arXiv subjects

Eliot Quataert

Publications and source records attributed to Eliot Quataert.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Supercritical growth pathway to overmassive black holes at cosmic dawn: coevolution with massive quasar hosts

Observations of the most luminous quasars at high redshifts ($z > 6$) have revealed that the largest supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at those epochs tend to be substantially overmassive relative to their host galaxies compared to the local relations, suggesting they experienced rapid early growth phases. We propose an assembly model for the SMBHs that end up in rare massive $\sim10^{12}~M_{\odot}$ host halos at $z \sim 6-7$, applying a kinetic feedback prescription for BHs accreting above the Eddington rate, provided by radiation hydrodynamic simulations for the long-term evolution of the accretion-flow structure. The large inflow rates into these halos during their assembly enable the formation of $>10^9~M_{\odot}$ SMBHs by $z \sim 6$, even starting from stellar-mass seeds at $z \sim 30$, and even in the presence of outflows that reduce the BH feeding rate, especially at early times. This mechanism also naturally yields a high BH-to-galaxy mass ratio of $> 0.01$ before the SMBH mass reaches $M_{\rm BH} > 10^9~M_{\odot}$ by $z \sim 6$. These fast-growing SMBH progenitors are bright enough to be detected by upcoming observations with the James Webb Space Telescope over a wide range of redshift ($7 < z < 15$), regardless of how they were seeded.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Hot-mode accretion and the physics of thin-disk galaxy formation

We use FIRE simulations to study disk formation in z~0, Milky Way-mass galaxies, and conclude that a key ingredient for the formation of thin stellar disks is the ability for accreting gas to develop an aligned angular momentum distribution via internal cancellation *prior* to joining the galaxy. Among galaxies with a high fraction (>70%) of their young stars in a thin disk (h/R~0.1) we find that: (i) hot, virial-temperature gas dominates the inflowing gas mass on halo scales (>~20 kpc), with radiative losses offset by compression heating; (ii) this hot accretion proceeds until angular momentum support slows inward motion, at which point the gas cools to T~10^4 K or less; (iii) prior to cooling, the accreting gas develops an angular momentum distribution that is aligned with the galaxy disk, and while cooling transitions from a quasi-spherical spatial configuration to a more flattened, disk-like configuration. We show that the existence of this "rotating cooling flow" accretion mode is strongly correlated with the fraction of stars forming in a thin disk among a sample of 17 z~0 galaxies spanning a halo mass range of 10^10.5 solar masses to 10^12 solar masses, or a stellar mass range 10^8 solar masses to 10^11 solar masses. Notably, galaxies with a thick disk or irregular morphology do not undergo significant angular momentum alignment of gas prior to accretion and show no correspondence between halo gas cooling and flattening. Our results suggest that rotating cooling flows (or, more generally, rotating subsonic flows) that become coherent and angular momentum-supported prior to accretion onto the galaxy are likely a necessary condition for the formation of thin, star-forming disk galaxies in a LambdaCDM universe.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Long-term evolution of supercritical black hole accretion with outflows: a subgrid feedback model for cosmological simulations

We study the long-term evolution of the global structure of axisymmetric accretion flows onto a black hole (BH) at rates substantially higher than the Eddington value ($\dot{M}_{\rm Edd}$), performing two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations with and without radiative diffusion. In the high-accretion optically-thick limit, where the radiation energy is efficiently trapped within the inflow, the accretion flow becomes adiabatic and comprises of turbulent gas in the equatorial region and strong bipolar outflows. As a result, the mass inflow rate decreases toward the center as $\dot{M}_{\rm in}\propto r^{p}$ with $p\sim 0.5-0.7$ and a small fraction of the inflowing gas feeds the nuclear BH. Thus, super-Eddington accretion is sustained only when a larger amount of gas is supplied from larger radii at $> 100-1000~\dot{M}_{\rm Edd}$. The global structure of the flow settles down to a quasi-steady state in millions of the orbital timescale at the BH event horizon, which is $> 10-100$ times longer than that addressed in previous (magneto-)RHD simulation studies. Energy transport via radiative diffusion accelerates the outflow near the poles in the inner region but does not change the overall properties of the accretion flow compared to the cases without diffusion. Based on our simulation results, we provide a mechanical feedback model for super-Eddington accreting BHs. This can be applied as a sub-grid model in large-scale cosmological simulations that do not sufficiently resolve galactic nuclei, and to the formation of the heaviest gravitational-wave sources via accretion in dense environments.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Observational Signatures of Black Hole Accretion: Rotating vs. Spherical Flows with Tilted Magnetic Fields

