arXiv subjects

Rory Smith

Publications and source records attributed to Rory Smith.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Unveiling the nature and fate of the almost-dark cloud AGC 226178 through HI mapping

The origin of extragalactic, almost dark HI clouds with extreme gas-to-stellar mass ratios remains poorly understood. We investigate the nature and fate of the "almost dark" cloud AGC 226178, projected within the Virgo cluster, with an HI-to-stellar mass ratio of ~1000. We present deep single-dish HI mapping from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), complemented by high-resolution interferometric data from the Very Large Array (VLA), as part of the Atomic gas in Virgo Interacting Dwarf galaxies (AVID) project. These observations provide the highest-quality HI analysis to date of such a cloud, combining resolution and sensitivity. FAST data reveal a short, low-velocity tail toward the dwarf galaxy VCC 2034, previously proposed as a possible origin for AGC 226178. However, VCC 2034 shows a line-of-sight asymmetric HI feature and cometary morphology indicating a stripping event unrelated to AGC 226178. VLA data reveal a velocity gradient across AGC 226178 and a clumpy internal structure. The velocity dispersion exceeds the thermal linewidth, implying turbulence or unresolved motions. The cloud cannot be gravitationally bound by atomic gas alone. The resolved HI clumps follow standard HI mass-star formation rate and mass-size relations, with those forming stars reaching surface densities above the threshold for self-shielding. We conclude that AGC 226178 is a free-floating HI cloud of unknown origin. The system appears to be in the process of disintegration. It is likely located well outside the Virgo cluster, as the preservation of its extended HI morphology within the cluster environment would otherwise require a substantial reservoir of unseen molecular gas with a mass exceeding that of the observed HI content. While confinement pressure from the hot intracluster medium may aid its stability, it is unlikely to be the dominant factor preventing its disruption.

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arXiv2025

AVID: Formation and evolution of a coalesced major merger of late-type dwarf galaxies (VCC 479) on the outskirts of the Virgo cluster

Dwarf-dwarf galaxy mergers are among the least explored aspects of dwarf galaxy pre-processing as they fall into clusters. We present the first case study of a coalesced late-type dwarf major merger (VCC 479; stellar mass $\sim\,8\,\times\,10^7\,\rm M_\odot$) that has undergone significant environmental influence, with the aim of exploring dwarf galaxy evolution under the combined effects of galaxy interactions and environmental processes, and understanding its relevance to the diversity of dwarf galaxies in cluster environments. Our analysis is based on VLA and FAST HI emission line mapping from the Atomic gas in Virgo Interacting Dwarf galaxies (AVID) survey. We also perform idealized hydrodynamical simulations of dwarf-dwarf mergers to help interpret the observations. We identify symmetric stellar shell structures in VCC 479, indicative of a coalesced major merger of dwarf galaxies. The galaxy features a central starburst, initiated $\sim$600 Myr ago, embedded within an exponential disk quenched $\sim$1 Gyr ago. The starburst contributes only 2.9$\pm$0.5\% of the total stellar mass, and VCC 479's global star formation rate is 0.3 dex lower than typical dwarfs of similar mass. The galaxy is highly HI deficient, with most HI gas concentrated within the central 1 kpc and little extended HI envelope. The misalignment of the HI velocity field with the stellar body is best explained by merger-triggered gas inflow, as seen in our simulations. Our analysis is consistent with a scenario that the majority of HI gas of the progenitor galaxies was removed by the cluster environment prior to the final coalescence. The merger concentrates the remaining gas toward the galaxy center, triggering a central starburst. The combined effect of environment stripping and galaxy merger has transformed VCC 479 into a blue-core dwarf undergoing morphological transition from a late-type to an early-type galaxy.

