3:30–5:00 pm ERC 401
Title: Dim and Deserted: What Low Density Structures Tell Us About Galaxy Evolution and the Cosmology of the Universe
Abstract: We have developed a framework to study the intergalactic medium (IGM), the circumgalactic medium (CGM) and embedded galaxies in the context of the cosmic neighborhood they evolve in. Our novel Environmentally Dependent Galaxy Evolution (EDGE) framework uses publicly available large scale simulations as our fiducial model coupled with our own simulations to probe the effect of departures from a standard cosmology to alternate dark matter scenarios and time-dependent dark energy models. The formation, evolution, and chemical composition of galaxies are influenced by their interactions with the CGM and therefore the local cosmic environment. The CGM + galaxy ecosystem is in turn embedded in the intergalactic medium (IGM) which is composed of an extensive network of clusters, filaments, and sheets of galaxies with vast empty expanses (voids) between them. We have developed algorithms that track clusters/groups, filaments, walls and voids in the cosmic web, allowing us to parse the cosmic web in simulations to study the co-evolution of IGM and CGM, the environmental history of embedded halos, and track the physics associated with each environment. We discuss recent insights from the neighborhood history of galaxies. The prospects for using this computational framework to build a bridge between simulations and observations in the coming era of large astronomical datasets will also be addressed.
Zoom: https://uchicago.zoom.us/j/98910526387?pwd=nob2d2IMsbCCN5DaGnhZ1vgMNht3v5.1