We study the observational signatures of magnetically arrested black hole accretion with non-rotating inflow onto a rotating black hole; we consider a range of angles between the black hole spin and the initial magnetic field orientation. We compare the results of our General Relativistic Magneto-Hydrodynamic simulations to more commonly used rotating initial conditions and to the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations of M87. We find that the mm intensity images, polarization images, and synchrotron emission spectra are very similar among the different simulations when post-processed with the same electron temperature model; observational differences due to different electron temperature models are significantly larger than those due to the different realizations of magnetically arrested accretion. The orientation of the mm synchrotron polarization is particularly insensitive to the initial magnetic field orientation, the electron temperature model, and the rotation of the inflowing plasma. The largest difference among the simulations with different initial rotation and magnetic tilt is in the strength and stability of the jet; spherical inflow leads to kink-unstable jets. We discuss the implications of our results for current and future EHT observations and for theoretical models of event-horizon-scale black hole accretion.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

The In-situ Origins of Dwarf Stellar Outskirts in FIRE-2

Extended, old, and round stellar halos appear to be ubiquitous around high-mass dwarf galaxies ($10^{8.5}<M_\star/M_\odot<10^{9.6}$) in the observed universe. However, it is unlikely that these dwarfs have undergone a sufficient number of minor mergers to form stellar halos that are composed of predominantly accreted stars. Here, we demonstrate that FIRE-2 (Feedback in Realistic Environments) cosmological zoom-in simulations are capable of producing dwarf galaxies with realistic structure, including both a thick disk and round stellar halo. Crucially, these stellar halos are formed in-situ, largely via the outward migration of disk stars. However, there also exists a large population of "non-disky" dwarfs in FIRE-2 that lack a well-defined disk/halo and do not resemble the observed dwarf population. These non-disky dwarfs tend to be either more gas poor or to have burstier recent star formation histories than the disky dwarfs, suggesting that star formation feedback may be preventing disk formation. Both classes of dwarfs underscore the power of a galaxy's intrinsic shape -- which is a direct quantification of the distribution of the galaxy's stellar content -- to interrogate the feedback implementation in simulated galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Reconciling cosmic-ray transport theory with phenomenological models motivated by Milky-Way data

Phenomenological models of cosmic-ray (CR) transport in the Milky Way (MW) can reproduce a wide range of observations assuming that CRs scatter off of magnetic-field fluctuations with spectrum $\propto k^{-δ}$ and $δ\sim [1.4,1.67]$. We study the extent to which such models can be reconciled with current microphysical theories of CR transport, specifically self-confinement due to the streaming instability and/or extrinsic turbulence due to a cascade of MHD fast modes. We first review why it is that on their own neither theory is compatible with observations. We then highlight that CR transport is a strong function of local plasma conditions in the multi-phase interstellar medium (ISM), and may be diffusive due to turbulence in some regions and streaming due to self-confinement in others. A multi-phase combination of scattering mechanisms can in principle reproduce the main trends in the proton spectrum and the boron-to-carbon ratio (B/C). However, models with a combination of scattering by self-excited waves and fast-mode turbulence require significant fine-tuning due to fast-mode damping, unlike phenomenological models that assume undamped Kolmogorov turbulence. The assumption that fast modes follow a weak cascade is also not well justified theoretically, as the weak cascade is suppressed by wave steepening and weak-shock dissipation even in subsonic turbulence. These issues suggest that there may be a significant theoretical gap in our understanding of MHD turbulence. We discuss a few topics at the frontier of MHD turbulence theory that bear on this (possible) gap and that may be relevant for CR scattering.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Formation of proto-globular cluster candidates in cosmological simulations of dwarf galaxies at $z>4$

