Speaker
Description
Low mass galaxies are one of the main sources of Lyman continuum (LyC) photons, which ionized the intergalactic medium during cosmic reionization. However, the escape fraction of LyC photons from these galaxies depends on the properties and dynamics of the neutral gas that surrounds the star-forming regions. Galactic mergers can affect both the star formation rate and the gas distribution allowing LyC photons to leak out. In addition, tidal forces can compress gas within the galaxy resulting in additional star-formation.
In this talk, I will present the results of a study that investigates how LyC escape changes after a galactic merger, using post-processed galaxies from the TNG50 cosmological simulation. I will show how the merger history, the star formation rate, and the gas morphology influence the LyC escape fraction and discuss the implications for cosmic reionization.
