scholarly journals Galaxy Formation: Confrontation with Observations

1987 ◽  
Vol 124 ◽  
pp. 391-413
Author(s):  
Joseph Silk
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
Dwarf Galaxies ◽  
Density Fluctuations ◽  
Inflationary Cosmology ◽  
Lyman Alpha ◽  
Gaussian Density

The implications for galaxy formation of inflationary cosmology are reviewed. In particular, I explore some implications of the hypothesis that galaxies form from adiabatic, gaussian density fluctuations in a cold dark matter–dominated universe. Topics discussed include protogalaxies and the epoch of galaxy formation, Lyman alpha clouds, dark halos and dwarf galaxies. Finally I describe how environmental biasing may arise as a consequence of tidally induced star formation in protoclusters.

scholarly journals NIHAO – XXV. Convergence in the cusp-core transformation of cold dark matter haloes at high star formation thresholds

2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (2) ◽  
pp. 2648-2661
Author(s):  
Aaron A Dutton ◽  
Tobias Buck ◽  
Andrea V Macciò ◽  
Keri L Dixon ◽  
Marvin Blank ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
Dwarf Galaxies ◽  
Dwarf Galaxy ◽  
Good Description ◽  
Good Match ◽  
Virial Mass ◽  
Density Threshold

ABSTRACT We use cosmological hydrodynamical galaxy formation simulations from the NIHAO project to investigate the response of cold dark matter (CDM) haloes to baryonic processes. Previous work has shown that the halo response is primarily a function of the ratio between galaxy stellar mass and total virial mass, and the density threshold above which gas is eligible to form stars, n[cm−3]. At low n all simulations in the literature agree that dwarf galaxy haloes are cuspy, but at high n ≳ 100 there is no consensus. We trace halo contraction in dwarf galaxies with n ≳ 100 reported in some previous simulations to insufficient spatial resolution. Provided the adopted star formation threshold is appropriate for the resolution of the simulation, we show that the halo response is remarkably stable for n ≳ 5, up to the highest star formation threshold that we test, n = 500. This free parameter can be calibrated using the observed clustering of young stars. Simulations with low thresholds n ≤ 1 predict clustering that is too weak, while simulations with high star formation thresholds n ≳ 5, are consistent with the observed clustering. Finally, we test the CDM predictions against the circular velocities of nearby dwarf galaxies. Low thresholds predict velocities that are too high, while simulations with n ∼ 10 provide a good match to the observations. We thus conclude that the CDM model provides a good description of the structure of galaxies on kpc scales provided the effects of baryons are properly captured.

scholarly journals Local group star formation in warm and self-interacting dark matter cosmologies

2020 ◽  
Vol 498 (1) ◽  
pp. 702-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark R Lovell ◽  
Wojciech Hellwing ◽  
Aaron Ludlow ◽  
Jesús Zavala ◽  
Andrew Robertson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
Local Group ◽  
Initial Density ◽  
Dark Matter Mass ◽  
Stellar Ages ◽  
Hydrodynamical Simulations ◽  
Star Formation Histories

ABSTRACT The nature of the dark matter can affect the collapse time of dark matter haloes, and can therefore be imprinted in observables such as the stellar population ages and star formation histories of dwarf galaxies. In this paper, we use high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of Local Group-analogue (LG) volumes in cold dark matter (CDM), sterile neutrino warm dark matter (WDM) and self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) models with the eagle galaxy formation code to study how galaxy formation times change with dark matter model. We are able to identify the same haloes in different simulations, since they share the same initial density field phases. We find that the stellar mass of galaxies depends systematically on resolution, and can differ by as much as a factor of 2 in haloes of a given dark matter mass. The evolution of the stellar populations in SIDM is largely identical to that of CDM, but in WDM early star formation is instead suppressed. The time at which LG haloes can begin to form stars through atomic cooling is delayed by ∼200 Myr in WDM models compared to CDM. It will be necessary to measure stellar ages of old populations to a precision of better than 100 Myr, and to address degeneracies with the redshift of reionization – and potentially other baryonic processes – in order to use these observables to distinguish between dark matter models.

scholarly journals Heating of Milky Way disc stars by dark matter fluctuations in cold dark matter and fuzzy dark matter paradigms

2019 ◽  
Vol 485 (2) ◽  
pp. 2861-2876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin V Church ◽  
Philip Mocz ◽  
Jeremiah P Ostriker
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Quantum Interference ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Velocity Dispersion ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Density Fluctuations ◽  
Particle Mass ◽  
Small Scale

