Ulrike Kuchner

Integralfield Spectroscopy of Galaxies: a Study of Interacting Seyferts Ulrike Kuchner

It has long been known that galaxies undergo morphological and chemical changes within their lifetime due to interactions and mergers with other galaxies. We also know that the internal evolution of a galaxy influences the surrounding material on a kiloparsec scale. Kinematic studies show large scale gas flows in interacting galaxies: The metal-poor gas is carried from the outskirts of the galaxy towards the center where the accreted material ultimately fuels the black hole of the active galactic nucleus. Additionally, material from the central region is torqued out of the system in outflows. The combination of these processes causes the central metallicity to drop and a negative metallicity gradient can be measured. The following work portrays the Seyfert 1 galaxy UGC 1935 and introduces the investigation of decreasing metallicity gradients towards the center of an active galaxy. The results are compared with the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 607 which, though part of a group, does not yet seem to be in interaction. VLT?s VIMOS Integralfield Unit in high resolution was used for spatially resolved measurements of emission line ratios to identify metallicity gradients across the galaxies.