arXiv subjects

R. Valdarnini

Publications and source records attributed to R. Valdarnini.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2001

The morphological and dynamical evolution of simulated galaxy clusters

We explore the morphological and dynamical evolution of galaxy clusters in simulations using scalar and vector-valued Minkowski valuations and the concept of fundamental plane relations. In this context, three questions are of fundamental interest: 1. How does the average cluster morphology depend on the cosmological background model? 2. Is it possible to discriminate between different cosmological models using cluster substructure in a statistically significant way? 3. How is the dynamical state of a cluster, especially its distance from a virial equilibrium, correlated to its visual substructure? To answer these questions, we quantify cluster substructure using a set of morphological order parameters constructed on the basis of the Minkowski valuations (MVs). The dynamical state of a cluster is described using global cluster parameters: in certain spaces of such parameters fundamental band-like structures are forming indicating the emergence of a virial equilibrium. We find that the average distances from these fundamental structures are correlated to the average amount of cluster substructure for our cluster samples during the time evolution. Furthermore, significant differences show up between the high- and the low-Omega models. We pay special attention to the redshift evolution of morphological characteristics and find large differences between the cosmological models even for higher redshifts.

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arXiv2000

Detection of nonrandom patterns in cosmological gravitational clustering

A new method for analyzing point patterns produced by the evolution of gravitational clustering is presented. The method is taken from the study of molecular liquids, where it has been introduced for making a statistical description of anisotropic distributions. The statistical approach is based on the spherical harmonic expansion of angular correlations. A general introduction to the method is given; a theoretical analysis shows that it is partially connected with previous harmonic analyses applied to galaxy catalogs. The effectiveness of the statistical analysis in quantifying clustering morphology is illustrated by applying the statistical estimators to point distributions produced by an ensemble of cosmological $N-$ body simulations with a CDM spectrum. The results demonstrate that the statistical method is able to detect anisotropies in non-random patterns, with different scales being probed according to the expansion coefficients.

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arXiv2000

Morphological evolution of X-ray clusters using hydrodynamical simulations

A large set of TREESPH simulations is used to test the global morphology of galaxy clusters and its evolution against X-ray data. A powerful method to investigate substructures in galaxy clusters are the power ratios introduced by Buote & Tsai. We consider three flat cosmological models: CDM, LCDM($Ω_Λ= 0.7$) and CHDM($Ω_h = 0.2$, 1 massive $ν$), all normalized so to fit the observed number of clusters. For each model we built 40 clusters, using a TREESPH code, and performed a statistical comparison with a data sample including nearby clusters observed with ROSAT PSPC instrument. The comparison disfavors the LCDM model, as clusters appear too relaxed, while CDM and CHDM clusters, in which a higher degree of complexity occurs, seem to be closer to observations. A better fit of data can be expected for some different DM mix. If DM distributions are used instead of baryons, we find substructures more pronounced than in gas and models have a different score. Using hydrodynamical simulations is therefore essential to our aims.

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arXiv1999

Global cluster morphology and its evolution: X-ray data vs CDM, LCDM and mixed models

The global structure of galaxy clusters and its evolution are tested within a large set of TREESPH simulations, so to allow a fair statistical comparison with available X-ray data. Structure tests are based on the "power ratios", introduced by Buote & Tsai. Cosmological models considered are CDM, LCDM (Omega_L=0.7) and CHDM (1 mass.neu., Omega_h = 0.2). All models are normalized to provide a fair number density of clusters. For each model we run a P3M simulation in a large box, where we select the most massive 40 clusters. Going back to the initial redshift we run a hydro-TREESPH simulation for each of them. In this way we perform a statistical comparison of the global morphology of clusters, for each cosmological model, with ROSAT data, using Student t-test, F-test and K-S test. The last test and its generalization to 2--D distributions are also used to compare the joint distributions of 2 or 3 power ratios. We find that, using DM distribution, instead of gas, as done by some authors, leads to biased results, as baryons are distributed in a less structured way than DM. We also find that the cosmological models considered have different behaviours in these tests: LCDM has the worst performance. CDM and our CHDM have similar scores. The general trend of power ratio distributions is already fit by these models, but a further improvement is expected either from a different DM mix or a non-flat CDM model.

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arXiv1998

Large scale structure formation in mixed dark matter models with a cosmological constant

We study linear power spectra and formation of large scale structures in flat cosmological models with $Λ\ge 0$ and cold plus hot dark matter components (MLM). The hot component consists of massive neutrinos with cosmological density $Ω_H$. The linearized Einstein-Boltzmann equations for the evolution of the metric and density perturbations are integrated for a set of values of the cosmological parameters. For all the considered models we assume a scale-invariant primeval spectrum. The density weighted final linear power spectra are normalized to the four year COBE data and have been used to constrain the parameter space by a comparison of linear predictions with the current observational data on large scales. The consistency of MLM predictions with the observable data set is best obtained for models with one specie of massive neutrinos and $Ω_H/Ω_M \le0.2$. For this class of MLM models we obtain constraints from linear data on the present matter density. Consistency with the estimated cluster abundance can be achieved for COBE normalized MLM models with $Ω_H/Ω_M\le0.2$ and $ 0.45 \le Ω_M \le 0.75$ for $h=0.5$. If $h=0.7$ then $ 0.3 \le Ω_M \le 0.5$. These constraints are at $1σ$ level and standard MDM models are clearly ruled out. We note that the range of allowed values for $Ω_M$, that we obtain for MLM models from linear analysis, is also approximately the same range that is needed in order to consistently satisfy a variety of independent observational constraints.

