Niels Bohr Lecture by Drummond Fielding, Cornell University

Bridging the Divide: A Multi-Scale Approach to Galaxy Formation

Galaxies are at the core of nearly all modern astrophysical studies. They serve as essential cosmological probes, tracing the structure of the universe, while also providing the stage on which stars form and black holes grow. Despite their incredible importance, our understanding of galaxy evolution remains far from complete.

There are fundamental inconsistencies between our best models and observations. The key piece in this cosmic puzzle lies in deciphering the complex balance between the inflows and outflows that shape galaxies and regulate the fuel supply for their continued growth.

Understanding these galactic gas flows has, to date, been inhibited by the seemingly insurmountable range of spatial and temporal scales inherent to the governing processes.

I will describe recent efforts to bridge this vast range of scales and illuminate the principles underlying galaxy formation using novel simulations that connect small-scale processes, like atomic cooling and turbulent mixing, with larger-scale phenomena, such as supernova explosions and cosmological structure formation.

Our new model points to an intuitive picture that aims to reconcile the tension at the heart of galaxy formation.

About the speaker

Drummond is a theoretical astrophysicist primarily interested in how galaxies form and what goes on in the circumgalactic medium. In all his work he seeks to use controlled numerical experiments in combination with analytic modeling to develop an intuitive understanding of the key physical processes controlling the problems he is studying.

He received his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley where he worked with Eliot Quataert. Before going to Berkeley, he studied physics and math at Johns Hopkins University.

Since November 2018, he has been a Flatiron Research Fellow at the Center for Computational Astrophysics in the Flatiron Institute. Drummond recently started as a faculty member at Cornell University in New York

Coffee, tea and cake will be served outside Aud. 3 at 15:45