DIAS Headquarters, 10 Burlington Road - D04C932 contact@dias.ie 00353 (0) 16140100

2019-03-15, 11:00: Prof. John Wise (Georgia Tech University, USA)

Prof. John Wise

Georgia Tech University, USA

The First Stars, Black Holes, and Galaxies in the Universe

Abstract:

Cosmic structure forms hierarchically through smooth accretion and dark
matter halo mergers. As a consequence, all galaxies are the product of
the dozens of mergers over billions of years. However, one can ask,
“What were the first stars and galaxies in the universe?” I will review
the current state-of-the-art simulations of early galaxy formation,
starting with the formation of the first stars, which are initially
devoid of elements heavier than lithium and are suggested to have a
characteristic mass of tens of solar masses. I will then present
results from a suite of cosmological radiation hydrodynamics simulations
that focus on the transition from the first stars to the first galaxies.


Each simulation captures the radiative and chemical feedback from
10,000 first stars, leading to the formation of a 10^9 solar mass galaxy
only 500 million years after the Big Bang, which is detectable with the
upcoming James Webb Space Telescope. I will also highlight how some of
the earliest massive black holes form during these early epochs that
could be the seeds of supermassive black holes that exist at the centers
of all massive galaxies today.

Location: 31 Fitzwilliam Place

Upcoming seminars:

https://www.dias.ie/2018/10/23/astronomy-and-astrophysics-seminar-schedule-2019/(opens in a new tab)