Speaker: Charlotte Christensen (Grinnell College)

Title: Dwarf galaxy evolution in isolated and satellite environments

Abstract: There is an arresting dichotomy between field dwarf galaxies and those that exist as satellites of larger galaxies. While the former are primarily gaseous and star forming, the latter are quenched. We compare the evolution of dwarf galaxies in isolated and rich environments by comparing smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations of dwarf galaxies formed in filamentary environment to those formed nearer Milky Way-mass halos. We find that the impact of environment on dwarf galaxy extends beyond the direct influence of the Milky Way-mass halo. Even before being accreted as satellites, dwarf galaxies near a Milky Way-mass halo tend to have higher stellar masses for their halo mass than more isolated galaxies. Dwarf galaxies in high-density environments also tend to grow faster and form their stars earlier. We discuss how these differences in formation histories would manifest in observational analyses.