I am currently an Assistant Professor at Universidad de Santiago in Chile. Previously I was a NASA NPP fellow at the NASA Ames Research Center. Previously, I worked as a Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Kentucky from 2021. My research focuses on multi-wavelength observations of galaxy clusters and groups. Specifically, I utilize ALMA, MUSE, and Chandra observations to investigate the relationship between the intra-cluster/group medium (ICM/IGM), optical emission-line gas, and the Brightest Cluster/Group Galaxy (BCG/BGG) in the cores of clusters and companies. During my PhD at the Observatory of Paris, I conducted research on the origin of cold gas in nearby galaxy clusters and groups.

  

RESEARCH

X-Ray Cavity Dynamics and Their Role in the Gas Precipitation

I study the effect of the ICM ``weather'' on the AGN feedback and explore if such is necessary to produce multiphase filaments on a sample of nearby Planck selected galaxy clusters using in synergy Chandra and MUSE observations. We found that most of the multiphase filaments are likely form through AGN feedback, while a few

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Black Hole Activity Not Evolving in Central Cluster Galaxies

I study the evolution of AGN feedback on central Brightest Cluster Galaxies. We presented a systematic study of X-ray cavities using archival Chandra observations of Planck selected clusters, which provides a nearly unbiased mass-selected sample. We measured an detected rate of AGN bubbles of 18%. After correcting for spatial resolution to match the high-z SPT-SZ sample, the detection fraction decreases to 9%, consistent with the high-z sample, hinting that the AGN feedback has not evolved across almost 8 Gyrs.

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Origin of the cold gas in Central Cluster Galaxies

I study the origin of the multiphase filamentary gas in central cluster galaxies. Observations of cool-core cluster, show extended multi-phase filamentary around the brightest cluster galaxy of several kpc long. Recent studied has suggested that these filaments are either formed due to turbulence motions (AGN feedback) or uplifted behind the buoyantly rising AGN bubbles the buoyantly radio bubbles. To study the formation these filaments we used multi-wavelength observations (ALMA, MUSE and Chandra).

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Origin of the cold gas in Central Group Galaxies

I explore the origin of the cold and warm ionized gas to central groups galaxies using MUSE and Chandra observations of optically-selected groups (CLoGS). These systems are very diverse, and many of them have been observed to have a hot atmosphere. However, their low-velocity dispersion and small galaxy separation make mergers more prevalent than in clusters.

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Sub-millimeter galaxies

I also studied the origin of the extreme star formation episodes observed in these fascinating systems using SINFONI/VLT observations at high-z. Our analysis involved mapping the spatial distribution and kinematics of the star-forming regions in these galaxies at kpc-scales, and our analisys suggest that their extreme star formation episodes are triggered by galaxy-galaxy interactions and major mergers. Learn more

MUSE Observations

NGC 1587

NGC 677

Selected Publications

"X-Ray Cavity Dynamics and Their Role in the Gas Precipitation in Planck Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) Selected Clusters."

Olivares, V.; Su, Y.; Forman, W.; Gaspari, M.; Andrade-Santos, F.; et al. 2023, APJ, Volume 954

"AGN feedback duty cycle in Planck SZ selected clusters using Chandra observations."

Olivares, V., Su, Y., Nulsen, P., Kraft, R., et al. 2022, MNRAS letter, 516, L101-L106

"Gas condensation in brightest group galaxies unveiled with MUSE. Morphology and kinematics of the ionized gas."

V. Olivares, P. Salomé, S. L. Hamer, F. Combes, M. Gaspari, et al. 2022, A&A, 666, A94

"Ubiquitous cold and massive filaments in cool core clusters."

V. Olivares, P. Salome, F. Combes, S. Hamer, P. Guillard, et al. 2019, A&A, A22, 631