Fredagskollokvium: Live fast, die young: The extreme life of massive galaxies”

Elliptical galaxies are the oldest, most massive galaxies in the Universe, but until recently their cosmic origin was poorly understood.
I will present observational evidence for a new coherent model for their formation, which for the first time connects some of the most extreme galactic phenomena in Universe in a single evolutionary sequence. From the most extreme bursts of star formation shortly after the big bang, through quasars (the most energetic sources in the Universe powered by super massive black holes) and the densest conglomerations of stars known, to the sleeping giants of the local Universe (the Ellipticals).