COLLOQUIUM
Department of Physics and Astronomy
California State University, Los Angeles
Nature vs. Nurture: How internal and external processes shape galactic interiors
Dr. Francisco Mercado
NSF Math and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Fellow - Visiting Professor at Pomona College - Visitor in Theoretical Astrophysics at Caltech
Even though galaxies are incredibly complex systems, they follow remarkably tight scaling relations (e.g. Tully-Fisher Relation, Mass-Metallicity Relation, etc.). These relations play a key role in linking the observable properties of galaxies to the intricate processes that shape them. In this talk I will discuss work in which I use high-resolution, cosmological simulations to disentangle how internal factors (star formation) and external factors (environment) shape galactic interiors. I find that the varied dynamical effects of such processes on a galaxy can dictate its position on a given scaling relation. Understanding the connection between these dynamical effects and the resulting scaling relations provides us with a unique opportunity to use scaling relations as the basis for tests that assess our understanding of galaxy formation and dark matter physics.
Thursday, March 21, 3:05 - 4:20 PM
Location: In-person, BIOS 241
Spring 2024 Department of Physics and Astronomy Colloquium Schedule
(All talks presented via Zoom unless otherwise stated. This schedule will be updated throughout the semester.)
- January 25: no colloquium
- February 1: Dr. Charlotte Olsen, CUNY City Tech, "Exploring the role of environment on galaxy evolution through galaxy star formation histories"
- February 8: Dr. Al-Amin Dhirani, University of Toronto, "Quantum “nanoengineered” materials using a building-block approach"
- February 15: Dr. Amruta Jaodand, Harvard & Smithsonian, "The Enigmatic Transitional Millisecond Pulsars"
- February 22: Dr. Katy Rodriguez Wimberly, CSU San Bernardino, "Ultra–faint Dwarf Galaxies: Their Evolutionary Histories & Galactic Correlations", in-person
- February 29: Dr. Joanna Piotrowska, Caltech, "Putting Breaks on Star formation in Galaxies: The Cosmological Impact of Supermassive Black Holes", in-person
- March 7: Physics & Astronomy Career Panel featuring Dr. Margaret Lazzarini, Carl Heft, Carey Weisberg, C.J. Salgado, and Bing Jiang, in-person & Zoom
- March 14: Dr. Natalie Nicole Sanchez, Carnegie Observatories and Caltech, "Connecting Cosmic Gas Flows, Supermassive Black Hole Growth, and Galactic Evolution", in-person
- March 21: Dr. Francisco Mercado, Pomona College and Caltech, "Nature vs. Nurture: How internal and external processes shape galactic interiors", in-person