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arXiv2025

Towards an Observational Detection of Halo Spin Bias using Spin-Orbit Coherence

Context. The clustering of dark-matter halos depends primarily on halo mass. However, at fixed halo mass, numerical simulations have revealed multiple secondary dependencies. This so-called secondary halo bias has important implications for our understanding of structure formation and observational cosmology. Despite its significance, the effect has not yet been measured observationally with statistical confidence. Aims. We aim to develop the first observational method to probe halo spin bias: the secondary dependence of halo clustering on halo spin at fixed halo mass. Methods. We use a proxy for halo spin based on the coherent motion of galaxies within and around a halo. This technique is tested using the IllustrisTNG hydrodynamical simulation and subsequently applied to a group catalog from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). By splitting the SDSS groups according to this spin proxy and measuring the two-point correlation function of the resulting samples, the existence of halo spin bias is investigated. Results. We find consistent indications that, at fixed mass, groups with higher values of the spin proxy exhibit higher bias than those with lower spin proxy values, on scales of 5-15 ${h}^{-1}$$\mathrm{Mpc}$. The highest significance is seen for groups with halo masses ${M}_{\rm h} \gtrsim {10}^{13.2}$ ${h}^{-1}{\rm M}_\odot$, for which 85$\%$ of the sampled measurements display the expected trend. As we continue to improve the method, our results could open new avenues for studying the connection between halo spin and the large-scale structure with upcoming spectroscopic surveys.

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arXiv2025

Parameter Recovery Study on IZI -- a Bayesian Analysis Tool for Emission Lines from H II Regions and Star-forming Galaxies

We present a series of parameter recovery test results of the Bayesian analysis tool IZI, which analyses emission lines from H II regions and star-forming galaxies and returns the estimates of the gas metallicity 12 + log (O/H), ionisation parameter log q, and nebular emission-line colour excess E(B-V). We created several mock datasets using IZI to represent a few different ideal or realistic datasets and performed parameter estimation on the mock data with IZI. We found that IZI underestimated or overestimated the parameters by approximately 1-$σ$ or greater when the model error was included, even when using all emission lines available in the model grids. We strongly recommend that IZI users run parameter recovery tests adjusted for their data before interpreting the IZI estimates. To encourage the appropriate use of IZI, we also share a script for parameter recovery tests. The cause of IZI's biased estimation is the substantial model error in the likelihood term, which varies with the model parameters. We thus note that any parameter estimation with a substantial, varying model error in the likelihood term could return biased estimates for the model parameters, such as in the case of NebulaBayes, another Bayesian analysis tool for photoionisation emission lines. We also note two issues relevant to setting the log q prior using the observed line ratio [S III]$λ$$λ$9068,9532/[S II]$λ$6717,6731 (the mismatch of line flux terms and violation of Bayes' theorem) and propose a way to avoid the issues.

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arXiv2025

Distinguishing Ram Pressure from Tidal Interactions: the Size-Shape Difference (SSD) measure

Context: In dense environments, disk galaxies can be subjected to tidal interactions with other galaxies and/or ram pressure stripping. Some morphological features are clearly associated with one or the other interaction (e.g. tidal bridges vs long one-sided linear gas tails). But, under certain circumstances, both mechanisms can result in morphological features that could be confused, such as lopsided or asymmetric disks and unwinding spiral arms. Aims: Our aim is to develop new measures for application to asymmetric galaxies of this type that distinguish gravitational-only tidal interactions from ram pressure stripping, and that can be applied directly to simulations, and potentially to observations. Methods: We define a new measure for galaxies called the Size-Shape Difference (SSD) measure. This measure is sensitive to differences in the size and shape of a younger stellar population (<200 Myr) compared to that of an intermediate age stellar population (200-400 Myr). We use numerical simulations of galaxies undergoing gravitational-only tidal interactions and/or undergoing ram pressure stripping to test the measure. Results: Because ram pressure tends to directly alter the gas distribution, the younger stellar population (which best traces out the gas distribution) tends to change shape and morphology with respect to the intermediate age population. The SSD measure is sensitive to this change, and we find it can effectively distinguish between ram pressure and gravitational-only tidal encounters. In fact, we find it is even more effective when a combination of a tidal interaction and ram pressure has occurred together, as may arise in dense environments. As tidal interactions tend to enhance the spiral structure in disk galaxies, the effectiveness of the SSD measure is further enhanced when combined with a measure of the strength of the spiral arms.

