Evolution of Normal Galaxies: HST Morphologies and Deep Spectroscopy

Original · EN

I review progress in understanding the evolution of normal field and cluster galaxies through the combination of HST imaging and ground-based spectroscopy. These data suggest that the bulk of the star formation producing the present-day galaxy population occurred at accessible redshifts, z<2. Furthermore, a surprising amount of the detailed processing that shaped the Hubble sequence and morphology-density relation occurred surprisingly recently. The stage is thus set for a concerted attack on these questions with the present generation of 8-10 metre large telescopes. An important step forward will be the development of efficient survey techniques for the systematic exploration of the z>1 Universe. Some possible approaches are briefly discussed.