The dynamics of dark matter from subgalactic to cluster scales

从许多不同类型的天文观测中，现在有压倒性的证据表明，我们的宇宙几乎完全由地球上未知的奇异形式的能量和物质组成。特别是，对单个星系、星系团和宇宙微波背景的观测，加上对当地丰富的轻元素的了解，表明宇宙中85%或更多的物质是暗物质，一种几乎不以任何方式产生光或与光相互作用的外来物质。暗物质的性质自然很难确定，因为它实际上是不可见的；它只能通过重力表现出来。我研究计划的主要目标是模拟暗物质在可见结构（如星系和星系团）周围的空间分布和动力学。我已经开发了新的计算方法来做到这一点，这些方法提供了比传统数值技术快10000倍的速度。我现在开始将这些方法应用于一系列天体物理学难题，从高红移星系的形成到我们太阳系附近暗物质的行为。

There is now overwhelming evidence from many different types of astronomical observations that our Universe consists almost entirely of exotic forms of energy and matter, unknown on Earth. In particular, observations of individual galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and of the Cosmic Microwave Background, together with a knowledge of the local abundance of light elements, indicate that 85% or more of the matter in the Universe is dark matter, an exotic substance that does not produce or interact with light in almost any way. The properties of dark matter are naturally hard to determine, given its effective invisibility; it manifests itself only through gravity. The main goal of my research programme is to model the spatial distribution and dynamics of dark matter around visible structures such as galaxies and clusters. I have developed novel computational methods to do so, methods which provide a 10,000 increase in speed over traditional numerical techniques. I am now starting to apply these methods to a broad range of astrophysical puzzles, ranging from the formation of high-redshift galaxies to the behaviour dark matter in the vicinity of our solar system.