The SCALES project: Stirring the ISM with clustered feedback, and what it does to star clusters

Abstract:

Stellar clusters are critical constituents within galaxies: they are the results of extreme modes of star formation, and through their correlated stellar feedback they regulate their host galaxy evolution. Including the effect of clustered supernovae in the baryonic lifecycle of their host galaxies is a major step missing in current modern simulations of galaxy formation. In this talk, I will present a novel method to model individual star clusters and their critical influence on their host galaxy evolution within the hydrodynamical code GIZMO. By using a sink prescription that allows clusters to form via gas accretion and mergers, I will demonstrate the interplay between clustered feedback and the properties of the ISM on galactic scales. Lastly, I will discuss how the formation of star cluster populations is affected in this scenario.

Bio:

I am interested on how stellar clusters form and evolve in a hierarchical galaxy assembly context, with my ultimate goal being to be able to use old, massive stellar cluster populations as near-field cosmological tracers. In particular, I’m interested in:

• The formation of clustered stellar systems over cosmic time, and their interplay with galaxy formation
• Constraining the physics involved in globular cluster formation
• Development of sub-grid models of star formation and feedback in numerical simulations of galaxy formation

Learn More:

• See her personal webpage here
• View this recent online colloquium she gave at the Waterloo Center for Astrophysics (Canada) 
• See her TedTalk here