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arXiv1998

Evolution of Cluster Morphology: X-ray data vs. CDM models

We compare the evolution of morphology in X-ray cluster data and in clusters obtained in a simulation of flat CDM, normalized to the observed cluster abundance. We find that the evolution rate in model clusters is significantly higher than in data clusters. The results is stricking, as our cluster data are all just for $z \simlt 0.2$, but is not contrary to expectations, as is known that the CDM spectrum is too flat, around the cluster scale, and therefore induces the presence of too many substructures. The cluster simulations were run using a TREESPH code and therefore include hydrodynamical effects. The test we performed, which turns out to be very sensitive, starts from the so--called power ratios introduced by Buote and Tsai, and makes use of the 2--dimensional generalization of the Kolmogorov--Smirnov test. The discrepancy between data and model is however directly visible through linear regression techniques and using simpler statistical tests.

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arXiv1995

Three-point correlation function of galaxy clusters in cosmological models: a strong dependence on triangle shape

In this paper, we use large $\pppm$ N-body simulations to study the three-point correlation function $ζ$ of clusters in two theoretical models. The first model (LCDM) is a low-density flat model of $Ω_0=0.3$, $Λ_0=0.7$ and $h=0.75$, and the second model (PIM) is an Einstein-de-Sitter model with its linear power spectrum obtained from observations. We found that the scaled function $Q(r,u,v)$, which is defined as the ratio of $ζ(r, ru, ru+rv)$ to the hierarchical sum $ξ(r)ξ(ru)+ ξ(ru) ξ(ru+rv) +ξ(ru+rv)ξ(r)$ (where $ξ$ is the two-point correlation function of clusters), depends weakly on $r$ and $u$, but very strongly on $v$. $Q(r,u,v)$ is about 0.2 at $v=0.1$ and 1.8 at $v=0.9$. A model of $Q(r,u,v)=Θ10^{1.3v^2}$ can fit the data of $ζ$ very nicely with $Θ\approx 0.14$. This model is found to be universal for the LCDM clusters and for the PIM clusters. Furthermore, $Q(r,u,v)$ is found to be insensitive to the cluster richness. We have compared our N-body results with simple analytical theories of cluster formation, like the peak theories or the local maxima theories. We found that these theories do not provide an adequate description for the three-point function of clusters. We have also examined the observational data of $ζ$ presently available, and have not found any contradiction between the observations and our model predictions. The $v$-dependence of $q$ in a projected catalogue of clusters is shown to be much weaker than the $v$-dependence of $Q$ found in the three-dimensional case. It would be important to search for the $v$-dependence of $Q$ in redshift samples of rich clusters.

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arXiv1994

The 1-Point Cluster Distribution Function and its Moments

We derive the 1-point probability density function of the smoothed 3-D Abell-ACO cluster density field and we compare it with that of artificial cluster samples, generated as high peaks of a Gaussian field in such a way that they reproduce the low-order (2- and 3-point) correlation functions and the observed cluster selection functions. We find that both real and simulated {\em pdf}'s are well approximated by a log-normal distribution even when the Gaussian smoothing radius is as large as 40 $h^{-1}$ Mpc. Furthermore the low-order moments of the {\em pdf} are found to obey a relation $γ= S_{3} σ^4$, with $γ$ being the skewness and $S_{3}\approx 1.8$. These results are consistent with clusters being high-peaks of an underlying initial Gaussian density field. A by-product of our analysis is that when we rescale the {\em pdf} cluster moments to those of the QDOT-IRAS galaxies, using linear biasing with $b_{cI}\sim 4.5$ and for the common smoothing radius of 20 $h^{-1}$ Mpc, we find them to be significantly smaller than those directly estimated from the QDOT data by Saunders et al. (1991).

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arXiv1994

Is there any Scaling in the Cluster Distribution ?

We apply fractal analysis methods to investigate the scaling properties in the Abell and ACO catalogs of rich galaxy clusters. We also discuss different technical aspects of the method when applied to data sets with small number of points as the cluster catalogs. Results are compared with simulations based on the Zel'dovich approximation. We limit our analysis to scales less than 100 $\hm$. The cluster distribution show a scale invariant multifractal behavior in a limited scale range. For the Abell catalog this range is 15--60$\hm$, while for the ACO sample it extends to smaller scales. Despite this difference in the extension of the scale--range where scale--invariant clustering takes place, both samples are characterized by remarkably similar multifractal spectra in the corresponding scaling regime. In particular, the correlation dimension turns out to be $D_2\simeq 2.2$ for both Abell and ACO clusters. Although it is difficult to point out the scale at which homogeneity is reached with the present size of these redshift surveys, our results indicate that the cluster distribution shows a tendency to homogeneity at large scales, disproving the picture of a pure scale invariant fractal structure extending to arbitrarily large distances.

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