ABSTRACT Although highly successful on cosmological scales, cold dark matter (CDM) models predict unobserved overdense ‘cusps’ in dwarf galaxies and overestimate their formation rate. We consider an ultralight axion-like scalar boson which promises to reduce these observational discrepancies at galactic scales. The model, known as fuzzy dark matter (FDM), avoids cusps, suppresses small-scale power, and delays galaxy formation via macroscopic quantum pressure. We compare the substructure and density fluctuations of galactic dark matter haloes comprised of ultralight axions to conventional CDM results. Besides self-gravitating subhaloes, FDM includes non-virialized overdense wavelets formed by quantum interference patterns, which are an efficient source of heating to galactic discs. We find that, in the solar neighbourhood, wavelet heating is sufficient to give the oldest disc stars a velocity dispersion of ${\sim } {30}{\, \mathrm{km\, s}^{-1}}$ within a Hubble time if energy is not lost from the disc, the velocity dispersion increasing with stellar age as σD ∝ t0.4 in agreement with observations. Furthermore, we calculate the radius-dependent velocity dispersion and corresponding scaleheight caused by the heating of this dynamical substructure in both CDM and FDM with the determination that these effects will produce a flaring that terminates the Milky Way disc at $15\!-\!20{\, \mathrm{kpc}}$. Although the source of thickened discs is not known, the heating due to perturbations caused by dark substructure cannot exceed the total disc velocity dispersion. Therefore, this work provides a lower bound on the FDM particle mass of ma > 0.6 × 10−22 eV. Furthermore, FDM wavelets with this particle mass should be considered a viable mechanism for producing the observed disc thickening with time.

scholarly journals A Model for the Sequence of Elliptical Galaxies

1987 ◽  
Vol 117 ◽  
pp. 367-367
Author(s):  
Rosemary F. G. Wyse ◽  
Bernard J. T. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Power Spectrum ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Elliptical Galaxy ◽  
Elliptical Galaxies ◽  
Density Fluctuations ◽  
Analytic Approximation ◽  
Non Linear

We present a simple model for the formation of elliptical galaxies, based on a binary clustering hierarchy of dark matter, the chemical enrichment of the gas at each level being controlled by supernovae. The initial conditions for the non-linear phases of galaxy formation are set by the post-recombination power spectrum of density fluctuations. We investigate two models for this power spectrum - the first is a straightforward power law, |δk|2 ∝ kn, and the second is Peeble's analytic approximation to the emergent spectrum in a universe dominated by cold dark matter. The normalisation is chosen such that on some scale, say M ∼ 1012M⊙, the objects that condense out have properties - radius and velocity dispersion - resembling ‘typical’ galaxies. There is some ambiguity in this due to the poorly determined mass-to-light ratio of a typical elliptical galaxy — we look at two normalisations, σ1D ∼ 350kms−1 and σ1D ∼ 140kms−1. The choice determines which of Compton cooling or hydrogen cooling is more important during the galaxy formation period. The non-linear behaviour of the perturbations is treated by the homogeneous sphere approximation.

scholarly journals Superclustering: Theory Versus Observations

1988 ◽  
Vol 130 ◽  
pp. 245-254
Author(s):  
Jaan Einasto ◽  
Maret Einasto ◽  
Enn Saar ◽  
Bernard J. T. Jones ◽  
Vicent J. Martinez
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Multifractal Analysis ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
Dwarf Galaxies ◽  
Local Supercluster ◽  
Theory Versus

The spatial distribution of galaxies is compared with model distributions. It is demonstrated that giant and dwarf galaxies in the Local Supercluster occupy statistically identical regions. Various tests suggest that galaxy formation is biased since all unbiased model distributions are in conflict with observed distribution of galaxies. Multifractal analysis shows that a cold dark matter dominated universe with biased galaxy formation has a fairly constant fractal dimension over a broad range of scales. This contrasts with the observed distribution which does not show simple fractal features.

scholarly journals Dwarf Galaxies as Cosmological Probes

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (S344) ◽  
pp. 455-463
Author(s):  
Julio F. Navarro
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
Dwarf Galaxies ◽  
Dark Matter Halos ◽  
Too Big To Fail ◽  
Sharp Minimum ◽  
Luminous Galaxies ◽  
Small Scales ◽  
Low Mass

AbstractThe Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) paradigm makes specific predictions for the abundance, structure, substructure and clustering of dark matter halos, the sites of galaxy formation. These predictions can be directly tested, in the low-mass halo regime, by dark matter-dominated dwarf galaxies. A number of potential challenges to LCDM have been identified when confronting the expected properties of dwarfs with observation. I review our understanding of a few of these issues, including the “missing satellites” and the “too-big-to-fail” problems, and argue that neither poses an insurmountable challenge to LCDM. Solving these problems requires that most dwarf galaxies inhabit halos of similar mass, and that there is a relatively sharp minimum halo mass threshold to form luminous galaxies. These predictions are eminently falsifiable. In particular, LCDM predicts a large number of “dark” low-mass halos, some of which should have retained enough primordial gas to be detectable in deep 21 cm or Hα surveys. Detecting this predicted population of “mini-halos” would be a major discovery and a resounding success for LCDM on small scales.

