Description:

Our understanding of the dynamics of our Local Group of galaxies has changed dramatically over the past few years owing to significant advancements in astrometry and our theoretical understanding of galaxy structure. New surveys now enable us to map the 3D structure of our Milky Way and the dynamics of tracers of its dark matter distribution, like globular clusters, satellite galaxies and streams, with unprecedented precision. Some results have met with controversy, challenging preconceived notions of the orbital dynamics of key components of the Local Group. I will provide an overview of this evolving picture of our Local Group and how we can test the cold dark matter paradigm in the era of Gaia, LSST and JWST.

Speaker: Gurtina Besla, University of Arizona

Host: Cliff Johnson

Keywords: Physics, Astronomy, Astrophysics