environment. The colors and spectra of ‘dE, N’ galaxies are different from other types, in the sense that they have redder colors with little emission lines. The majority of dwarf elliptical galaxies are younger than 7 Gyr with metallicity larger than [z/H]=−0.5.

We present deep Color Magnitude Diagrams (CMDs), based on HST/ACS data, of two star-forming dwarf galaxies, NGC4449 and IZw18.

Our aim is to study the stellar kinematics in hosts of AGN. We do so by measuring nuclear stellar velocity dispersions (σ⋆). Our sample comprises spectra of 78 objects, 69 of which are Seyfert galaxies, in the region around the λλ8498.02, 8542.09, 8662.14 Calcium triplet (CaT). We investigate two methods to measure σ⋆: (1) the direct fitting method (DFM), which makes use of our stellar population synthesis code Starlight, and (2) the cross-correlation method (CCM), for which we use the fxcor package in IRAF. Both methods yield velocity dispersions consistent to within 19 km/s on-average. We have also measured the CaT equivalent width (WCaT) and the λ3933 CaII K equivalent width (WK) for the objects in our sample. Other studies have shown that WK is a powerful tracer of starbursts in Seyfert nuclei, so we check if WCaT can be used in the same way. We have also analysed a sub-sample of 34 spatially resolved objects with reasonably good off-nuclear signal-to-noise. We study the spatial variations of both σ⋆ and WCaT. We see no dilution in WCaT for composite starburst + Seyfert 2 galaxies, in contrast to the dilution in the WK (studied by other authors) for the same objects.