scholarly journals Quenching and morphological evolution due to circumgalactic gas expulsion in a simulated galaxy with a controlled assembly history

2020 ◽  
Vol 501 (1) ◽  
pp. 236-253
Author(s):  
Jonathan J Davies ◽  
Robert A Crain ◽  
Andrew Pontzen
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Morphological Evolution ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Random Number Generator ◽  
Dark Matter Halo ◽  
Close Coupling ◽  
The Galaxy

ABSTRACT We examine the influence of dark matter halo assembly on the evolution of a simulated ∼L⋆ galaxy. Starting from a zoom-in simulation of a star-forming galaxy evolved with the EAGLE galaxy formation model, we use the genetic modification technique to create a pair of complementary assembly histories: one in which the halo assembles later than in the unmodified case, and one in which it assembles earlier. Delayed assembly leads to the galaxy exhibiting a greater present-day star formation rate than its unmodified counterpart, while in the accelerated case the galaxy quenches at z ≃ 1, and becomes spheroidal. We simulate each assembly history nine times, adopting different seeds for the random number generator used by EAGLE’s stochastic subgrid implementations of star formation and feedback. The systematic changes driven by differences in assembly history are significantly stronger than the random scatter induced by this stochasticity. The sensitivity of ∼L⋆ galaxy evolution to dark matter halo assembly follows from the close coupling of the growth histories of the central black hole (BH) and the halo, such that earlier assembly fosters the formation of a more massive BH, and more efficient expulsion of circumgalactic gas. In response to this expulsion, the circumgalactic medium reconfigures at a lower density, extending its cooling time and thus inhibiting the replenishment of the interstellar medium. Our results indicate that halo assembly history significantly influences the evolution of ∼L⋆ central galaxies, and that the expulsion of circumgalactic gas is a crucial step in quenching them.

scholarly journals The elephant in the bathtub: when the physics of star formation regulate the baryon cycle of galaxies

2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (2) ◽  
pp. 2000-2011
Author(s):  
Jindra Gensior ◽  
J M Diederik Kruijssen
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Cosmic Time ◽  
Free Fall ◽  
Isolated Galaxies ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Galaxy Masses

ABSTRACT In simple models of galaxy formation and evolution, star formation is solely regulated by the amount of gas present in the galaxy. However, it has recently been shown that star formation can be suppressed by galactic dynamics in galaxies that contain a dominant spheroidal component and a low gas fraction. This ‘dynamical suppression’ is hypothesized to also contribute to quenching gas-rich galaxies at high redshift, but its impact on the galaxy population at large remains unclear. In this paper, we assess the importance of dynamical suppression in the context of gas regulator models of galaxy evolution through hydrodynamic simulations of isolated galaxies, with gas-to-stellar mass ratios of 0.01–0.20 and a range of galactic gravitational potentials from disc-dominated to spheroidal. Star formation is modelled using a dynamics-dependent efficiency per free-fall time, which depends on the virial parameter of the gas. We find that dynamical suppression becomes more effective at lower gas fractions and quantify its impact on the star formation rate as a function of gas fraction and stellar spheroid mass surface density. We combine the results of our simulations with observed scaling relations that describe the change of galaxy properties across cosmic time, and determine the galaxy mass and redshift range where dynamical suppression may affect the baryon cycle. We predict that the physics of star formation can limit and regulate the baryon cycle at low redshifts (z ≲ 1.4) and high galaxy masses (M* ≳ 3 × 1010 M⊙), where dynamical suppression can drive galaxies off the star formation main sequence.

scholarly journals Quasi-equilibrium models of high-redshift disc galaxy evolution

2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (3) ◽  
pp. 3394-3412
Author(s):  
Steven R Furlanetto
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
New Physics ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Quasi Equilibrium ◽  
Mass Relation ◽  
Disc Galaxy

