ABSTRACT:
The phenomenon that satellite galaxies of Milky Way tend to distribute along a flat plane has been observed for decades. Recently, such "planes of satellites" have also been discovered in Andromeda and Centaurus A. It has been debated that the phenomenon may have serious tension with current ΛCDM cosmology since such satellite systems are extremely rare in Milky Way-like galaxies in cosmological simulations. In this talk, we will explore how rare satellite planes in Milky Way-like galaxies are using latest high-resolution hydrodynamical cosmological simulations and investigate possible reasons that cause this rareness. We will also discuss what are the environmental factors for formation of satellite planes and address whether this phenomenon is really a challenge to ΛCDM cosmology.

BIO:
Xinghai Zhao obtained his B.S. in Physics in 2000 Jilin University, M.S. in Physics in 2003 West Virginia University, and Ph.D. in Physics in 2011 from University of Notre Dame, supervised by Grant Mathews. His Ph.D. Dissertation focuses on "Cosmic Expansion in Inhomogeneous Cosmologies and the Formation of Local Group like Systems". He then worked in Pennsylvania State University from 2011 to 2018, and moved to Dalton State College as an assistant Professor in 2018. His current research interests include High redshift quasars, Milky Way like galaxies and Dwarf galaxies, Dark matter.