Elena Arjona-Gálvez

Elena Arjona-Gálvez

She/Her

PhD Student in Astrophysics

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Posts

outreach

Talk to them: Women in Astronomy Talks

Outreach talks, Instituto de astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), 2023

IAC initiative that aims to make the work of women in Astronomy-Astrophysics visible, while offering girls inspiring role models to promote their scientific and technological vocations. It consists of videoconferences or in-person talks with educational centres by women astrophysicists and engineers who work at the IAC and at other institutions present in the Observatories of the Canary Islands, in which they explain their work, talk about their field of research and answer students’ questions about the scientific and technological careers, the Universe or the methods we use to get to know it better.

Aprende a identificar el cielo nocturno

Outreach activity, Centro Cultural de Isla Redonda, Sevilla, 2023

Organisation of an astronomical night for kids. Teaching about the night sky, constellations, and how to orient themselves by looking at the stars.

STARMUS festival

Outreach activity, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), 2025

30 hours of outreach representing the IAC with astronomy activities for all ages at the STARMUS festival

Eclipse observation

Outreach activity, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), 2025

5 hours of outreach guiding the general public in observing the eclipse at the Teide observatory

publications

schools

seminars

The impact of AGNs in AURIGA dwarf galaxies

Published:

This informal seminar was my first presentation of early PhD results on the demographics of black holes in AURIGA dwarfs. Presenting in this format allowed me to explain complex material to a broad audience of researchers across astrophysical subfields, honing my skills in communicating across disciplines while receiving diverse feedback.

The effect of intermediate black-holes on zoom-in dwarf galaxies

Published:

I presented my latest simulation results at the moment at the Milky Way and Local Group (MWLG) journal club, focusing on black holes in dwarf galaxies. This internal but expert setting allowed me to communicate my results to peers, receive constructive feedback, and contribute to ongoing discussions on black hole–galaxy coevolution.

The effect of AGN feedback in simulated dwarf galaxies

Published:

This seminar focused on the work later published as Arjona-Gálvez et al. 2024 in Astronomy & Astrophysics. I presented my analysis of black holes in dwarf galaxies within the AURIGA simulations, showing how active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback regulates star formation and can even suppress it entirely in low-mass systems. The talk emphasised the importance of MBHs in shaping the evolution of dwarf galaxies, a result with strong implications for understanding galaxy quenching. Presenting at LJMU, a leading centre in computational astrophysics, allowed me to receive targeted feedback from experts in cosmological simulations and galaxy evolution, refining the presentation of results prior to publication. This talk also helped consolidate collaborative links with researchers at LJMU during my research stay.

The role of AGN feedback on the evolution of dwarf galaxies from cosmological simulations

Published:

I was invited to the AGN Talk Series at IAC to present my results on AGN feedback in dwarf galaxies, linking simulation predictions with observations of low-luminosity AGN. This platform allowed me to engage with specialists in AGN physics and demonstrate how cosmological simulations can provide constraints on feedback efficiencies. The seminar strengthened collaborative links with the IAC AGN group and showcased the interdisciplinary relevance of my work.

AGN Feedback and Galaxy Outskirts: Exploring new observational approaches through hydrodynamical simulations

Published:

This invited seminar showcased my recent first-author contributions to the study of super massive black holes (SMBHs) in dwarf galaxies using the AURIGA cosmological simulations. I presented the results of Arjona-Gálvez et al. 2024, where I demonstrated how SMBHs suppress star formation in low-mass galaxies through AGN feedback, providing new insight into dwarf galaxy quenching. I also highlighted Arjona-Gálvez et al. 2025, which introduced a new, physically motivated definition of galaxy size across different simulation suites, with direct implications for measuring BH–galaxy coevolution. Presenting these two complementary works together underlined both my expertise in simulation analysis and my ability to lead independent projects. Hosted at UCR, an institution with strong expertise in galaxy evolution, the talk broadened my international profile, fostered exchanges with observers and theorists, and established the foundation for future collaborations on SMBH formation and growth.

Testing a physical galaxy size definition across simulations

Published:

At the ICC I presented the results of Arjona-Gálvez et al. (2025) and outlined planned follow-up work extending the study to satellite galaxies. Preliminary results indicate two distinct satellite populations in the size–stellar mass plane: one population that follows the former relation and a second population that lies systematically above it. The latter population shows systematic trends with redshift and with host-centric distance. The seminar described the planned analysis to identify and characterise these two populations using the AURIGA-Superstars simulations. This investigation will apply the new size metric together with a newly developed, more sophisticated method for detecting galaxy edges created by Giulia Golini. The project will be carried out in collaboration with Giulia and Dr. Francesca Fragkoudi and aims to quantify how satellite sizes depend on environment and cosmic time. Presenting this at the ICC enabled in-depth discussion with experts in simulation analysis and galaxy structure.

talks

The effect of AGN feedback in simulated dwarf galaxies

Published:

In this talk, I presented the main results of what would later become Arjona-Gálvez et al. (2024), discussing the impact of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback on the evolution of dwarf galaxies using a modify suite of the AURIGA cosmological simulations. The presentation explored how supermassive black holes influence gas accretion and star formation in low-mass systems, offering new theoretical predictions that can be tested both theorethically and observationally. The Black Holes on Broadway workshop brought together leading experts in AGN and galaxy formation simulations, providing an exceptional opportunity to share my findings within a highly specialised and internationally recognised community. Presenting alongside scientists from major simulation collaborations such as IllustrisTNG, SIMBA, FIRE and AREPO, I received valuable feedback that helped refine the interpretation and presentation of my results prior to publication. As the first author and primary developer of the analysis pipeline, I was responsible for designing the methodology, conducting the statistical analysis, and synthesising the physical interpretation. The discussion following the presentation helped identify potential extensions to the project, particularly regarding the inclusion of dynamical friction effects and the observational constraints on black hole growth in dwarfs that directly influences this fellowship proposal. Participating in this workshop was a key step in consolidating my international research profile. It allowed me to present my work to a distinguished audience, exchange ideas with leaders in the field, and strengthen professional ties that have informed both my current and future research directions in black hole physics and galaxy evolution.

