What's the (Dark) Matter with Dwarf Galaxies?
| Date/Time: | Thursday, 28 Feb 2019 from 4:10 pm to 5:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Location: | Phys 0003 |
| Phone: | 515-294-5441 |
| Channel: | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences |
| Actions: | Download iCal/vCal | Email Reminder |
Abstract
Dwarf galaxies provide a very important and intriguing laboratory for the study of star formation and dark matter physics. I will present results from high resolution, fully 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 of simulated dwarfs which span a wide range of physical (stellar and halo mass), and evolutionary properties (merger history). With this unprecedented, flagship suite we can statistically characterize dwarf galaxies in order to constrain both star formation and dark matter physics. I will present results answering the following key questions: What is the slope of the stellar mass function at extremely low masses? Can we use this slope to constrain dark matter model? What testable predictions can we make to constrain both dark matter and star formation at the lowest dwarf masses? Such a large suite of simulations produces a vast amount of data- this talk will also address novel data management and analysis techniques including leveraging databases and machine learning for effective and efficient data analysis.
Bio
Dr. Munshi is an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma. She received her PhD at the University of Washington in 2014 and most recently was a VIDA Fellow at Vanderbilt University. Her work focuses on utilizing hydrodynamic simulations to study galaxy formation- in particular, the formation and evolution of the smallest and dimmest galaxies ranging from classical dwarfs into the ultra-faint and ultra-diffuse extremes.