Matthew Frosst

PhD Student

University of Western Australia

Biography

I am a second year PhD student studying at the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research at the University of Western Australia in sunny Perth, WA. Supervised by Danail Obreschkow and Aaron Ludlow, my PhD project focuses on studying bar formation and evolution in high-resolution simulations. Bars are elliptical structures present in roughly half of all disk galaxies, and they play a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies by interacting with the outer disk and dark matter halo, thereby redistributing angular momentum and matter throughout the system. Unfortunately, there are significant differences between the bars we observe, and the bars found in cosmological simulations. I seek to understand these differences, improve our simulations, and make accurate predictions about barred galaxies available for observers. Ultimately, I believe that understanding the evolution of barred galaxies is a critical milestone in the quest to understand galaxy formation and evolution more generally. When not working on my research, I enjoy running, reading, and rock climbing. I often bring my climbing gear to conferences, and try to explore the local scene during early mornings. You're always welcome to tag along with me!