scholarly journals Galaxy formation with BECDM – II. Cosmic filaments and first galaxies

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (2) ◽  
pp. 2027-2044 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Mocz ◽  
Anastasia Fialkov ◽  
Mark Vogelsberger ◽  
Fernando Becerra ◽  
Xuejian Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Power Spectrum ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
Einstein Condensate ◽  
Boson Mass ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Bose Einstein Condensate ◽  
First Galaxies

ABSTRACT Bose–Einstein condensate dark matter (BECDM, also known as fuzzy dark matter) is motivated by fundamental physics and has recently received significant attention as a serious alternative to the established cold dark matter (CDM) model. We perform cosmological simulations of BECDM gravitationally coupled to baryons and investigate structure formation at high redshifts (z ≳ 5) for a boson mass m = 2.5 × 10−22 eV, exploring the dynamical effects of its wavelike nature on the cosmic web and the formation of first galaxies. Our BECDM simulations are directly compared to CDM as well as to simulations where the dynamical quantum potential is ignored and only the initial suppression of the power spectrum is considered – a warm dark matter-like (‘WDM’) model often used as a proxy for BECDM. Our simulations confirm that ‘WDM’ is a good approximation to BECDM on large cosmological scales even in the presence of the baryonic feedback. Similarities also exist on small scales, with primordial star formation happening both in isolated haloes and continuously along cosmic filaments; the latter effect is not present in CDM. Global star formation and metal enrichment in these first galaxies are delayed in BECDM/‘WDM’ compared to the CDM case: in BECDM/‘WDM’ first stars form at z ∼ 13/13.5, while in CDM star formation starts at z ∼ 35. The signature of BECDM interference, not present in ‘WDM’, is seen in the evolved dark matter power spectrum: although the small-scale structure is initially suppressed, power on kpc scales is added at lower redshifts. Our simulations lay the groundwork for realistic simulations of galaxy formation in BECDM.

scholarly journals Clues to the nature of dark matter from first galaxies

2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (1) ◽  
pp. 487-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boyan K Stoychev ◽  
Keri L Dixon ◽  
Andrea V Macciò ◽  
Marvin Blank ◽  
Aaron A Dutton
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Neutral Hydrogen ◽  
Mass Function ◽  
Stellar Mass ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT We use 38 high-resolution simulations of galaxy formation between redshift 10 and 5 to study the impact of a 3 keV warm dark matter (WDM) candidate on the high-redshift Universe. We focus our attention on the stellar mass function and the global star formation rate and consider the consequences for reionization, namely the neutral hydrogen fraction evolution and the electron scattering optical depth. We find that three different effects contribute to differentiate warm and cold dark matter (CDM) predictions: WDM suppresses the number of haloes with mass less than few 109 M⊙; at a fixed halo mass, WDM produces fewer stars than CDM, and finally at halo masses below 109 M⊙, WDM has a larger fraction of dark haloes than CDM post-reionization. These three effects combine to produce a lower stellar mass function in WDM for galaxies with stellar masses at and below 107 M⊙. For z > 7, the global star formation density is lower by a factor of two in the WDM scenario, and for a fixed escape fraction, the fraction of neutral hydrogen is higher by 0.3 at z ∼ 6. This latter quantity can be partially reconciled with CDM and observations only by increasing the escape fraction from 23 per cent to 34 per cent. Overall, our study shows that galaxy formation simulations at high redshift are a key tool to differentiate between dark matter candidates given a model for baryonic physics.

scholarly journals Dwarf Galaxies, Cold Dark Matter, and Biased Galaxy Formation

1987 ◽  
Vol 117 ◽  
pp. 362-362
Author(s):  
Avishai Dekel ◽  
Joseph Silk
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Surface Brightness ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
Velocity Dispersion ◽  
Local Group ◽  
Dwarf Galaxies ◽  
Virgo Cluster ◽  
Slow Decrease ◽  
Gas Loss

The formation of dwarf, diffuse, metal-poor galaxies, as a result of supernova driven winds, is reexamained in view of the accumulating data on dwarfs in the local group and in the Virgo cluster. The observed drop in both surface-brightness and metallicity with decreasing luminosity is not easily understood if the gaseous protogalaxies are self-gravitating (because they swell after gas-loss), but they are produced naturally inside dominant halos, with a mass-radius relation that indicates ‘cold’ dark matter. The theory predicts for the faint dwarfs an M/L that increases with decreasing luminosity up to 10–100, and a corresponding slow decrease in velocity dispersion down to 5–10 km/s.

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