We perform cosmological hydrodynamical simulations to study the formation of proto-globular cluster candidates in progenitors of present-day dwarf galaxies $(M_{\rm vir} \approx 10^{10}\, {\rm M}_\odot$ at $z=0$) as part of the "Feedback in Realistic Environment" (FIRE) project. Compact ($r_{1/2}<30$ pc), relatively massive ($0.5 \times 10^5 \lesssim M_{\star}/{\rm M}_\odot \lesssim 5\times10^5$), self-bound stellar clusters form at $11\gtrsim z \gtrsim 5$ in progenitors with $M_{\rm vir} \approx 10^9\,{\rm M}_\odot$. Cluster formation is triggered when at least $10^7\,{\rm M}_\odot$ of dense, turbulent gas reaches $Σ_{\rm gas} \approx 10^4\, {\rm M}_\odot\, {\rm pc}^{-2}$ as a result of the compressive effects of supernova feedback or from cloud-cloud collisions. The clusters can survive for $2-3\,{\rm Gyr}$; absent numerical effects, they would likely survive substantially longer, perhaps to $z=0$. The longest-lived clusters are those that form at significant distance -- several hundreds of pc -- from their host galaxy. We therefore predict that globular clusters forming in progenitors of present-day dwarf galaxies will be offset from any pre-existing stars within their host dark matter halos as opposed to deeply embedded within a well-defined galaxy. Properties of the nascent clusters are consistent with observations of some of the faintest and most compact high-redshift sources in \textit{Hubble Space Telescope} lensing fields and are at the edge of what will be detectable as point sources in deep imaging of non-lensed fields with the \textit{James Webb Space Telescope}. By contrast, the star clusters' host galaxies will remain undetectable.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Cosmic-Ray Driven Outflows to Mpc Scales from $L_{\ast}$ Galaxies

We study the effects of cosmic rays (CRs) on outflows from star-forming galaxies in the circum and inter-galactic medium (CGM/IGM), in high-resolution, fully-cosmological FIRE-2 simulations (accounting for mechanical and radiative stellar feedback, magnetic fields, anisotropic conduction/viscosity/CR diffusion and streaming, and CR losses). We showed previously that massive ($M_{\rm halo}\gtrsim 10^{11}\,M_{\odot}$), low-redshift ($z\lesssim 1-2$) halos can have CR pressure dominate over thermal CGM pressure and balance gravity, giving rise to a cooler CGM with an equilibrium density profile. This dramatically alters outflows. Absent CRs, high gas thermal pressure in massive halos "traps" galactic outflows near the disk, so they recycle. With CRs injected in supernovae as modeled here, the low-pressure halo allows "escape" and CR pressure gradients continuously accelerate this material well into the IGM in "fast" outflows, while lower-density gas at large radii is accelerated in-situ into "slow" outflows that extend to $>$Mpc scales. CGM/IGM outflow morphologies are radically altered: they become mostly volume-filling (with inflow in a thin mid-plane layer) and coherently biconical from the disk to $>$Mpc. The CR-driven outflows are primarily cool ($T\sim10^{5}\,$K) and low-velocity. All of these effects weaken and eventually vanish at lower halo masses ($\lesssim 10^{11}\,M_{\odot}$) or higher redshifts ($z\gtrsim 1-2$), reflecting the ratio of CR to thermal+gravitational pressure in the outer halo. We present a simple analytic model which explains all of the above phenomena.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Testing Physical Models for Cosmic Ray Transport Coefficients on Galactic Scales: Self-Confinement and Extrinsic Turbulence at GeV Energies

The microphysics of ~GeV cosmic ray (CR) transport on galactic scales remain deeply uncertain, with almost all studies adopting simple prescriptions (e.g. constant-diffusivity). We explore different physically-motivated, anisotropic, dynamical CR transport scalings in high-resolution cosmological FIRE simulations of dwarf and ~$L_{\ast}$ galaxies where scattering rates vary with local plasma properties motivated by extrinsic turbulence (ET) or self-confinement (SC) scenarios, with varying assumptions about e.g. turbulent power spectra on un-resolved scales, Alfven-wave damping, etc. We self-consistently predict observables including $γ$-rays ($L_γ$), grammage, residence times, and CR energy densities to constrain the models. We demonstrate many non-linear dynamical effects (not captured in simpler models) tend to enhance confinement. For example, in multi-phase media, even allowing arbitrary fast transport in neutral gas does not substantially reduce CR residence times (or $L_γ$), as transport is rate-limited by the ionized WIM and 'inner CGM' gaseous halo ($10^{4}-10^{6}$ K gas within 10-30 kpc), and $L_γ$ can be dominated by trapping in small 'patches.' Most physical ET models contribute negligible scattering of ~1-10 GeV CRs, but it is crucial to account for anisotropy and damping (especially of fast modes) or else scattering rates would violate observations. We show that the most widely-assumed scalings for SC models produce excessive confinement by factors >100 in the WIM and inner CGM, where turbulent and Landau damping dominate. This suggests either a breakdown of quasi-linear theory used to derive the CR transport parameters in SC, or that other novel damping mechanisms dominate in intermediate-density ionized gas.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Effects of Different Cosmic Ray Transport Models on Galaxy Formation

