Collaborative Research: Hydrodynamic Simulations of the Local Group

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Local Group of Galaxies (including the Milky Way, Andromeda, and their satellite galaxies) contains the best-studied galaxies in the Universe. These objects can act as a Rosetta Stone for our understanding of galaxy formation and the nature of Dark Matter, a substance that makes up more than 80% of the mass in the Universe. Dark Mater remains mysterious and is yet undetected through direct methods. The two investigators will develop highly advanced supercomputer simulations of the gravitational pull of members of the Local Group, beginning from the very early Universe and running the simulation to the present day. These simulations will be compared to state-of-the-art observations to further our understanding of the nature of Dark Matter and how galaxies form. The investigators will work closely with graduate students, helping to train them to be independent researchers with valuable computational skills. The investigators will also engage in an array of broader impact and outreach efforts associated with the proposal. One will help instruct and supervise a summer program that provides hands-on research experiences for high school students and fosters an interest in STEM fields to a student group of 50% women and 30% under-represented minorities. The other investigator will work to provide underrepresented students with resources, skills, and connections that will allow them to pursue and complete graduate degrees in Physics and Astronomy. Additionally, the investigators will provide their simulated galaxy catalogs and mock observations to the public via a web-based interface that is already operational for the investigators' past projects. The research will consist of a total of seven high-resolution simulations of Local-Group like volumes, providing excellent statistics. The novel aspects of the proposed work will include: (1) sophisticated implementations of star-formation and feedback physics using a new code that relies on meshless hydrodynamic solvers, and (2) the first study of a simulated Local Group that has high enough resolution, realistic enough physics modules, and a large enough simulated volume to capture the formation of dwarf satellites, isolated dwarfs, and Milky Way/Andromeda analogs in the same simulation. The investigators will compare the star formation histories, gas content, morphologies, kinematics, and metallicities of the simulated galaxies to observations. A key goal will be to discern whether cosmic reionization imprints characteristic signatures in observable properties of dwarf galaxies.