L2: Cosmological Galaxy Formation Simulations

This research line aims to use computational simulations of galaxy evolution (such as [Patricia’s simulation] and L-Galaxies) to study the physical processes that occur throughout the life of galaxies, particularly focusing on the Milky Way. We are particularly interested in the chemical evolution of baryons as galaxies form, including enrichment processes from Type Ia & II supernovae, AGB stars, and others. This allows us to trace the chemical enrichment history of the interstellar medium and the stellar populations that form from it. We use isolated simulations where it is possible to follow the different physical processes in detail and set the type of system to explore, as well as cosmological simulations, which model the evolution of large populations of galaxies together given an adopted cosmological framework. In this way, we can identify stars formed in progenitor galaxies as well as those originating from satellites. The simulations provide spatial distributions, ages, chemical abundances, velocity dispersions, morphologies, and also describe the interaction and impact of the medium in which they form. These simulations are crucial for applying and testing methodologies, concepts, and techniques adopted from phylogenetics.