Galaxy clusters are the largest virialized structures in the universe, providing ideal laboratories to study cosmology, plasma physics, and the nature of dark matter. Understanding their formation and evolution is one of the frontiers in modern astrophysics. In this talk, I will discuss two main physical processes that shape clusters from their cores to outskirts: (1) activities of supermassive black holes in the cluster center and (2) ongoing matter accretion and occasional violent mergers with other clusters/groups. I will introduce how my novel models advance our theoretical understanding of the hot intracluster medium (e.g., feedback and shocks) and dark matter halos (e.g., splashback feature) in clusters, and shed light on how we interpret the observational data, particularly important for the forthcoming multi-wavelength observations (e.g., SRG/eROSITA, XRISM, SKA).
BIO
Congyao Zhang is currently a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Chicago. Before that, he worked at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) as a postdoctoral researcher. He received his PhD degree at the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics (KIAA) at Peking University in 2016. His research interests include galaxy clusters, large-scale structures, and cosmology. Collaborating closely with both theorists and observers, he currently concentrates on applying analytical and numerical modelling to understand (1) formation and evolution of galaxy clusters and (2) how to use these massive structures to investigate plasma physics and cosmology.
Host: Wei Cui