ABSTRACT In recent years, simple models of galaxy formation have been shown to provide reasonably good matches to available data on high-redshift luminosity functions. However, these prescriptions are primarily phenomenological, with only crude connections to the physics of galaxy evolution. Here, we introduce a set of galaxy models that are based on a simple physical framework but incorporate more sophisticated models of feedback, star formation, and other processes. We apply these models to the high-redshift regime, showing that most of the generic predictions of the simplest models remain valid. In particular, the stellar mass–halo mass relation depends almost entirely on the physics of feedback (and is thus independent of the details of small-scale star formation) and the specific star formation rate is a simple multiple of the cosmological accretion rate. We also show that, in contrast, the galaxy’s gas mass is sensitive to the physics of star formation, although the inclusion of feedback-driven star formation laws significantly changes the naive expectations. While these models are far from detailed enough to describe every aspect of galaxy formation, they inform our understanding of galaxy formation by illustrating several generic aspects of that process, and they provide a physically grounded basis for extrapolating predictions to faint galaxies and high redshifts currently out of reach of observations. If observations show violations from these simple trends, they would indicate new physics occurring inside the earliest generations of galaxies.

scholarly journals Galaxy and mass assembly: luminosity and stellar mass functions in GAMA groups

2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (1) ◽  
pp. 631-652
Author(s):  
J A Vázquez-Mata ◽  
J Loveday ◽  
S D Riggs ◽  
I K Baldry ◽  
L J M Davies ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Mass Function ◽  
Stellar Mass ◽  
Dark Matter Halo ◽  
Central Mass ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Star Formation In Galaxies ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Mass Assembly

ABSTRACT How do galaxy properties (such as stellar mass, luminosity, star formation rate, and morphology) and their evolution depend on the mass of their host dark matter halo? Using the Galaxy and Mass Assembly group catalogue, we address this question by exploring the dependence on host halo mass of the luminosity function (LF) and stellar mass function (SMF) for grouped galaxies subdivided by colour, morphology, and central/satellite. We find that spheroidal galaxies in particular dominate the bright and massive ends of the LF and SMF, respectively. More massive haloes host more massive and more luminous central galaxies. The satellites LF and SMF, respectively, show a systematic brightening of characteristic magnitude, and increase in characteristic mass, with increasing halo mass. In contrast to some previous results, the faint-end and low-mass slopes show little systematic dependence on halo mass. Semi-analytic models and simulations show similar or enhanced dependence of central mass and luminosity on halo mass. Faint and low-mass simulated satellite galaxies are remarkably independent of halo mass, but the most massive satellites are more common in more massive groups. In the first investigation of low-redshift LF and SMF evolution in group environments, we find that the red/blue ratio of galaxies in groups has increased since redshift z ≈ 0.3 relative to the field population. This observation strongly suggests that quenching of star formation in galaxies as they are accreted into galaxy groups is a significant and ongoing process.

scholarly journals Gas accretion regulates the scatter of the mass–metallicity relation

2020 ◽  
Vol 498 (3) ◽  
pp. 3215-3227
Author(s):  
Gabriella De Lucia ◽  
Lizhi Xie ◽  
Fabio Fontanot ◽  
Michaela Hirschmann
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Stellar Feedback ◽  
Accretion Rates ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Gas Cooling ◽  
Gas Accretion ◽  
Cold Gas

ABSTRACT In this paper, we take advantage of the GAlaxy Evolution and Assembly (GAEA) semi-analytic model to analyse the origin of secondary dependencies in the local galaxy mass–gas metallicity relation. Our model reproduces quite well the trends observed in the local Universe as a function of galaxy star formation rate and different gas-mass phases. We show that the cold gas content (whose largest fraction is represented by the atomic gas phase) can be considered as the third parameter governing the scatter of the predicted mass–metallicity relation, in agreement with the most recent observational measurements. The trends can be explained with fluctuations of the gas accretion rates: a decrease of the gas supply leads to an increase of the gas metallicity due to star formation, while an increase of the available cold gas leads to a metallicity depletion. We demonstrate that the former process is responsible for offsets above the mass–metallicity relation, while the latter is responsible for deviations below the mass–metallicity relation. In low- and intermediate-mass galaxies, these negative offsets are primarily determined by late gas cooling dominated by material that has been previously ejected due to stellar feedback.