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arXiv2025

The MUSE view of ram pressure stripped galaxies in clusters: the GASP sample

We present the full sample of 76 galaxies in 39 galaxy cluster fields at z=0.04-0.07 observed with VLT/MUSE by the GASP survey. Most of them (64) were observed as possible ram pressure stripped galaxies (stripping candidates) based on optical B-band images, while the remaining 12 were a control sample of both star-forming and passive galaxies. Based on spatially resolved ionized gas and stellar kinematics, we assess the physical origin of the gas asymmetries and find that 89% of the stripping candidates are confirmed by the VLT/MUSE data. In addition, also 3 of the 4 star-forming galaxies in the control sample show signs of ram pressure. These control galaxies display a ring of unusual emission line ratios, which we see also in field galaxies, possibly originating from the interaction with a hotter surrounding medium. The stripped galaxies are classified into various classes corresponding to different degrees of stripping, from weakest stripping to strong and extreme (jellyfish galaxies) stripping, as well as truncated gas disks with gas left only in the galaxy center. Our results show that selecting cluster stripping candidates based on optical imaging yields a sample that is indeed largely dominated by galaxies affected by ram pressure at different stages and stripping strength, though some contamination is present, mostly by tidal processes. Strong ram pressure cases are found in galaxies over the whole range of stellar masses studied (10^9-10^11.5 Msun) both in low-mass and high-mass clusters (cluster velocity dispersions sigma = 500-1100 km/s). We examine the possible connection between the progressive stages of stripping, up to the phase of a truncated gas disk, and the subsequent complete stripping of gas. We discuss the incompleteness intrinsic to this and other methods of selection to obtain a complete census of ram pressure stripping in clusters.

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arXiv2025

What goes around comes around: the fate of stars in stripped tails of gas

We conduct high-resolution wind-tunnel simulations to study in-situ star formation in the stripped tails of two massive ($M_\text{star}=10^{11}M_\odot$) galaxies undergoing time-evolving ram-pressure stripping: one is stripped face-on (W0) and the other is subject to an angled wind (W45). We find that the majority of stars in the tail are formed close to the galaxy disc at the beginning of stripping. Most stars have ages that reflect outside-in stripping -- older stars are found at larger radii than younger stars. The velocities and metallicities of stars indicate that ICM mixing both increases the velocity and decreases the metallicity of star-forming gas, leading to faster, lower metallicity stars at larger distances from the galaxies. However, not all stars follow this simple model, even in the case of face-on stripping. Indeed, a considerable number (15--25 per cent) of tail stars are formed with negative velocities, indicating the fallback of star-forming gas on to the galaxy. Almost all of the tail stars formed within 20 kpc from the disc will eventually fall back on to the galaxy, and their contribution to the intracluster light is negligible. The orbits of the stars formed in the tail result in an extended (and asymmetric in the case of W45) stellar distribution around the disc. Mock UV images reveal that the observed vertical distribution of its stars is not significantly broader than in an undisturbed galaxy, indicating that more stars would need to form in the stripped tail than we find in our simulations to observably impact the UV disc width of ram pressure stripped galaxies.

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arXiv2025

Evidence of star cluster migration and merger in dwarf galaxies

Nuclear star clusters (NSCs) are the densest stellar systems in the Universe. They can be found at the center of all galaxy types, but tend to favor galaxies of intermediate stellar mass around 10$^9\,$M$_{\odot}$[1, 2]. Currently, two main processes are under debate to explain their formation: in-situ star-formation from gas infall[3] and migration and merging of globular clusters (GCs) caused by dynamical friction[4]. Studies[5-9] of NSC stellar populations suggest that the former predominates in massive galaxies, the latter prevails in dwarf galaxies, and both contribute equally at intermediate mass. However, up to now, no ongoing merger of GCs has yet been observed to confirm this scenario. Here we report the serendipitous discovery of five dwarf galaxies with complex nuclear regions, characterized by multiple nuclei and tidal tails, using high resolution images from the Hubble Space Telescope. These structures have been reproduced in complementary N-body simulations, supporting the interpretation that they result from migrating and merging of star clusters. The small detection rate and short simulated timescales (below 100 Myr) of this process may explain why this has not been observed previously. This study highlights the need of large surveys with high resolution to fully map the migration scenario steps.

