Dwarf galaxies and star clusters in the new era of sky surveys

ORAL

Abstract

Dwarf galaxies and star clusters are abundant stellar systems which provide indispensable clues to the formation of structure and the nature of dark matter. Observational studies have been challenging because of the faintness of these objects, but are set to be revolutionized by the new generation of sky surveys currently coming online, using DESI, Euclid, Rubin/LSST, SPHEREx, and Roman. I will present early results from these new surveys, with an emphasis on unusual, unexplained classes of objects such as ultra-diffuse galaxies, nearly-dark dwarfs, and extended star clusters.

*Support from National Science Foundation grant AST-2308390 and by NASA under award No. 80NSSC25K7741.

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Publication: Romanowsky et al, 2025, Research Notes of the AAS, 9, 181;
Romanowsky et al, 2024, Research Notes of the AAS, 8, 202;
Tang et al., 2025, The Astrophysical Journal, 982, 1;
Buzzo et al., 2025, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 695, A124;
Tang et al., in preparation;
Kenoly et al., in preparation;
O'Brien et al., in preparation;
Bains et al., in preparation;
Coustier et al, in preparation;
Shavor et al., in preparation

Presenters

  • Aaron Romanowsky

    • San Jose State University

Authors

  • Aaron Romanowsky

    • San Jose State University

  • Yimeng Tang

    • University of California, Santa Cruz

  • Kevin Bundy

    • UC Santa Cruz

  • Brittney Shavor

    • San Jose State University

  • Zachary Coustier

    • San José State University

  • Yashraj Bains

    • San Jose State University
    • San José State University

  • Lailani Kenoly

    • San Jose State University

  • Logan O'Brien

    • San Jose State University