In this thesis, I study the extreme environment of galaxy centers by understanding the conditions of the the molecular gas; the fuel of star formation. The fundamentals of star formation can be... Show moreIn this thesis, I study the extreme environment of galaxy centers by understanding the conditions of the the molecular gas; the fuel of star formation. The fundamentals of star formation can be understood as a balance between the available molecular gas supply and feedback processes. By observing transitions of molecular and atomic species, I have determined the mechanisms that are heating the gas, the gas density, radiation environment, and mass. Show less
The aim of this work is to study starbursts and the dynamical processes involved, both from gas and stellar components. For this purpose, one nearby galaxy with a nuclear starburst was selected, as... Show moreThe aim of this work is to study starbursts and the dynamical processes involved, both from gas and stellar components. For this purpose, one nearby galaxy with a nuclear starburst was selected, as well as a sample of 6 ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). Observations of these sources were carried out with SINFONI, the spectrograph for integral field observations in the near-infrared, an instrument that is mounted on the VLT in Chile. The thesis contains a study of the spectral features that are characteristic for starbursts, and a comparison of dynamical masses and mass-to-light ratios of the ULIRGs, calculated with different methods both from stellar dynamics and gas dynamics. Show less
