Colloquium by Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil, Dartmouth
The smallest and faintest galaxies in the universe are among the most ancient, most metal-poor, and most dark-matter-dominated systems known. These extreme objects offer unique access to small scales where the stellar and dark matter content can be studied simultaneously. They hold the promise of major breakthroughs in understanding the nature of dark matter and building a more complete picture of how galaxies form and evolve. While much of our knowledge of these systems comes from studies of the Milky Way and its satellites, extending their discovery and characterization beyond the Local Group is essential for exploring a broader range of environments and testing our understanding of galaxy formation. In this talk, I will highlight our ongoing observational efforts to uncover and characterize the faintest galaxies around the Milky Way and throughout the Local Volume, and discuss how upcoming advances in deep and wide-field imaging will transform our view of the low-mass galaxy population and its implications for dark matter and galaxy formation.
Cookies will be available, starting at 3:45.
Host: Kathryn Johnston