Cosmic rays (CRs) with ~GeV energies can contribute significantly to the energy and pressure budget in the interstellar, circumgalactic, and intergalactic medium (ISM, CGM, IGM). Recent cosmological simulations have begun to explore these effects, but almost all studies have been restricted to simplified models with constant CR diffusivity and/or streaming speeds. Physical models of CR propagation/scattering via extrinsic turbulence and self-excited waves predict transport coefficients which are complicated functions of local plasma properties. In a companion paper, we consider a wide range of observational constraints to identify proposed physically-motivated cosmic-ray propagation scalings which satisfy both detailed Milky Way (MW) and extra-galactic $γ$-ray constraints. Here, we compare the effects of these models relative to simpler 'diffusion+streaming' models on galaxy and CGM properties at dwarf through MW mass scales. The physical models predict large local variations in CR diffusivity, with median diffusivity increasing with galacto-centric radii and decreasing with galaxy mass and redshift. These effects lead to a more rapid dropoff of CR energy density in the CGM (compared to simpler models), in turn producing weaker effects of CRs on galaxy star formation rates (SFRs), CGM absorption profiles and galactic outflows. The predictions of the more physical CR models tend to lie 'in between' models which ignore CRs entirely and models which treat CRs with constant diffusivity.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

First Predicted Cosmic Ray Spectra, Primary-to-Secondary Ratios, and Ionization Rates from MHD Galaxy Formation Simulations

We present the first simulations evolving resolved spectra of cosmic rays (CRs) from MeV-TeV energies (including electrons, positrons, (anti)protons, and heavier nuclei), in live kinetic-MHD galaxy simulations with star formation and feedback. We utilize new numerical methods including terms often neglected in historical models, comparing Milky Way analogues with phenomenological scattering coefficients $ν$ to Solar-neighborhood (LISM) observations (spectra, B/C, $e^{+}/e^{-}$, $\bar{p}/p$, $^{10}$Be/$^{9}$Be, ionization, $γ$-rays). We show it is possible to reproduce observations with simple single-power-law injection and scattering coefficients (scaling with rigidity $R$), similar to previous (non-dynamical) calculations. We also find: (1) The circum-galactic medium in realistic galaxies necessarily imposes a $\sim10\,$kpc CR scattering halo, influencing the required $ν(R)$. (2) Increasing the normalization of $ν(R)$ re-normalizes CR secondary spectra but also changes primary spectral slopes, owing to source distribution and loss effects. (3) Diffusive/turbulent reacceleration is unimportant and generally sub-dominant to gyroresonant/streaming losses, which are sub-dominant to adiabatic/convective terms dominated by $\sim0.1-1\,$kpc turbulent/fountain motions. (4) CR spectra vary considerably across galaxies; certain features can arise from local structure rather than transport physics. (5) Systematic variation in CR ionization rates between LISM and molecular clouds (or Galactic position) arises naturally without invoking alternative sources. (6) Abundances of CNO nuclei require most CR acceleration occurs around when reverse shocks form in SNe, not in OB wind bubbles or later Sedov-Taylor stages of SNe remnants.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Numerical Simulations of the Random Angular Momentum in Convection: Implications for Supergiant Collapse to Form Black Holes

