Witnessing the assembly of massive dark matter structures in the Universe and their impact on galaxy evolution

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With large telescopes we are able to peer into the past, observing the Universe at a time when galaxies like our own Milky Way were just started to assemble and form the stars that, in turn, host planets. Astrophysics is at an exciting point in its history, as the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), of which Canada is a major contributor, will allow us to see farther back in time, and in far more detail, than ever before. This research program will start by exploiting the unique data we have already obtained on galaxy systems observed as they were when the Universe was only a third of its present age, to learn about how changes to the cosmological gas accretion rate impacts the formation of new stars in these young galaxies. These data, the result of a four year Large Program on the Gemini Telescopes, will be followed up with JWST and other facilities to obtain an exquisite picture of the Universe at the peak epoch of galaxy assembly. Specifically, we will measure stellar masses, star formation rates, gas content and the spatial distribution of stars for galaxies that inhabit dark haloes of different mass. This allows a direct look at how the buildup of stars is related to that of the dark matter - that mysterious component of our Universe that dominates the growth of structure. One of the biggest mysteries in astronomy today is why the assembly of stars and galaxies - the light that we can see - happens at a very different rate compared with the assembly of dark matter. Decoupling the "normal" matter in the Universe from the dark matter requires enormous energy to be released and distributed in ways that we do not understand. By using new technology to make careful observations of the distant Universe, we have the opportunity to observe these cosmic interactions directly. Through detailed modeling, simulation, and comparison with other data we will establish a consistent explanation for how supernova explosions, supermassive black holes, and galaxy interactions together shape the Universe around us. This research endeavour is structured to provide maximum opportunity for students to develop widely applicable skills, and to prepare them for the era of Big Data in astronomy, that will be realized toward the end of this proposal when Euclid and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) begin operations.