Comprehensive study of Low Surface Brightness Galaxy Formation and Evolution

Galaxies are observed to come in many sizes and luminosities. Of particular interest are galaxies that, for their mass, are large and dim, called Low Surface Brightness (LSB) galaxies. These galaxies are everywhere, making up nearly 50% of the. This proposal will help astronomers understand why LSBs look the way they do, including understanding the matter we can’t see: dark matter. This investigator will use large-scale computer simulations, which are able to model the universe from the big bang to present day. This award will also support GMU’s Women Leaders in Stem (WLIS) by funding expert education and STEM speakers to be hosted on campus for events. This will support the WLIS’s efforts to support undergraduate students through their STEM journeys, by providing professional development, networking strategies, study skills and future job resources. Understanding how galaxies form and evolve is a fundamental goal in astronomy. One particular class of galaxies, Low Surface Brightness (LSB) galaxies, is especially challenging to understand as LSB galaxies seem to have followed a different evolutionary path from their high surface brightness (HSB) counterparts. This investigator and her collaborators will carry out a comprehensive study LSB galaxies in order to identify their formation channel(s), explain their evolution, and understand their dark matter (DM) content and distribution in the context of Cold Dark Matter (CDM). In particular, they will (1) statistically study the formation of LSB galaxies as a function of mass and environment using the existing large-volume simulation Romulus25, (2) study classical LSB galaxies in detail by creating zoom-in simulations capable of resolving the interplay between baryonic physics dark matter distribution and, (3) use the Genetic Modification Technique (GM) technique on the zoom-in simulations in order to understand the role of angular momentum in their formation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.