Yale Astronomy & Astrophysics Colloquium - Ferah Munshi

Event time: 
Thursday, September 12, 2019 - 2:30pm
Speaker: 
Ferah Munshi
Speaker Institution: 
University of Oklahoma
Talk Title: 
What's the (dark) matter with dwarf galaxies?
Event description: 

Abstract: Low mass galaxies challenge our picture of galaxy formation and are an intriguing laboratory for the study of star formation and dark matter physics. I will present results from high resolution, cosmological simulations that contain many (isolated) dwarf galaxies [the MARVEL dwarfs] as well as satellite dwarf galaxies [the Justice League]. Together, they create the largest collection of high-resolution simulated dwarf galaxies to date and the first suite to resolve ultra-faint dwarf galaxies. In total, we have simulated 165 luminous dwarf galaxies, forming a sample which span a wide range of physical (stellar and halo mass), and evolutionary properties (merger history). With this flagship suite I will present results and predictions constraining both star formation and dark matter physics soon testable by telescopes like WFIRST and LSST.  Finally, I will present results about the satellite distributions around Milky Way analogs from both zoom-in simulations and from a large sample of analogs drawn from the Romulus 25-Mpc volume simulation.  I will discuss the role of environment, quenching times and mechanisms, as well as make comparisons to observational results. 

Location: 
Watson Center A-51 See map
60 Sachem Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Open to: 
General Public