Modeling the physics of gas removal and star formation quenching in Local Group satellite galaxies with next-generation simulations

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This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Jenna Samuel is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct a program of research and education at the University of Texas. Samuel will perform detailed computer simulations of the Milky Way (MW) and Andromeda galaxies. Results from this study will allow astronomers to understand how gas is removed and star formation quenched in galaxies. For the education component of this project, Samuel will develop a seminar series and conduct research mentorship activities to increase the retention of students of color in the sciences.This project will conduct and benchmark exceedingly high-resolution cosmological simulations of MW-like halo environments. It will produce the first numerically converged models of stellar feedback and ram pressure stripping in satellite dwarf galaxies, and it will provide a comprehensive theoretical basis for determining (1) what caused the MW satellite galaxies to quench so completely, (2) whether the MW halo environment is typical of nearby analogs, and (3) whether MW satellites are unique in their formation history.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.