scholarly journals A dark matter profile to model diverse feedback-induced core sizes of ΛCDM haloes

2020 ◽  
Vol 497 (2) ◽  
pp. 2393-2417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandres Lazar ◽  
James S Bullock ◽  
Michael Boylan-Kolchin ◽  
T K Chan ◽  
Philip F Hopkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Dark Matter Halo ◽  
Constant Density ◽  
Core Formation ◽  
Density Profiles ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Two Parameter

ABSTRACT We analyse the cold dark matter density profiles of 54 galaxy haloes simulated with Feedback In Realistic Environments (FIRE)-2 galaxy formation physics, each resolved within $0.5{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the halo virial radius. These haloes contain galaxies with masses that range from ultrafaint dwarfs ($M_\star \simeq 10^{4.5}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$) to the largest spirals ($M_\star \simeq 10^{11}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$) and have density profiles that are both cored and cuspy. We characterize our results using a new, analytic density profile that extends the standard two-parameter Einasto form to allow for a pronounced constant density core in the resolved innermost radius. With one additional core-radius parameter, rc, this three-parameter core-Einasto profile is able to characterize our feedback-impacted dark matter haloes more accurately than other three-parameter profiles proposed in the literature. To enable comparisons with observations, we provide fitting functions for rc and other profile parameters as a function of both M⋆ and M⋆/Mhalo. In agreement with past studies, we find that dark matter core formation is most efficient at the characteristic stellar-to-halo mass ratio M⋆/Mhalo ≃ 5 × 10−3, or $M_{\star } \sim 10^9 \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$, with cores that are roughly the size of the galaxy half-light radius, rc ≃ 1−5 kpc. Furthermore, we find no evidence for core formation at radii $\gtrsim 100\ \rm pc$ in galaxies with M⋆/Mhalo < 5 × 10−4 or $M_\star \lesssim 10^6 \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$. For Milky Way-size galaxies, baryonic contraction often makes haloes significantly more concentrated and dense at the stellar half-light radius than DMO runs. However, even at the Milky Way scale, FIRE-2 galaxy formation still produces small dark matter cores of ≃ 0.5−2 kpc in size. Recent evidence for a ∼2 kpc core in the Milky Way’s dark matter halo is consistent with this expectation.

scholarly journals Star formation history from the cosmic infrared background anisotropies

2018 ◽  
Vol 614 ◽  
pp. A39 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Maniyar ◽  
M. Béthermin ◽  
G. Lagache
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Dark Matter Halo ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Formation History ◽  
Infrared Background ◽  
Cosmic Infrared Background

We present a linear clustering model of cosmic infrared background (CIB) anisotropies at large scales that is used to measure the cosmic star formation rate density up to redshift 6, the effective bias of the CIB, and the mass of dark matter halos hosting dusty star-forming galaxies. This is achieved using the Planck CIB auto- and cross-power spectra (between different frequencies) and CIB × CMB (cosmic microwave background) lensing cross-spectra measurements, as well as external constraints (e.g. on the CIB mean brightness). We recovered an obscured star formation history which agrees well with the values derived from infrared deep surveys and we confirm that the obscured star formation dominates the unobscured formation up to at least z = 4. The obscured and unobscured star formation rate densities are compatible at 1σ at z = 5. We also determined the evolution of the effective bias of the galaxies emitting the CIB and found a rapid increase from ~0.8 at z = 0 to ~8 at z = 4. At 2 < z < 4, this effective bias is similar to that of galaxies at the knee of the mass functions and submillimetre galaxies. This effective bias is the weighted average of the true bias with the corresponding emissivity of the galaxies. The halo mass corresponding to this bias is thus not exactly the mass contributing the most to the star formation density. Correcting for this, we obtained a value of log(Mh/M⊙) = 12.77−0.125+0.128 for the mass of the typical dark matter halo contributing to the CIB at z = 2. Finally, using a Fisher matrix analysis we also computed how the uncertainties on the cosmological parameters affect the recovered CIB model parameters, and find that the effect is negligible.

