There are multiple ways in which to select post-starburst galaxies in the literature. In this work, we present a study into how two well-used selection techniques have consequences on observable post-starburst galaxy parameters, such as colour, morphology and environment and how this affects interpretations of their role in the galaxy duty cycle. We identify a master sample of Hδ strong (EWHδ >...

The X-ray properties of 15 nearby (v < 3, 000 km s−1) galaxies that possess AGN and/or starbursts are discussed. Two-thirds have nuclear extended emission on scales from ∼ 0.5 to ∼ 1.5 kpc that is either clearly associated with a nuclear outflow or morphologically resembles an outflow. Galaxies that are AGN-dominated tend to have linear structures while starburst-dominated galaxies tend to have...

It is inferred from the symmetrical and luminous X-ray emission of fossil groups that they are mature, relaxed galaxy systems. Cosmological simulations and observations focusing on their dark halo and inter-galactic medium properties confirm their early formation. Recent photometric observations suggest that, unlike the majority of non-fossil brightest group galaxies (BGGs), the central early-t...

Infrared bright galactic nuclei may be powered by accretion of matter onto a black hole, a burst of new star formation, or both of these processes. To gain insight into such processes we have used integral field spectroscopy to observe a sample of galaxies with identified AGN or nuclear starbursts. We confirm the presence of a starburst in the nuclear regions of the galaxies IC 3639, MRK 477, N...

We study the star formation rate and dust extinction properties of a sample of nearby star forming galaxies as derived from Hα and UV (∼ 2000 Å) observations and we compare them to those of a sample of starburst galaxies. The dust extinction in Hα is estimated from the Balmer decrement and the extinction in UV using the FIR to UV flux ratio or the attenuation law for starburst galaxies of Calze...

Chandra observations of the core of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 reveal a heavily absorbed source of hard X-rays embedded within the nuclear starburst region. The source has an unabsorbed, 2 to 10 keV luminosity of ≥ 10 erg s and photoionizes the surrounding gas. We observe this source through a dusty torus with a neutral absorbing column density of NH ∼ 2 × 10 23 cm. The torus is hundre...

Old starburst galaxies are deficient in O stars, and hence do not exhibit strong line emission in the optical regime. However, there remain many B stars, which are expected to heat dust grains and generate strong continuum emission in the far-infrared. The IRAS data for a statistically complete sample of nearby galaxies reveal for the first time that such objects are as numerous as 30–40% of th...

Galaxy interactions are studied in terms of the starburst-Seyfert connection. The starburst requires a high rate of gas supply. Since the efficiency for supplying the gas is high in a galaxy interaction, although the companion is not necessarily discernible, Seyfert galaxies with circumnuclear starbursts are expected to be interacting. Since the large amounts of circumnuclear gas and dust obscu...

It was once common to regard Seyfert and starburst galaxies as completely different types of object, but there is growing recognition that these classifications refer to the extremes of a continuous spectrum of galaxy types. In a previous study we investigated a sample of galaxies with ambiguous optical emission-line ratios and concluded from near-infrared spectroscopic observations that the sa...

Different compositions of galaxy types in the field in comparison to galaxy clusters as described by the morphology-density relation in the local universe is interpreted as a result of transformation processes from lateto early-type galaxies. This interpretation is supported by the Butcher-Oemler effect. We investigate E+A galaxies as an intermediate state between late-type galaxies in low dens...