München 2019 – scientific programme

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EP: Fachverband Extraterrestrische Physik

EP 10: Astrophysics II: Galaxies and Cosmology

EP 10.1: Talk

Friday, March 22, 2019, 11:00–11:15, HS 19

The Assembly of Galaxies in Dark Matter Haloes through Cosmic Time — •Benjamin Moster — Emmy Noether Group `Galaxies and Dark Matter' — Universitäts-Sternwarte, LMU München — Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Garching

The field of galaxy formation is on the cusp of a tide of new data. To understand these in the context of an evolutionary picture, we need models that interpret the observed trends. Empirical galaxy formation models provide a unique and direct link between galaxies and dark matter haloes, and do not depend on model assumptions on unresolved physics. They are based on a parameterised relation between the properties of a galaxy and the properties of the halo in which it is embedded. I will present the latest generation of empirical models, which follow the formation histories of individual haloes. Focusing on three main pillars, I will then demonstrate how these models can be used. Firstly, they can be applied to make predictions for galaxies at high redshift, which will be useful for the design of future surveys. Secondly, the empirical models can be contrasted with hydrodynamical simulations, and in this way constrain the physical processes that drive galaxy formation. And thirdly, the empirical models can be used with N-body simulations using alternative cosmologies to test how observables such as galaxy clustering change. Finally, I will discuss the future of empirical models and how AI can help us to better understand the connection between the dark and light components of the Universe.