arXiv subjects

Sam B. Ponnada

Publications and source records attributed to Sam B. Ponnada.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The MegaWave Radio Surveyor

Several Decadal-level questions in astrophysics, exoplanets, astrobiology, and cosmology can be addressed only at low radio frequencies inaccessible from Earth. The MegaWave Radio Surveyor would open this largely-unexplored region of the electromagnetic spectrum with a space-based interferometer to (1)~Track the space weather of other stars; (2)~Detect magnetically-generated emission from exoplanets to probe their interiors and assess magnetic shielding of their atmospheres; (3)~Probe the Universe's evolution during the Dark Ages via the highly-redshifted HI hyperfine line; and (4)~Assess the role of cosmic rays and magnetic fields in the cosmic web. An Astrophysics Strategic Technology & Research Accelerator (ASTRA) Initiative concept, the MegaWave Radio Surveyor's science objectives respond to the Pathways to Discovery Decadal Survey and three other National Academies studies, and it would serve as a Formative Era mission in the Enduring Quests, Daring Visions roadmap. Developments in U.S. space industries enable this observatory to be realized. The MegaWave Radio Surveyor would offer a versatile, scalable, and resilient architecture capable of sensitive and simultaneous observations below 45~MHz and unprecedented angular resolution at these frequencies. The concept builds upon NASA's Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE), Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS), and Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment (LuSEE-Night). The MegaWave Radio Surveyor could leverage multiple elements of the Artemis program, such as access to and beyond cislunar space and communications, and there are opportunities to infuse new autonomy/AI modes for mission operations. By opening one of the last windows in the electromagnetic spectrum and pioneering space interferometry at unprecedented scales, the MegaWave Radio Surveyor would establish a transformational capability.

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arXiv2026

An Inverse-Compton-Boosted Cool Core Unifies Perseus's Radio and X-ray Halos

Perseus is the brightest X-ray strong cool-core (SCC) cluster, with a bright central radio and $\gamma$-ray source plus low-frequency radio mini and giant halos. It is the archetype of the cooling flow (CF) problem, with X-rays implying mass cooling rates orders-of-magnitude larger than observed in other channels. Recent work suggested that ancient ($\gtrsim$\,Gyr-old) cosmic ray (CR) halos (ACRHs), injected by the central source, would produce thermal-like soft X-ray inverse-Compton (CR-IC) emission 'boosting' the CC and alleviating the CF problem. We examine Perseus and show that a simple model of CRs injected by NGC 1275 (+satellites) simultaneously accounts for the excess CF luminosity and minihalo. The models reproduce Perseus's soft X-ray surface brightness and X-ray inferred density/temperature/pressure/metallicity/cooling time/mass deposition rates; $\gamma$-ray spectra; extended hard X-rays; and radio surface brightness and spectral index data, from kpc-Mpc. These also reproduce independent constraints on magnetic field strengths and mass/potential models. The evolution of the minihalo spectral index and surface brightness are predicted by an aging population of CRs boosting the apparent SCC luminosity via CR-IC, and match well the observed hard X-ray slopes. The 'giant' low-frequency halo can be predicted by the sum of ACRHs around satellites distributed throughout the cluster, dominating diffuse synchrotron at $\gtrsim 100\,$kpc. Re-acceleration is neither needed nor important in these models, and implied CR transport speeds are consistent with buoyant advection. Previous claims of upper limits to non-thermal X-rays and CR pressure relied on strong assumptions which are not valid at the CR energies of interest, e.g. a power-law spectrum of CRs. This could resolve many historical puzzles about Perseus, and makes new predictions for future observations.

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arXiv2026

Observational Implications of Cosmic Ray-Inverse Compton 'Boosted' Cool Cores in Clusters

X-ray luminous cool-core (CC) galaxy clusters contain powerful cosmic ray (CR) sources. High-energy CRs powering GHz synchrotron lose energy rapidly, but long-lived (~Gyr-old) populations of 0.1-1 GeV CRs persist, propagating to ~100 kpc distances and radiating via inverse-Compton (IC) scattering of CMB photons. We explore observable consequences of such CR-IC emission. This produces remarkably thermal X-ray spectra, which could contribute significantly to emission in CC centers. These naturally connect to ultra-steep radio sources and radio mini-halos at younger ages, but become undetectable in most radio, hard-X-ray, and $\gamma$-ray searches (though future imaging may detect them), while reproducing apparent density, temperature, entropy, and mass deposition rates of CCs. This would provide an alternative resolution of the cooling flow problem: clusters may appear as strong CCs because of strong CR-IC, while not actually cooling so rapidly. This predicts many observed correlations between AGN/jet properties, radio galaxy and minihalo properties, cooling radii, cavity radii and apparent X-ray cooling luminosity $L_{\rm X,cool}$. Since $L_{\rm X,cool}$ is actually from CR-IC, the observed radio-X-ray ($L_{\rm radio}-L_{\rm X,cool}$), apparent cavity power ($P_{\rm cav}-L_{\rm X,cool}-L_{\rm radio}$), and strong CC-AGN correlations are predicted without free parameters. Since CR-IC leads to X-ray overestimates of thermal pressure, the ratio of SZ to X-ray pressures should drop in CC centers. CR-IC also suppresses abundances inferred from X-ray relative to optical/UV measurements in CC centers. Both of these appear to be seen in sufficiently-resolved CCs. Effects on cluster cosmology, hydrostatic mass estimation, and non-thermal pressure/turbulence estimators are small. Redshift evolution of CC surface brightness profiles could provide strong constraints or imply CR-IC at high-$z$.

