Non-Eq-Dyno · Non-equilibrium dynamics in the Milky Way and Local Group

The stellar dynamics of the Milky Way and Local Group allows us to infer their composition and history. Furthermore, such gravitational probes constitute a window into one of the greatest mysteries of modern science: the fundamental nature of dark matter. The research field of Galactic dynamics is undergoing a revolution thanks to novel observations, mainly coming from the ESA Gaia survey, which has revealed a variety of non-equilibrium dynamical structures. I propose to develop and apply novel techniques for modelling non-equilibrium dynamics in the Milky Way and Local Group. Although non-equilibrium stellar dynamics is often regarded as an obstacle and liability, it does in fact probe otherwise unobtainable information, such as dynamical signatures that are unique to specific dark matter particle candidates. I propose three ambitious Working Packages (WPs). In the first WP, I will use the recently discovered phase-space spiral in the Milky Way disk in order to measure the global gravitational potential of our Galaxy. The second and third WPs focus on the evolution of tidally perturbed Local Group dwarf galaxy satellites and how they can be used to probe the particle nature of dark matter. The outgoing and return phase institutes, Columbia University and Stockholm University, are home to infrastructure resources and expertise that are highly relevant to this action, such as large-scale galaxy simulations and state-of-the-art simulation-based inference techniques. The combination of host institutes will enable me to build a trans-Atlantic network of collaborators and contacts, which will greatly increase my competitiveness and employability in the academic sector.