Fellowship focus: Exploring galaxy formation at the smallest scale and understanding dark matter.
In current galaxy formation theory, small galaxies form first and later merge to build larger ones. As they merge, stars can be pulled away, creating streams of ‘tidal debris’ that orbit the main galaxy. Studying this debris helps us understand a galaxy’s growth history. This Fellowship will compare new observations by Dr Martinez-Delgado of the outer regions of dwarf galaxies with advanced computer simulations. While most research has focused on the Milky Way, Dr Martinez-Delgado studies much smaller galaxies. The project will produce a publication comparing observations and models, and a seminar for the Astrophysics Research Group.