RECONCILING DWARF GALAXIES WITH ΛCDM COSMOLOGY: SIMULATING A REALISTIC POPULATION OF SATELLITES AROUND A MILKY WAY–MASS GALAXY

ABSTRACT Low-mass “dwarf” galaxies represent the most significant challenges to the cold dark matter (CDM) model of cosmological structure formation. Because these faint galaxies are (best) observed within the Local Group (LG) of the Milky Way (MW) and Andromeda (M31), understanding their formation in such an environment is critical. We present first results from the Latte Project: the Milky Way on Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE). This simulation models the formation of an MW-mass galaxy to z = 0 within ΛCDM cosmology, including dark matter, gas, and stars at unprecedented resolution: baryon particle mass of 7070 M ⊙ with gas kernel/softening that adapts down to 1 pc (with a median of…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: 1412153, HST-AR-14293.001-A, AST-1412836, 1455342, 1412836, CAREER, 1517491, AST-1412153, AST-1517491
• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  Awards: 12-APT12-0183, HST-AR-14293.001-A, AST-1412836, NNX15AB22G, NNX14AH35G, PF4-150147, AST-1517491, AST-1412153
• CI
  California Institute of Technology
• ST
  Space Telescope Science Institute

  Awards: 1455342, NNX15AB22G, HST-AR-14293.001-A
• UO
  University of California, San Diego