Why Galaxies Spin

Our galaxy the Milky Way and our orbiting companion Andromeda are the dominant members of a small collection of galaxies, the Local Group, which is about 3 million light years across. Recently, it was recognized that the Local Group is simply a mass concentration in a thin “Local Sheet” of galaxies spanning 35 million light years. Furthermore, the largest members of the Sheet encircle us. This unusual environment may have played a role in guiding the evolution of the Local Group, and the Local Group may have influenced the evolution of the Local Sheet. The proposed research is aimed at understanding this interplay. Specifically, the spin of galaxies in analogues of the Local Sheet will be measured to study how spin axes are aligned, which in turn will enable us to learn how the Milky Way and its neighbours in the Local Sheet started spinning in the first place.

Faculty Supervisor:

Marshall McCall

Student:

Partner:

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Education

University:

York University

Program: