Description
In this talk, I will discuss how the latest generation of galaxy evolution simulations can aid the HWO community by providing the cosmological context required for meaningful predictions of exoplanet demographics and habitability in the Milky Way (MW), Local Group, and beyond.
First, I will outline the three main types of cosmological simulations and discuss each of their advantages and disadvantages for habitability studies. Second, I will provide an overview of the work already done using cosmological simulations, including the typical assumptions made about chemical enrichment and planet formation.
I will then signpost some exciting future developments in this field using the L-GALAXIES simulation, which is optimised for galaxy chemical evolution (GCE) studies. The efficiency of L-GALAXIES makes it ideal for testing and comparing detailed physics models (including for planet formation and evolution) in statistically-significant samples of MW and Local Group analogue galaxies in a fully cosmological context.
L-GALAXIES already includes a full suite of chemical elements, binary stellar populations, dust production and destruction, and models for SN, AGN, (and soon GRB) feedback which distribute chemical elements and can sterilise habitable planets. The natural next step is the implementation of complex organic molecules and planetary systems. The simulation will then be ready to provide estimates of habitability across MW and Local Group analogues in much more detail than previous metallicity-only approaches. These developments will provide the perfect complement to the next stages of HWO planning, helping guide our search for life in the Universe from a rigorous theoretical perspective.
