Galaxies grow by accreting gas, which they need to form stars, from their surrounding haloes. These haloes, in turn, accrete gas from the diffuse intergalactic medium. Feedback from stars and black... Show moreGalaxies grow by accreting gas, which they need to form stars, from their surrounding haloes. These haloes, in turn, accrete gas from the diffuse intergalactic medium. Feedback from stars and black holes returns gas from the galaxy to the halo and can even expel it from the halo. This cycle of gas inflow and outflow, its impact on star formation, and the detectability of the gas outside of galaxies are discussed in this thesis. The growth of galaxies and their gaseous haloes depends strongly on their mass, the age of the Universe, and the inclusion of feedback processes, as do their physical and observational properties. Show less
Over the past 15 years, the field of extragalactic astronomy has pushed to high redshift and our knowledge of natal galaxies has grown dramatically. Galaxies are now routinely detected at redshifts... Show moreOver the past 15 years, the field of extragalactic astronomy has pushed to high redshift and our knowledge of natal galaxies has grown dramatically. Galaxies are now routinely detected at redshifts z ! 6__7 (e.g. Bouwens et al. 2010; Labb_e et al. 2010; Oesch et al. 2010; Bouwens et al. 2011; McLure et al. 2011). However, there are fundamental concepts that are still poorly understood. How do galaxies get their gas? How does galactic feedback affect galaxy evolution? Show less
