The reservoir of baryons and metals surrounding galaxies is known as the circumgalactic medium (CGM). This diffuse, nearly "invisible" CGM holds the key to understanding the evolution of galaxies: How does the CGM feed the galactic disk and fuel star formation? How do galactic winds affect these processes? How does the interplay between the CGM and the galaxy affect galactic disk growth?
My research studies the CGM using both observations and cosmological simulations. In particular, I am interested in how the gas flows in and out of the galaxies and affects galaxy evolution. Please visit Research for research project details and CV for the publication list.
Figure: Artist conception of gas streams (blue) feeding a galactic disk and winds (orange) blowing out of the disk.
Image credit: James Josephides (Swinburne Astronomy Productions).