scholarly journals EDGE: the mass–metallicity relation as a critical test of galaxy formation physics

2019 ◽  
Vol 491 (2) ◽  
pp. 1656-1672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar Agertz ◽  
Andrew Pontzen ◽  
Justin I Read ◽  
Martin P Rey ◽  
Matthew Orkney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Dwarf Galaxy ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Stellar Mass ◽  
Dark Matter Halo ◽  
V Band ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Unique Constraint ◽  
Low Mass

ABSTRACT We introduce the ‘Engineering Dwarfs at Galaxy Formation’s Edge’ (EDGE) project to study the cosmological formation and evolution of the smallest galaxies in the Universe. In this first paper, we explore the effects of resolution and sub-grid physics on a single low-mass halo ($M_{\rm halo}=10^{9}{\, \rm M}_\odot$), simulated to redshift z = 0 at a mass and spatial resolution of $\sim 20{\, \rm M}_\odot$ and ∼3 pc. We consider different star formation prescriptions, supernova feedback strengths, and on-the-fly radiative transfer (RT). We show that RT changes the mode of galactic self-regulation at this halo mass, suppressing star formation by causing the interstellar and circumgalactic gas to remain predominantly warm (∼104 K) even before cosmic reionization. By contrast, without RT, star formation regulation occurs only through starbursts and their associated vigorous galactic outflows. In spite of this difference, the entire simulation suite (with the exception of models without any feedback) matches observed dwarf galaxy sizes, velocity dispersions, V-band magnitudes, and dynamical mass-to-light-ratios. This is because such structural scaling relations are predominantly set by the host dark matter halo, with the remaining model-to-model variation being smaller than the observational scatter. We find that only the stellar mass–metallicity relation differentiates the galaxy formation models. Explosive feedback ejects more metals from the dwarf, leading to a lower metallicity at a fixed stellar mass. We conclude that the stellar mass–metallicity relation of the very smallest galaxies provides a unique constraint on galaxy formation physics.

scholarly journals A young galaxy cluster in the old Universe

2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (2) ◽  
pp. 2014-2029 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuya Hashimoto ◽  
Tomotsugu Goto ◽  
Rieko Momose ◽  
Chien-Chang Ho ◽  
Ryu Makiya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Galaxy Cluster ◽  
Dark Matter Halo ◽  
Current Standard ◽  
Local Universe ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Blue Star ◽  
Blue Galaxies

ABSTRACT Galaxies evolve from a blue star-forming phase into a red quiescent one by quenching their star formation activity. In high-density environments, this galaxy evolution proceeds earlier and more efficiently. Therefore, local galaxy clusters are dominated by well-evolved red elliptical galaxies. The fraction of blue galaxies in clusters monotonically declines with decreasing redshift, i.e. the Butcher–Oemler effect. In the local Universe, observed blue fractions of massive clusters are as small as ≲0.2. Here we report a discovery of a ‘blue cluster’ that is a local galaxy cluster with an unprecedentedly high fraction of blue star-forming galaxies yet hosted by a massive dark matter halo. The blue fraction is 0.57, which is 4.0σ higher than those of the other comparison clusters under the same selection and identification criteria. The velocity dispersion of the member galaxies is 510 km s−1, which corresponds to a dark matter halo mass of 2.0$^{+1.9}_{-1.0}\times 10^{14}$ M⊙. The blue fraction of the cluster is more than 4.7σ beyond the standard theoretical predictions including semi-analytic models of galaxy formation. The probability to find such a high blue fraction in an individual cluster is only 0.003 per cent, which challenges the current standard frameworks of the galaxy formation and evolution in the ΛCDM universe. The spatial distribution of galaxies around the blue cluster suggests that filamentary cold gas streams can exist in massive haloes even in the local Universe. However these cold streams have already disappeared in the theoretically simulated local universes.