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arXiv2025

CHANCES, the Chilean Cluster Galaxy Evolution Survey: Selection and initial characterisation of clusters and superclusters

CHANCES, the CHileAN Cluster galaxy Evolution Survey, will study the evolution of galaxies in and around 100 massive galaxy clusters from the local Universe out to $z = 0.45$, and two superclusters at $z \sim 0.05$ that contain roughly 25 Abell clusters each. CHANCES will use the new 4MOST Spectroscopic Survey Facility on the VISTA 4m telescope to obtain spectra for $\sim$500,000 galaxies with magnitudes $r_\mathrm{AB} < 20.4$, providing comprehensive spectroscopic coverage of each cluster out to $5r_{200}$. Its wide and deep scope will trace massive and dwarf galaxies from the surrounding filaments and groups to the cores of galaxy clusters. This will enable the study of galaxy preprocessing and of the role of the evolving environment on galaxy evolution. In this paper, we present and characterise the sample of clusters and superclusters to be targeted by CHANCES. We used literature catalogues based on X-ray emission and the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect to define the cluster sample in a homogeneous way, with attention to cluster mass and redshift, as well as the availability of ancillary data. We calibrated literature mass estimates from various surveys against each other and provide an initial mass estimate for each cluster, which we used to define the radial extent of the 4MOST coverage. We also present an initial assessment of the structure surrounding these clusters based on the redMaPPer red-sequence algorithm as a preview of some of the science CHANCES will enable.

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arXiv2025

1-DREAM: 1D Recovery, Extraction and Analysis of Manifolds in noisy environments

Filaments are ubiquitous in astronomical data sets. Be it in particle simulations or observations, filaments are always tracers of a perturbation in the equilibrium of the studied system and hold essential information on its history and future evolution. However, the recovery of such structures is often complicated by the presence of a large amount of background and transverse noise in the observation space. While the former is generally detrimental to the analysis, the latter can be attributed to measurement errors and it can hold essential information about the structure. To further complicate the scenario, 1D manifolds (filaments) are generally non-linear and their geometry difficult to extract and model. In order to study hidden manifolds within the dataset, particular care has to be devoted to background noise removal and transverse noise modelling, while still maintaining accuracy in the recovery of their geometrical structure. We propose 1-DREAM: a toolbox composed of five main Machine Learning methodologies whose aim is to facilitate manifold extraction in such cases. Each methodology has been designed to address issues when dealing with complicated low-dimensional structures convoluted with noise and it has been extensively tested in previously published works. In this work all methodologies are presented in detail, joint within a cohesive framework and demonstrated for three interesting astronomical cases: a simulated jellyfish galaxy, a filament extracted from a simulated cosmic web and the stellar stream of Omega-Centauri as observed with the GAIA DR2. Two newly developed visualization techniques are also proposed, that take full advantage of the results obtained with 1-DREAM. The code is made publicly available to benefit the community. The controlled experiments on a purposefully built data set prove the accuracy of the pipeline in recovering the hidden structures.

