Over the past five years, numerical simulations of galaxy formation have quietly passed a key milestone. The latest cosmological simulations are now able to resolve the sites of star formation and the impact of individual stellar feedback events.
In this talk, I explain why this has led to a new level of realism that makes simulations predictive, for the first time. I present the latest results from the "EDGE" simulation project, focussed on modelling the very smallest stellar systems in the Universe at high fidelity. I show how realistic dwarf galaxies and dense star clusters - globular clusters and nuclear star clusters - naturally emerge in EDGE.
I present a new semi-empirical tool for galaxy formation, DarkLight, that allows us to scale up the results from a small number of high resolution EDGE simulations to full galaxy populations. And, I present the testable predictions that our EDGE simulations make for new objects that should be found in up-coming surveys.
Finally, I conclude with a discussion of where the field is heading next.
For those wishing to join remotely, please click on the link below:
Seminar Series 22/23 link