“Mapping Dark Matter in the Milky Way with Stellar Streams”

The Milky Way is currently the only galaxy in which we can study the detailed kinematics of large numbers of individual stars, as enabled by surveys like Gaia. Our Galaxy therefore provides a unique laboratory to test predictions made by astrophysical models of dark matter and galaxy assembly. Stellar streams, formed from the disruption of stellar systems as they orbit, are key tracers of mass and interactions with substructure, enabling us to study these predictions in a galactic environment. However, many poorly-understood physical processes imprint on the phase-space structures of streams, biasing current results and complicating interpretation of stream data. I will discuss recent results both on understanding the effects of time dependence on streams and on characterizing and interpreting data for known streams. I will then connect this recent work with our ultimate goal of mapping the dark matter distribution in the Milky Way to test astrophysical predictions of dark matter theories using stellar streams.


Please note: Should you require any accommodations to ensure equal access and opportunity related to this event please contact Stacy Tiburzi at 734-764-3440 or stibu@umich.edu.

Tea will be served beforehand from 3:00-3:30pm in Serpens.