Simulating near-field cosmology of the Milky Way and it satellites

Faint galaxies trace the formation of dark-matter (sub)halos on the smallest cosmological scales and thus present compelling probes of near-field cosmology. The Milky Way's satellite galaxies have presented significant challenges to the cold dark matter (CDM) model. These challenges have included 'missing satellites', 'too big to fail', 'core-cusp', and 'planes of satellites'. While these long-standing tensions may signal limitations of the standard CDM model, it is imperative to model the cosmological formation of low-mass dark-matter subhalos within a realistic framework for galaxy formation. I will describe the Latte suite of cosmological zoom-in baryonic simulations that model the formation of Milky Way-like galaxies at parsec-scale resolution, using the FIRE (Feedback in Realistic Environments) model for star formation and feedback. These simulations self-consistently resolve the faint satellite galaxies and their dark-matter subhalos that form around a Milky Way-like galaxy. I will discuss the impact of stellar feedback and the Milky Way environment on dark-matter subhalos and their connection to faint galaxies, demonstrating progress in addressing long-standing problems of CDM cosmology.