scholarly journals Local starbursts seen when the Universe was 2–4 Gyr old

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S266) ◽  
pp. 499-499
Author(s):  
S. M. Petty ◽  
D. F. de Mello ◽  
J. P. Gardner ◽  
J. S. Gallagher
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Rest Frame ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Starburst Galaxies ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
Multiple Star ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
The Universe

AbstractWe explore the multiwavelength properties of three nearby starburst galaxies: NGC 3079, NGC 7673, and Mrk 08. We established that each of these galaxies has similar rest-frame far-ultraviolet (FUV) morphologies as Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at z ~ 1.5 and 4, when the age of the Universe was ~ 4.3 and ~ 1.6 Gyr, respectively. LBGs are at an important stage in galaxy evolution when the Universe had a peak in the star-formation-rate density. Many LBGs are primarily composed of star-forming clumps, i.e., stellar clusters, with a significant lack of older stellar populations. Here, we present the comparison of the spectral-energy distributions (SEDs) of three nearby starburst galaxies with those of typical LBGs. From our nearby sample, each object has been artificially redshifted to observe what the galaxies would look like at z ~ 1 to 4 in the rest-frame FUV. NGC 3079 is an edge-on Seyfert 2 galaxy. It has a bright bulge and is interacting with two other galaxies, with extended Hi only along NGC 3079. The redshifting process changes its appearance, so that at high z it looks like a chain galaxy with multiple knots of star formation and no bulge. NGC 7673 has extended Hi and the star formation is mostly within the inner optical region in the multiple star-forming clumps defining the galaxy morphology. In the FUV, the galaxy looks highly compact with little detail resolved. As it is artificially redshifted, the galaxy continues to look more spherical. Mrk 8 is a merging pair, with the two galaxies observable in the visible spectrum. It is classified as a Wolf–Rayet galaxy, which suggests a very young burst, and is composed of several large star-forming regions. The FUV image does not resolve the separate galaxies, and the appearance remains similar for each redshift. We use the Gini coefficient, M20, and the Sérsic index to quantify the morphologies. The SEDs of the objects have similarities with LBG stellar population models. Because these local galaxies can be studied in more detail, they act as a bridge between nearby observations of starburst galaxies and high-z starburst galaxies such as LBGs.

scholarly journals A systematic search for galaxy proto-cluster cores at z ∼ 2

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S359) ◽  
pp. 166-167
Author(s):  
Makoto Ando ◽  
Kazuhiro Shimasaku ◽  
Rieko Momose
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Clustering Analysis ◽  
Mass Function ◽  
Stellar Mass ◽  
Dark Matter Halo ◽  
Massive Galaxies ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Mass Assembly ◽  
Cluster Cores

AbstractA proto-cluster core is the most massive dark matter halo (DMH) in a given proto-cluster. To reveal the galaxy formation in core regions, we search for proto-cluster cores at z ˜ 2 in ˜1.5deg2 of the COSMOS field. Using pairs of massive galaxies (log (M*/Mʘ) ≥ 11) as tracers of cores, we find 75 candidate cores. A clustering analysis and the extended Press-Schechter model show that their descendant mass at z = 0 is consistent with Fornax-like or Virgo-like clusters. Moreover, using the IllustrisTNG simulation, we confirm that pairs of massive galaxies are good tracers of DMHs massive enough to be regarded as proto-cluster cores. We then derive the stellar mass function and the quiescent fraction for member galaxies of the 75 candidate cores. We find that stellar mass assembly and quenching are accelerated as early as z ˜ 2 in proto-cluster cores.

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