Event Details

I will discuss the current state of cosmological simulations of the Milky Way, focusing on the Auriga simulations, which have been successful in reproducing many properties of the Milky Way’s satellite galaxy system. Questions about satellites remain, however, such as whether current models can explain the star formation histories of satellites and their orbital dynamics. I will discuss the physics that regulate star formation in satellites galaxies of the Auriga simulations and how satellites in these simulations can become quenched. I will also touch on the fate of disrupted satellites, and what predictions Auriga can make for satellite debris in the GAIA survey. I’ll conclude by asking whether the Milky Way is a typical galaxy and whether our success in matching it’s satellite system properties is can be applied to other systems.