CAREER: Dwarf Galaxies in Clusters: their structure, globular clusters and dark matter content

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Although “dark matter” plays an important role in the formation and the complex dynamics of galaxies, there remains a discrepancy between the amount of dark matter predicted versus the amount observed. The PI will conduct a detailed study of the dark matter content of dwarf galaxies found in galaxy clusters. She will use sophisticated computer simulations to improve on current methods, which use observations of globular clusters. These results should lead to insights that could help resolve the controversy concerning the amount of dark matter in the universe. The PI will organize and conduct an annual program on STEM instruction for middle and high school students and their teachers in the Riverside, CA. The instruction will be based upon “hands-on” analysis of astronomical images. Over 4000 middle and high school students are expected participate in this program. This research study will perform detailed hydrodynamical simulations using the Illustris/TNG suite to determine the several paths through which dwarf galaxies start/stop star formation in high density environments, the associated time scales for quenching star formation and its relation to the orbits, mass and in-fall properties of their Galactic Clusters. It will identify the physical processes that drive the differences of dwarf galaxies stellar sizes by comparison with groups and clusters with a control sample of dwarf galaxies simulated in isolation. It will also perform a study on the dark matter content of dwarfs in clusters versus isolated field galaxies and determine if the differences may be traceable to the dynamics of Globular clusters. Finally follow-up zoom-in runs of selected clusters with different resolution and star formation feedback will allow the evaluation of the robustness of the results to numerical choices. The results of these simulations will be used to inform the observations of Globular clusters to correct for the cluster environmental effects when using them to to determine dwarf galaxies dark matter.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.