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arXiv2024

Identification of ram pressure stripping features in galaxies using citizen science

Ram pressure stripped galaxies are rare cases of environmental evolution in action. However, our ability to understand these galaxies is limited by the small number of identified galaxies experiencing ram pressure stripping (RPS). Our aim is to explore the efficacy of citizen science classifications in identifying ram pressure stripped galaxies, and use this to aid in motivating new samples of ram pressure stripped candidates. We compile a sample of over 200 known ram pressure stripped galaxies from existing literature, with morphological classifications obtained from Galaxy Zoo. We compare these galaxies with magnitude and redshift-matched comparison cluster and field galaxies. Additionally, we create a sample of SDSS cluster galaxies, with morphological classifications similar to known ram pressure stripped galaxies, and compare the fraction of potential new RPS candidates against control samples. We find that ram pressure stripped galaxies exhibit a higher proportion of odd and irregular morphological classifications compared to field and cluster comparison samples. This trend is particularly pronounced in galaxies displaying strong optical ram pressure stripping features, but absent from galaxies with only radio tails. We find that SDSS galaxies with Galaxy Zoo classifications consistent with the known RPS galaxies have a higher fraction of visible ram pressure stripping features ($19\%$) compared with other cluster galaxies ($12\%$) when classified by experts. We identify 101 new ram pressure stripping candidate galaxies through these expert classifications. We demonstrate that indirect morphological classifications from citizen science projects can increase the efficiency in which new stripping candidates are found. Projects such as Galaxy Zoo can aid in the identification of ram pressure stripped galaxies that are key to understanding galaxy evolution in clusters.

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arXiv2024

$S^5$: New insights from deep spectroscopic observations of the tidal tails of the globular clusters NGC 1261 and NGC 1904

As globular clusters (GCs) orbit the Milky Way, their stars are tidally stripped forming tidal tails that follow the orbit of the clusters around the Galaxy. The morphology of these tails is complex and shows correlations with the phase of the orbit and the orbital angular velocity, especially for GCs on eccentric orbits. Here, we focus on two GCs, NGC 1261 and NGC 1904, that have potentially been accreted alongside Gaia-Enceladus and that have shown signatures of having, in addition of tidal tails, structures formed by distributions of extra-tidal stars that are misaligned with the general direction of the clusters' respective orbits. To provide an explanation for the formation of these structures, we make use of spectroscopic measurements from the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey ($S^5$) as well as proper motion measurements from Gaia's third data release (DR3), and apply a Bayesian mixture modeling approach to isolate high-probability member stars. We recover extra-tidal features similar to those found in Shipp et al. (2018) surrounding each cluster. We conduct N-body simulations and compare the expected distribution and variation in the dynamical parameters along the orbit with those of our potential member sample. Furthermore, we use Dark Energy Camera (DECam) photometry to inspect the distribution of the member stars in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD). We find that the potential members agree reasonably with the N-body simulations and that the majority of them follow a simple stellar population-like distribution in the CMD which is characteristic of GCs. In the case of NGC 1904, we clearly detect the tidal debris escaping the inner and outer Lagrange points which are expected to be prominent when at or close to the apocenter of its orbit. Our analysis allows for further exploration of other GCs in the Milky Way that exhibit similar extra-tidal features.

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arXiv2024

Dwarf Galaxies in the MATLAS Survey: The satellite system of NGC474 under scrutiny with MUSE

A recent study of the distribution of dwarf galaxies in the MATLAS sample in galaxy groups revealed an excess of flattened satellite structures, reminiscent of the co-rotating planes of dwarf galaxies discovered in the local Universe. If confirmed, this lends credence to the plane-of-satellite problem and further challenges the standard model of hierarchical structure formation. However, with only photometric data and no confirmation of the satellite membership, the study could not address the plane-of-satellite problem in full detail. Here we present spectroscopic follow-up observations of one of the most promising planes-of-satellites candidates in the MATLAS survey, the satellite system of NGC 474. Employing MUSE at the VLT and full spectrum fitting, we studied 13 dwarf galaxy candidates and confirmed nine to be members of the field around NGC 474. Measuring the stellar populations of all observed galaxies, we find that the MATLAS dwarfs have lower metallicities than the Local Group dwarfs at given luminosity. Two dwarf galaxies may form a pair of satellites based on their close projection and common velocity. Within the virial radius, we do not find a significant plane-of-satellites, however, there is a sub-population of six dwarf galaxies which seem to be anti-correlated in phase-space. Due to the low number of dwarf galaxies, this signal may arise by chance. With over 2000 dwarf galaxy candidates found in the MATLAS survey, this remains an intriguing data set to study the plane-of-satellites problem in a statistical fashion once more follow-up observations have been conducted.