During the core collapse of massive stars that do not undergo a canonical energetic explosion, some of the hydrogen envelope of a red supergiant (RSG) progenitor may infall onto the newborn black hole (BH). Within the Athena++ framework, we perform three-dimensional, hydrodynamical simulations of idealized models of supergiant convection and collapse in order to assess whether the infall of the convective envelope can give rise to rotationally-supported material, even if the star has zero angular momentum overall. Our dimensionless, polytropic models are applicable to the optically-thick hydrogen envelope of non-rotating RSGs and cover a factor of 20 in stellar radius. At all radii, the specific angular momentum due to random convective flows implies associated circularization radii of 10 - 1500 times the innermost stable circular orbit of the BH. During collapse, the angular momentum vector of the convective flows is approximately conserved and is slowly varying on the timescale relevant to forming disks at small radii. Our results indicate that otherwise failed explosions of RSGs lead to the formation of rotationally-supported flows that are capable of driving outflows to large radii and powering observable transients. When the BH is able to accrete most of the hydrogen envelope, the final BH spin parameter is $\sim$ 0.5, even though the star is non-rotating. For fractional accretion of the envelope, the spin parameter is generally lower and never exceeds 0.8. We discuss the implications of our results for transients produced by RSG collapse to a black hole.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Exploring supermassive black hole physics and galaxy quenching across halo mass in FIRE cosmological zoom simulations

Feedback from accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is thought to be a primary driver of quenching in massive galaxies, but the best way to implement SMBH physics into galaxy formation simulations remains ambiguous. As part of the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE) project, we explore the effects of different modeling choices for SMBH accretion and feedback in a suite of $\sim500$ cosmological zoom-in simulations across a wide range of halo mass (10^10-10^13 Msun). Within the suite, we vary the numerical schemes for BH accretion and feedback, the accretion efficiency, and the strength of mechanical, radiative, and cosmic ray feedback independently. We then compare the outcomes to observed galaxy scaling relations. We find several models that satisfy the observational constraints, and for which the energetics in different feedback channels are physically plausible. Interestingly, cosmic rays accelerated by SMBHs play an important role in many successful models. However, it is non-trivial to reproduce scaling relations across halo mass, and many model variations produce qualitatively incorrect results regardless of parameter choices. The growth of stellar and BH mass are closely related: for example, over-massive BHs tend to over-quench galaxies. BH mass is most strongly affected by the choice of accretion efficiency in high-mass halos, but by feedback efficiency in low-mass halos. The amount of star formation suppression by SMBH feedback in low-mass halos is determined primarily by the time-integrated feedback energy. For massive galaxies, the "responsiveness" of a model (i.e. how quickly and powerfully the BH responds to gas available for accretion) is an additional important factor for quenching.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Research Opportunities in Plasma Astrophysics

Major scientific questions and research opportunities are described on 10 unprioritized plasma astrophysics topics: (1) magnetic reconnection, (2) collisionless shocks and particle acceleration, (3) waves and turbulence, (4) magnetic dynamos, (5) interface and shear instabilities, (6) angular momentum transport, (7) dusty plasmas, (8) radiative hydrodynamics, (9) relativistic, pair-dominated and strongly magnetized plasmas, (10) jets and outflows. Note that this is a conference report from a Workshop on Opportunities in Plasma Astrophysics (WOPA, https://w3.pppl.gov/conferences/2010/WOPA/) in January 2010, that attracted broad representation from the community and was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, American Physical Society's Topical Group for Plasma Astrophysics and Division of Plasma Physics, and Center for Magnetic Self-Organization in Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas. Although there has been much planning and many developments in both science and infrastructure since the report was written, most of the motivation, priorities, problems and technical challenges discussed therein remain unaddressed and are relevant at the time of posting.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2022

FIRE-3: Updated Stellar Evolution Models, Yields, & Microphysics and Fitting Functions for Applications in Galaxy Simulations

Increasingly, uncertainties in predictions from galaxy formation simulations (at sub-Milky Way masses) are dominated by uncertainties in stellar evolution inputs. In this paper, we present the full set of updates from the FIRE-2 version of the Feedback In Realistic Environments (FIRE) project code, to the next version, FIRE-3. While the transition from FIRE-1 to FIRE-2 focused on improving numerical methods, here we update the stellar evolution tracks used to determine stellar feedback inputs, e.g. stellar mass-loss (O/B and AGB), spectra (luminosities and ionization rates), and supernova rates (core-collapse and Ia), as well as detailed mass-dependent yields. We also update the low-temperature cooling and chemistry, to enable improved accuracy at $T \lesssim 10^{4}\,$K and densities $n\gg 1\,{\rm cm^{-3}}$, and the meta-galactic ionizing background. All of these synthesize newer empirical constraints on these quantities and updated stellar evolution and yield models from a number of groups, addressing different aspects of stellar evolution. To make the updated models as accessible as possible, we provide fitting functions for all of the relevant updated tracks, yields, etc, in a form specifically designed so they can be directly 'plugged in' to existing galaxy formation simulations. We also summarize the default FIRE-3 implementations of 'optional' physics, including spectrally-resolved cosmic rays and supermassive black hole growth and feedback.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

