ITC Colloquium– Eric Andersson
“Galaxy simulations with individual stars & the formation of the smallest galaxies”
Modern galaxy simulations routinely reach parsec resolution, thereby unlocking a more self-consistent treatment of the internal structure of GMCs while accounting for the galactic-scale gas flows. Such detail has led to significant theoretical progress, particularly concerning star formation, stellar feedback, the multi-phase ISM, and galactic wind driving. In this context, I will review recent advances in modeling galaxy formation, particularly concerning models that resolve individual stars, which are now frequently used in galaxy-scale simulations. To this end, I will highlight the lessons learned from my star-by-star model INFERNO, incorporating stellar feedback, chemical enrichment, and natal velocities of individual stars in the hydrodynamics code RAMSES. My results include the effects of including fast-moving runaway stars in massive star-forming galaxies and novel dwarf galaxy formation simulations to highlight why models with individual stars are important and discuss how they can help tackle the challenges of comparing observations and models.