ASIAA/CCMS/IAMS/LeCosPA/NTNU-Physics/NTU-Physics Joint Colloquium
Time: Feb 21 (Tue) 14:20
Place: Room 104, CCMS-New Phys. building
Speaker: Yao-Yuan Mao (University of Utah)
Topic: Illuminating the dark universe with galaxies
Abstract:
Dark matter and dark energy remain the mysterious components in the current standard model of cosmology, and many current and upcoming experiments and astronomical surveys are poised to bring exciting discoveries about the physical nature of these dark components. Since the dark components are not directly observable, the interpretation of the results from cosmological surveys and dark matter searches often relies on, and sometimes is limited by, our understanding of the relation between visible galaxies and dark cosmic structures (dark matter halos). In this talk, I will discuss the recent progress in modeling some important features of the so-called galaxy-halo connection, including the low-mass end behavior of the said connection (at dwarf galaxy scale), the role the halo-subhalo interaction plays, and the degree at which the galaxy assembly depends on halo assembly (commonly known as assembly bias). I will demonstrate how cosmological simulations and new observations have advanced the galaxy-halo connection models, and how these improved models can in turn further our understanding of dark matter and dark energy.