High-frequency heating of the solar wind triggered by low-frequency turbulence

The fast solar wind's high speeds and nonthermal features require that significant heating occurs well above the Sun's surface. Two leading theories seem incompatible: low-frequency "Alfvénic" turbulence, which transports energy outwards and is observed ubiquitously by spacecraft but struggles to explain the observed dominance of ion over electron heating; and high-frequency ion-cyclotron waves (ICWs), which explain the nonthermal heating of ions but lack an obvious source. Here, we argue that the recently proposed "helicity barrier" effect, which limits electron heating by inhibiting the turbulent cascade of energy to the smallest scales, can unify these two paradigms. Our six-dimensional simulations show how the helicity barrier causes the large-scale energy to grow in time, generating small parallel scales and high-frequency ICW heating from low-frequency turbulence. The resulting turbulence and ion distribution function also closely match in-situ measurements from Parker Solar Probe and other spacecraft, explaining, among other features, the decades-long puzzle of the steep "transition range" observed in magnetic fluctuation spectra. The theory predicts a causal link between plasma expansion and the ion-to-electron heating ratio. Given the observational association between wind speed and expansion, we argue that the helicity barrier could play a key role in regulating the bimodal speed distribution of the solar wind.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

Optical to X-ray Signatures of Dense Circumstellar Interaction in Core-Collapse Supernovae

Progenitors of core-collapse supernovae (SNe) can shed significant mass to circumstellar material (CSM) in the months--years preceding core-collapse. The ensuing SN explosion launches ejecta that may subsequently collide with this CSM, producing shocks that can power emission across the electromagnetic spectrum. In this work we explore the thermal signatures of dense CSM interaction, when the CSM density profile is truncated at some outer radius. CSM with optical depth $>c/v$ (where $v$ is the shock velocity) will produce primarily $\sim$blackbody optical/UV emission whereas lower optical-depth CSM will power bremsstrahlung X-ray emission. Focusing on the latter, we derive light-curves and spectra of the resulting X-ray transients, that include a detailed treatment of Comptonization. Due to strong photoelectric absorption, the X-ray light-curve is dominated by the `post-interaction' phase that occurs after the shock reaches the CSM truncation radius. We treat this regime here for the first time. Using these results, we present the phase-space of optical, UV, and X-ray transients as a function of CSM properties, and discuss detectability prospects. We find that ROSAT would not have been sensitive to CSM X-ray transients but that eROSITA is expected to detect many such events. Future wide-field UV missions such as ULTRASAT will dramatically enhance sensitivity to large optical-depth CSM configurations. Finally, we present a framework within which CSM properties may be directly inferred from observable features of X-ray transients. This can serve as an important tool for studying stellar mass loss using SN X-ray detections.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Galaxies lacking dark matter produced by close encounters in a cosmological simulation

The standard cold dark matter plus cosmological constant model predicts that galaxies form within dark-matter haloes, and that low-mass galaxies are more dark-matter dominated than massive ones. The unexpected discovery of two low-mass galaxies lacking dark matter immediately provoked concerns about the standard cosmology and ignited explorations of alternatives, including self-interacting dark matter and modified gravity. Apprehension grew after several cosmological simulations using the conventional model failed to form adequate numerical analogues with comparable internal characteristics (stellar masses, sizes, velocity dispersions and morphologies). Here we show that the standard paradigm naturally produces galaxies lacking dark matter with internal characteristics in agreement with observations. Using a state-of-the-art cosmological simulation and a meticulous galaxy-identification technique, we find that extreme close encounters with massive neighbours can be responsible for this. We predict that approximately 30 percent of massive central galaxies (with at least 1e11 solar masses in stars) harbour at least one dark-matter-deficient satellite (with 1e8 - 1e9 solar masses in stars). This distinctive class of galaxies provides an additional layer in our understanding of the role of interactions in shaping galactic properties. Future observations surveying galaxies in the aforementioned regime will provide a crucial test of this scenario.

astro-ph.GA↗