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arXiv2024

Merging Galaxies in Isolated Environments II. Evolution of Star Formation and Accretion Activity during the Merging Process

It is now well known that certain massive galaxies undergo enormous enhancements in their SFR when they undergo major mergers(100x). To analyse the SF enhancement and AGN fraction evolution during the merger process, we use a more timeline-like merger sequence. Also, to determine the relation between the SF enhancement in mergers and the morphology of the galaxies involved. Taking advantage of the Mstr and SFR of 600 nearby isolated mergers from our previous study, we calculate the distance of our galaxies from the SF MS, which we refer to as SFmode. We analyse how the SFmode varies during the merger process, for morphology and Mstr. We also analyse the AGN content of our mergers, using multiple diagnostics based on emission line ratios and WISE colours. We observe that, overall, merging galaxies show a SFmode that is governed by their morphology. Spirals typically show high SFmode values while highly-disturbed galaxies are generally even more enhanced (0.8dex and 1dex above the MS, resp). On the contrary, elliptical and lenticular galaxies show the lowest SF modes, as expected. However, even they show SF enhancement compared to their unperturbed counterparts (their median SFmode is within the 1-sigma scatter of the MS, and this can occur even before the galaxies have coalesced). We see a trend for SFmode to gradually increase with increasing merger stage. We do not find a clear dependency of the observed AGN fraction on merger stage for the majority of our classification methods. We find mergers can significantly enhance SF in galaxies of all morphologies. For early-type galaxies, this could suggest that some gas was present prior to the merger which may be triggered to form stars by the tidal interaction. As the SF enhancement continues throughout the merger process, this suggests that the enhancement may be a long-lived event, contrary to the short starbursts seen in some models.

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arXiv2024

Constraining the duration of ram pressure stripping features in the optical from the direction of jellyfish galaxy tails

Ram pressure stripping is perhaps the most efficient mechanism for removing gas and quenching galaxies in dense environments as they move through the intergalactic medium. Extreme examples of on-going ram pressure stripping are known as jellyfish galaxies, characterized by a tail of stripped material that can be directly observed in multiple wavelengths. Using the largest homogeneous broad-band optical jellyfish candidate sample in local clusters known to date, we measure the angle between the direction of the tails visible in the galaxies, and the direction towards the host cluster center. We find that $33\%$ of the galaxy tails point away from the cluster center, $18\%$ point towards the cluster center, and $49\%$ point elsewhere. Moreover, we find stronger signatures of ram pressure stripping happening on galaxies with a tail pointing away and towards the cluster center, and larger velocity dispersion profiles for galaxies with tails pointing away. These results are consistent with a scenario where ram pressure stripping has a stronger effect for galaxies following radial orbits on first infall. The results also suggest that in many cases, radially infalling galaxies are able to retain their tails after pericenter and continue to experience significant on-going ram pressure stripping. We further constrain the lifespan of the optical tails from the moment they first appear to the moment they disappear, by comparing the observed tail directions with matched N-body simulations through Bayesian parameter estimation. We obtain that galaxy tails appear for the first time at $\sim 1.16$ R$_{200}$ and disappear $\sim660$ Myr after pericenter.

