Near-field cosmology research at the IoA spans the planetary to Local Group scales, covering topics such as dark matter, dwarf galaxies, the Milky Way, and star clusters. We make use of a variety of theoretical and observational tools, and many international ground- and space-based telescopes.
Dwarf Galaxies
Dwarf galaxies are the smallest objects in the universe which appear to contain vast amounts of dark or "missing" matter. The presence of this dark matter is inferred from the difference between the mass of these galaxies as measured by adding up all of their visible light, and the mass determined from dynamical measurements.
Our programme here at the IoA involves every stage in the above process: making detailed measurements of the nearby dwarf galaxies, searching for and classifying new dwarf galaxies, determining the distribution of dark matter within these systems, and building a theoretical understanding of how these systems formed and evolved.
Milky Way
The Milky Way is a fairly typical disc galaxy. Our vantage point inside the Milky Way makes it the perfect laboratory to explore galaxy formation at level of detail that would be impossible for extragalactic observations. We can study the properties of individual galactic components (such as the Bulge, Bar, Disk and Halo), examine stellar tidal streams that result from ancient mergers, and measure the chemistry and dynamics of billions of stars.
Using Galactic Dynamics, some researchers try to understand the the underlying mechanisms and physical processes involved in galaxy formation, providing the vital link between simulations and observations.
The IoA also leads the reduction and analysis of data from Gaia, a dedicated telescope which to date has surveyed more than a billion stars in our Galaxy.
Research Staff
Graduate Students