Nearby galaxies observed with real and virtual telescopes

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Galaxies consist of stars, planets, gas, dust, and black holes, all held together by the gravitational pull of dark matter. All of the atoms we see around us on Earth and in the night sky were made in a galaxy. Understanding how galaxies work is part of knowing the origins of life on Earth. From the calcium in our bones to the North Star, the contents of our Milky Way galaxy are the product of earlier generations of stars. Galaxies are complex systems, and understanding how they came to their present states requires gathering all of the clues available. The processes that produced galaxies are so slow in human terms that the only way to see them operate is to run computer simulations. These simulations are tested by comparison to observations of real galaxies. Nearby galaxies in particular provide a clear view of the internal components as well as the big picture of global properties, such as total mass and light distribution. These global properties determine how galaxies change with time but are very difficult to measure for the Milky Way from our position within it. This research will use the world's most advanced telescopes to make observations of nearby galaxies at many wavelengths of light and combine them together in new ways. The team will bring together diverse and sophisticated information delivered by modern telescopes for a carefully-chosen set of nearby galaxies and combine that information into a comprehensive picture. The observations will be used to test computer simulations using advanced statistical methods. We will find out how well simulations can reproduce real galaxies, and where they fall short. Students who participate in this research will learn advanced astrophysics, computing and data analysis techniques. They will be prepared to use future cutting-edge telescopes or apply their skills to "big data" questions in Canadian research, government, and industry.**