Bookkeeping the Central Station: Modeling the 3D Structure of the Galactic Center
Dr. Dani Lipman
Abstract: Modeling the orbital dynamics of our Galaxy’s inner 300 pc, the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), holds key information to understanding galactic energy cycles and evolution, including the onset of AGN activity and nuclear starbursts. Full accounting for the star formation, inflows, and outflows of galaxy centers requires knowledge of their 3D structure and dynamics. I will present my work combining multi-wavelegnth data and theoretical orbits to obtain a new, top-down orbital model of our CMZ, and compare the results with other proposed geometries. I will also share new high-resolution MHD simulations of the Milky Way’s CMZ, revealing incredible filamentary gas morphologies and line-of-sight projection effects which impact our interpretation of structures on the plane of the sky. Accurately modeling the structure and energy cycles of galactic nuclei will contextualize our own Galaxy within the local universe and illuminate the regulatory processes controlling galaxy evolution.
Bio: Dani Lipman is a post-doctoral research associate at the University of Connecticut working in the Milky Way Laboratory with Cara Battersby. She graduated with her Bachelors in Physics & Astronomy from the University of Iowa, having explored research topics related to planetary space physics and emission from radio-loud stars. In 2019, she received a Fulbright Research award to study motivations for engaging in science outreach by university professors in Nanjing, China. She received her PhD in Physics from UConn in 2026. Dani seeks to answer how dynamics and physical parameters work together to regulate star formation and galaxy evolution. Dani is heavily involved in outreach, co-founding the Astronomy on Tap - Storrs satellite, and participating as a co-lead for the Science, Technology, and Astronomy Recruits (STARs) undergraduate professional development program. Outside of science, Dani is an avid baker, gardener, and musician.