Events, Seminars, Talks

Abstract
Our unique perspective from within the Milky Way gives us the ability to take images and spectra of individual stars throughout most of the Galaxy. By analyzing this data we have attained a detailed understanding of our Galaxy's stellar populations, gas and dust content, internal dynamics, and star formation, chemical enrichment, and assembly histories. Unfortunately, this level of detail is somewhat unattainable in external galaxies due to stellar crowding, so we must get creative with our analysis methods to account for this. I will present results from two projects. The first involves fitting panchromatic SEDs of resolved stars in two nearby galaxies that have archival observations from HST and JWST, which combine to create the highest resolution broad wavelength coverage possible. This provides an incredible opportunity to study dusty star forming galaxies in high resolution, unveiling why these galaxies are so UV bright for their dust content, and how they form stars despite their low molecular gas mass. The second project involves full-spectrum-fitting of Local Group star clusters from the APOGEE survey. From these high-resolution, integrated-light spectra we can measure the clusters' kinematics, metallicities, and α abundances, which trace the chemical enrichment and assembly history of the galaxy. These two approaches can constrain the assembly and chemical enrichment history of nearby galaxies while providing insight into the fundamental physics governing galaxy evolution in the nearby universe.

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To arrange a visit with the speaker during the visit, please contact their host: Anna de Graaff

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To arrange a visit with the speaker during the visit, please contact their host: Dylan Nelson

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The PHANGS-HST and JWST Treasury Programs have produced the most extensive inventories to date of optically visible and dust-obscured star clusters across nearby galaxies. A coherent picture is emerging of the earliest phases of star formation, built from complementary studies that consistently point to short dust-clearing timescales (~3 Myr), in agreement with earlier optical studies. Together, these results underscore the central role of early, pre-supernova feedback in regulating the star formation cycle. Drawing on the statistical power of tens of thousands of clusters spanning dozens of galaxies, I will synthesize what PHANGS and related programs have revealed about cluster evolution, feedback, and the use of clusters as “clocks” for timing key phases of star formation. Looking ahead, I will highlight work on the Habitable Worlds Observatory, NASA’s next flagship astrophysics mission after Roman, which will operate as a true “Super-Hubble,” with UV–optical capabilities to transform our understanding of star formation and fields across astrophysics. To arrange a visit with the speaker during the visit, please contact their host: Ralf Klessen

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To arrange a visit with the speaker during the visit, please contact their host: Fritz Röpke

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To arrange a visit with the speaker during the visit, please contact their host: Philipp Girichidis

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Galaxies do not grow in isolation, but within a cosmic web of intergalactic gas. The evolution of the galaxies and this intergalactic medium are closely connected. As the first galaxies formed, their light heated the gas surrounding them in a process known as reionization. Measuring the progress of reionization can give us an indirect view of how and when the first galaxies formed, complementary to direct observations of the galaxies themselves with telescopes like JWST. In this talk, I will discuss how we can constrain the timing of reionization with different observational probes, such as absorption in the spectra of distant luminous objects. I will present my work interpreting these observations with large cosmological simulations of the intergalactic medium. I will discuss what is known about the history of reionization, and what questions are still to be answered. To arrange a visit with the speaker during the visit, please contact their host: Sarah Bosman

Abstract
Theories of galaxy formation, structure, and evolution increasingly include the effects of cosmic rays on gas dynamics and energy balance. This is usually done by treating the cosmic rays as a fluid that is coupled to the thermal gas by magnetic fields on global scales and electromagnetic fluctuations on kinetic scales. I will discuss the foundations and assumptions of the fluid model, assess whether it is correct and complete, where it can be improved, and how it can be tested. To arrange a visit with the speaker during the visit, please contact their host: Max Gronke

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To arrange a visit with the speaker during the visit, please contact their host: Max Gronke

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In recent years, cosmic rays (CRs) have emerged as a key factor shaping the interstellar medium (ISM) properties and influencing galaxy evolution. Yet, despite significant advances, modelling CR transport on galactic scales remains challenging, largely due to the complex microphysical interactions between CRs and thermal gas. As a result, the true extent of CR impact on ISM structure and evolution is still uncertain. In this talk, I will present our latest efforts to model CR transport within the TIGRESS MHD simulations of the multiphase ISM. I will discuss how CRs affect the dynamical and thermal state of the ISM in Milky Way-like galaxies, showing that while they have little effect on the star formation rate in galactic disks, they significantly accelerate warm outflowing gas with mass loading factors higher than in simulations without CRs. These results hold across different galactic environments. Beyond these theoretical insights, some simulations include a spectral treatment of CR protons and electrons, allowing us to construct synthetic observables - such as CR spectra and non-thermal emission - for direct comparison with observations. I will present our initial results comparing synthetic CR spectra with measurements in the solar neighbourhood, highlighting a very good agreement, and discuss the implications for CR transport. To arrange a visit with the speaker during the visit, please contact their host: Philipp Girichidis

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To arrange a visit with the speaker during the visit, please contact their host: Michela Mapelli

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To arrange a visit with the speaker during the visit, please contact their host: Max Gronke

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