Project A2:
"Dwarf galaxies in transition from bright to dim: cosmic-ray versus dark-matter signatures"

Project Description

The physics of dwarf galaxies remains largely unexplored. This is due to their small size and low surface brightness, which make them harder to detect and resolve than regular or star-forming galaxies. Because of their low astrophysical emission, these dark dwarfs are prime targets for dark-matter searches. Understanding dwarf-galaxy signatures is therefore crucial for both galaxy evolution, from young to old systems, and dark-matter studies, as it helps quantify possible astrophysical backgrounds.
We started in Phase 1 by analyzing the radio continuum emission and magnetic field structures in dwarf galaxies as well as modelling the transport of cosmic rays and charged dark matter annihilation products.
In Phase 2 we expand our focus to measure and model the cosmic-ray signal associated with star formation in dwarf galaxies, as a function of their star formation history. We study samples of transition dwarfs, which are in the process of stalling star formation, and dwarf galaxies in groups, to understand the role of environment and interactions. By extending the CRPropa framework and improving pipeline development for data reduction and analysis of radio- and optical-wavelength data, we address the three questions:

1. What happens to the magnetic field and cosmic-ray transport in dwarfs as star formation declines?
2. How do dwarfs in groups evolve compared to those that evolve in isolation?
3. How do signatures of cosmic rays from star formation and dark matter compare?