Astrophysics Seminar

Recent observations from ALMA and JWST have revealed the complex and turbulent nature of galaxies at high redshift. The emergence of large discs at cosmic dawn (z > 10) and the almost ubiquity of massive star forming clumps at cosmic noon (z~2) question the formation scenarios of galactic substructures like the bulge, but also that of globular clusters. Although gravitational lensing pushes the observational limits further, the physics of galaxies, of their interstellar medium, and of their stellar populations remains difficult to gather in one, unified theoretical framework. 

In this talk, I will present conclusions from the combination of high resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations of galaxies with a series of controlled experiments. I will show how disk instabilities evolve with the gas fraction, and how external cosmological factors change the physical conditions of the star cluster-forming clouds. I will conclude by discussing to what extent our knowledge of the local Universe can be exported to high redshift.