The role of AGN feedback on the evolution of dwarf galaxies from cosmological simulations

Published:

In this talk, I presented the main results of my first-author paper Arjona-Gálvez et al. (2024), which investigates the impact of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback on the evolution of dwarf galaxies using a modification of the AURIGA suite of cosmological simulations. The study provides one of the first systematic analyses of how supermassive black holes influence the star formation histories, gas content, and dark matter of low-mass galaxies within a fully cosmological context. My results demonstrated that even relatively low-supermassive black holes can substantially suppress star formation in dwarf galaxies, thereby offering new insights into the physical mechanisms that regulate their baryonic evolution. As the principal author, I led all aspects of this project — from simulation analysis and data processing using Pynbody and Python-based pipelines, to the interpretation of the physical trends and the manuscript preparation. The work bridges the gap between theoretical modeling and observational efforts to detect AGN activity in dwarf galaxies, showing that feedback from supermassive black holes may play an underestimated role in shaping their observable properties. Presenting this research at the CLUES meeting allowed me to engage directly with an international audience of experts in galaxy formation and the local universe. The discussions following my talk were particularly valuable for contextualizing my findings within broader questions of feedback efficiency and environmental dependence.

The role of AGN feedback on the evolution of dwarf galaxies from cosmological simulations

Published:

This talk presented the key results of Arjona-Gálvez et al. (2024), which investigates how active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback influences the evolution of dwarf galaxies using the AURIGA cosmological simulations. The study provides evidence that feedback from supermassive black holes can suppress star formation in low- mass galaxies, offering new insights into the physical processes that regulate their growth. Presenting these findings at the SEA meeting—the largest astronomy conference in Spain—was an important step in sharing my research with a broad audience of both theoretical and observational astrophysicists. The talk generated discussion on the detectability of AGN signatures in dwarf galaxies and the implications for upcoming surveys such as LSST and Euclid. As the first author and lead analyst, I was responsible for the design, implementation, and interpretation of the simulation analysis. This presentation allowed me to strengthen connections within the Spanish astrophysics community, receive constructive feedback, and showcase the impact of my work on understanding black hole–galaxy coevolution in the low-mass regime, leading to new collaborations inside the astronomical Spanish community.

A physically motivated galaxy size definition across different state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulations

Published:

I was invited to deliver the highlight talk representing the Galaxy Formation research line at the annual Día de Nuestra Ciencia y Tecnología conference, an internal event that showcases the most relevant research from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC). My presentation focused on the results from Arjona-Gálvez et al. (2025). This work provides a consistent and robust framework for comparing simulated galaxy properties, addressing long-standing inconsistencies in size measurements that arise from differing definitions across simulation suites and obseved galaxies. In addition to presenting the methodology and key results of my own research, I also offered an overview of the collective progress of the IAC simulation group. The talk therefore served both as a platform to disseminate my first-author publication and as a representation of the group’s broader contributions to galaxy evolution research. Being selected to give the highlight talk among numerous candidates was a recognition of the scientific relevance and impact of my work, as well as my growing leadership role within the simulation community at the IAC. The discussion that followed provided valuable feedback from senior researchers, which helped to shape subsequent extensions of the project toward satellite galaxy populations and cluster environments.

AGN Feedback in low-mass galaxies: tracing outflows and their influence

Published:

This invited talk presented the follow-up work to Arjona-Gálvez et al. (2024), extending the analysis of AGN feedback in dwarf galaxies to explore in greater depth the physics of gas outflows driven by supermassive black holes. Using the same suite of AURIGA cosmological simulations, I examined the kinematic and thermodynamic properties of the gas surrounding active nuclei in low-mass galaxies, identifying clear signatures of AGN-driven winds and quantifying their impact on the surrounding interstellar medium. These results provide a bridge between theoretical models and observations, offering predictive diagnostics that can be directly tested with current and upcoming integral-field spectroscopic surveys. Being invited to present at the Zooming in Galactic Centers workshop at the Lorentz Center—an international meeting dedicated to understanding the physical processes that govern the center of galaxies—offered an opportunity to discuss this new phase of my research with leading experts in AGN and galactic physic. The presentation highlighted how dwarf galaxies, though small, serve as crucial laboratories for understanding the fundamental mechanisms by which AGN regulate star formation across cosmic time. As the project’s lead investigator, I developed the analysis framework for identifying and characterizing outflowing gas components, implemented new post-processing tools for synthetic observation generation, and interpreted the results within the context of current observational campaigns. This talk not only disseminated cutting-edge findings but also initiated collaborations aimed at comparing simulation-based predictions with real datasets, strengthening the link between numerical and observational astrophysics.