The Social Life of Galaxies: Unfolding the Mystery of Galactic Interactions and Transformations in Different Environments

The neutral atomic hydrogen gas discs are the pivotal components of the cold interstellar medium in galaxies, and are the fuel for star formation. These gas discs are also excellent tracers of diverse physical processes that are undergoing in the cosmic neighbourhood of galaxies. However, it is still unclear which of the processes dominate the transformation of galaxies from star forming and gas rich, to quiescent and gas poor in diverse cosmic environments. I investigated the influences of the global and local environment on the evolution of galaxies by observing their neutral gas and star formation properties primarily using radio telescopes (MeerKAT, JVLA). My aim is to understand the relative importance and effects of the various physical mechanisms that are responsible for reshaping the galaxies. I will also show some interesting case studies like the “jellyfish” galaxies, an extreme example of hydrodynamical stripping with in situ star formation in the tails.