| Abstract: |
Technological advances in ground- and space-based observatories now allow routine observations of protogalaxies to within 1 Gyr of the Big Bang. But most of the present-day stellar mass, along with the familiar pattern of spiral and elliptical galaxies we see in the nearby universe, in fact largely emerged in the most recent 10 Gyr. Between 0<z<2, a period which I've termed the "thermal era," the cosmic baryons become increasingly locked up in 10^6 degree intergalactic gas and "dynamically hot" structures like clusters and elliptical galaxies. Here I will present some of our ongoing efforts (employing both large surveys and targeted programs) to quantify the dramatic evolution of galaxies in the thermal era, the rise of large-scale structures, and direct tests of the physical mechanisms behind these changes. |
