An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A method used in → numerical simulations for studying the growth and development of galaxies and → dark matter halos. Within the currently accepted ΛCDM cosmology, dark matter halos merge from small → clumps to ever larger structures. This merging history can be traced in simulations and stored in the form of merger trees. Merger trees are necessary because a galaxy may have more than one → progenitor at an early time.

See also: → merger; → tree.