Tracing the cosmological origin of gas fuelling in situ star formation in TNG50 galaxies
Institution: Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik (ITA), Heidelberg University, Germany
Advisors: Dr. D. Nelson, Dr. R. Ramesh
Period: April 2023 - May 2024
Overview
My Bachelor’s thesis project involved tracing the origins of baryonic matter (primarily gas) that forms stars in present-day galaxies using Monte-Carlo tracer particles in the TNG50 cosmological simulation. The research quantifies where gas originates from and how it reaches present-day galaxies.
Research Activities
- Implemented Monte-Carlo tracer particle analysis on the TNG50 simulation dataset
- Traced baryonic matter through cosmic time from z → 0
- Quantified the origin of gas composing z = 0 in situ stars
- Analyzed trends in galaxy properties across the stellar mass spectrum
- Handled and analyzed large simulation datasets efficiently
Publication
Wittig, O., Ramesh, R., Nelson, D. (2025). “Tracing the cosmological origin of gas fuelling in situ star formation in TNG50 galaxies.” Astronomy & Astrophysics, 695, A121.