ABSTRACT
Recent observations from ALMA and JWST have revealed the complex and turbulent nature of galaxies at high redshift, during the epoch of formation of globular clusters. The emergence of large disks at cosmic dawn (z > 10) and the almost ubiquity of massive star forming clumps at cosmic noon (z~2) question the formation scenarios of globular clusters. Although gravitational lensing pushes the observational limits further, the physics of galaxies, of their interstellar medium, and of their populations of star clusters remains difficult to gather in one, unified theoretical framework. In this talk, I will present conclusions from the combination of high resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations of galaxies with a series of controlled experiments. I will show how disk instabilities and external cosmological factors like galaxy mergers change the physical conditions of the star and star cluster-forming clouds. I will explain to what extent our knowledge of the local Universe can be exported to high redshift and the epochs of globular cluster formation. I will conclude with a list of pressing open questions which need to be answered to understand the origins of star clusters, and of galaxies in general.
BIO
Born and raised on the French Atlantic coast, Florent Renaud started his studies with engineering but quickly discovered he was more passionate about fundamental sciences, particularly astronomy. After a 6-month internship with NASA at Caltech (United States), he obtained his engineering degree and master in astronomy in 2007. He got his PhD in 2010 as a joint degree from the universities of Vienna (Austria) and Strasbourg (France) on the topic of galactic tidal fields. After a 3 months visit to Cambridge University (United Kingdom), he chose to take his first post-doctoral position in Saclay (France) to become familiar with high performance computing and astrophysical hydrodynamics. He then broadened his perspectives by exploring stellar dynamics at the University of Surrey (United Kingdom). In 2017, he moved to Sweden on a permanent researcher position to combine his stellar and galactic knowledge, and became director of the master programme at Lund Observatory in 2020. In 2023, he has been awarded a one-year sabbatical fellowship at the University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study, quickly followed by a CNRS Directeur de Recherche position (full research professorship) at Strasbourg Observatory. His work focuses on galaxy and star formation across cosmic times, by adopting a multi-scale, multi-physics, and multi-wavelength approach. Florent loves touring the world to talk about astronomy in seminars and conferences. He always bring his camera, ready for his next adventure at the bottom of a deep canyon, on top of a volcano or a glacier, or gazing at the Northern Lights.
Host: Hui Li