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arXiv2024

The large-scale structure around the Fornax-Eridanus Complex

Our objectives are to map the filamentary network around the Fornax-Eridanus Complex and probe the influence of the local environment on galaxy morphology. We employ the novel machine-learning tool, 1-DREAM (1-Dimensional, Recovery, Extraction, and Analysis of Manifolds) to detect and model filaments around the Fornax cluster. We then use the morphology-density relation of galaxies to examine the variation in the galaxies' morphology with respect to their distance from the central axis of the detected filaments. We detect 27 filaments that vary in length and galaxy-number density around the Fornax-Eridanus Complex. These filaments showcase a variety of environments; some filaments encompass groups/clusters, while others are only inhabited by galaxies in pristine filamentary environments. We also reveal a well-known structure -- the Fornax Wall, that passes through the Dorado group, Fornax cluster, and Eridanus supergroup. Regarding the morphology of galaxies, we find that early-type galaxies (ETGs) populate high-density filaments and high-density regions of the Fornax Wall. Furthermore, the fraction of ETGs decreases as the distance to the filament spine increases. Of the total galaxy population in filaments, ~7% are ETGs and ~24% are late-type galaxies (LTGs) located in pristine environments of filaments, while ~27% are ETGs and ~42% are LTGs in groups/clusters within filaments. This study reveals the Cosmic Web around the Fornax Cluster and asserts that filamentary environments are heterogeneous in nature. When investigating the role of the environment on galaxy morphology, it is essential to consider both, the local number-density and a galaxy's proximity to the filament spine. Within this framework, we ascribe the observed morphological segregation in the Fornax Wall to pre-processing of galaxies within groups embedded in it.

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arXiv2024

Formation channels of the diffuse lights in the groups and clusters over time

We explore the formation of the intragroup light (IGL) and intracluster light (ICL), representing diffuse lights within groups and clusters, since $z=1.5$. For this, we perform multi-resolution cosmological N-body simulations using the ``galaxy replacement technique" (GRT) and identify the progenitors in which the diffuse light stars existed when they fell into the groups or clusters. Our findings reveal that typical progenitors contributing to diffuse lights enter the host halo with the massive galaxies containing a stellar mass of $10 < \log M_{\rm{gal}}~[M_{\odot}]< 11$, regardless of the mass or dynamical state of the host halos at $z=0$. In cases where the host halos are dynamically unrelaxed or more massive, diffuse lights from massive progenitors with $\log M_{\rm{gal}}~[M_{\odot}]> 11$ are more prominent, with over half of them already pre-processed before entering the host halo. Additionally, we find that the main formation mechanism of diffuse lights is the stripping process of satellites, and a substantial fraction ($40-45\%$) of diffuse light stars is linked to the merger tree of the BCG. Remarkably, all trends persist for groups and clusters at higher redshifts. The fraction of diffuse lights in the host halos with a similar mass decreases as the redshift increases, but they are already substantial at $z=1.5$ ($\sim10\%$). However, it's crucial to acknowledge that detection limits related to the observable radius and faint-end surface brightness may obscure numerous diffuse light stars and even alter the main formation channel of diffuse lights.

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arXiv2024

New observational recipes for measuring dynamical state of galaxy clusters

During cluster assembly, a cluster's virialization process leaves behind signatures that can provide information on its dynamical state. However, no clear consensus yet exists on the best way to achieve this. Therefore, we attempt to derive improved recipes for classifying the dynamical state of clusters in observations using cosmological simulations. Cluster halo mass and their subhalos' mass are used to $ 10^{14}M_{\odot} h^{-1}$ and $10^{10}M_{\odot} h^{-1}$ to calculate five independent dynamical state indicators. We experiment with recipes by combining two to four indicators for detecting specific merger stages like recent and ancient mergers. These recipes are made by plotting merging clusters and a control sample of relaxed clusters in multiple indicators parameter space, and then applying a rotation matrix method to derive the best way to separate mergers from the control sample. The success of the recipe is quantified using the success rate and the overlap percentage of the merger and control histograms along the newly rotated $x$-axis. This provides us with recipes using different numbers of combined indicators and for different merger stage. Among the recipes, the stellar mass gap and center offset are the first and second most dominant of the indicators, and using more indicators improves the effectiveness of the recipe. When applied to observations, our results show good agreement with literature values of cluster dynamical state.

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