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arXiv2025

Effects of Varied Cosmic Ray Feedback from AGN on Massive Galaxy Properties

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) provide energetic feedback necessary to `turn off' star formation in high-mass galaxies (M$_{\rm halo} \geq $ 10$^{12.5}$ M$_{\odot}$, $10.4 \leq \log(\frac{M_*}{M_\odot}) \leq 11$) as observed. Cosmic rays (CRs) have been proposed as a promising channel of AGN feedback, but the nature of CR feedback from AGN remains uncertain. We analyze a set of high-resolution simulations of massive galaxies from the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE-3) project including multi-channel AGN feedback, explicitly evolving kinetic/mechanical, radiative, and spectrally-resolved CRs from the central black hole. Specifically, we explore different CR feedback and transport assumptions, calibrated to Milky Way local ISM constraints, and compare them to observed galaxy scaling relations. We find that all parameterizations explored self-regulate within agreement with observed galaxy scaling relations, demonstrating that CR injection efficiencies varied by $\sim$1.5 dex and locally-variable transport produce quenched galaxies with reasonable bulk properties; however, they feature orders-of-magnitude variant circumgalactic medium (CGM) gas properties. Our results indicate that multi-wavelength synthetic observations probing these varied halo properties from larger simulated samples in conjunction with observational comparisons may place novel constraints on how AGN physically quench star formation in massive galaxies.

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arXiv2025

To Survive or to Shatter: The Impact of Cosmic Rays on the Fate of Stripped Cold Clouds

Does cosmic ray (CR) pressure matter for the circumgalactic medium (CGM)? Despite growing interest, this remains a debated question, complicated by limited observational constraints and differing implementations of CR physics in simulations. While prior studies suggest that CRs influence the thermal and dynamical state of the CGM, their role in shaping cold gas structures remains underexplored. This paper investigates how CRs affect ram-pressure stripped cold gas clouds originating from satellite galaxies in a Milky Way-like halo. Using high-resolution simulations with varying CR energy densities, we find that CRs can significantly modify the size and survival of stripped clouds. Specifically, CR pressure puffs up the cold clouds, increasing their surface area and enabling more efficient mixing-layer cooling, allowing them to grow in mass. This enhanced growth results in higher cold gas inflow rates into the central galaxy, leading to an increase in the star formation rate compared to the no-CR case at a later time. Moreover, CRs can boost the total cold gas mass in the CGM by up to a factor of four. These effects are most pronounced in simulations where the CR energy density is in equipartition with the thermal gas. Our results demonstrate that CRs can play a critical role in regulating the cold phase of the CGM contributed by satellites and therefore their ability to feed galaxies.

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arXiv2025

Fermi Bubbles Without AGN: Gamma-Ray Bubbles in MHD Galaxy Formation Simulations with Full Cosmic Ray Spectra

For the first time, we show in MHD simulations with cosmological initial conditions that bi-lobed gamma-ray outflows similar to the Fermi bubbles can form from star formation and supernova feedback, without involvement from active galactic nuclei (AGN). We use simulations run with full MHD and dynamical, on-the-fly multi-species cosmic ray transport in MeV-TeV energy bins to model gamma-ray emission in Milky Way-mass spiral galaxies from neutral pion decay, relativistic non-thermal Bremsstrahlung, and inverse Compton scattering. We find that these gamma-ray outflows are present in all three Milky-Way mass simulated galaxies. The amplitude, shape, and the composition of the gamma-ray spectrum of these bubbles fluctuates over time, with lepton-dominated and hadron-dominated phases. Spectra in which there is O(1) more gamma-ray flux from inverse Compton scattering than neutral pion decay are a good fit to the measured Fermi-LAT spectrum. Additionally, these simulations predict multi-wavelength features in soft x-rays and synchrotron radio, potentially providing new observational signatures that can connect the circumgalactic medium to cosmic ray physics and activity in the galactic center.

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arXiv2025

Strong Evidence for Cosmic Ray-Supported $\sim$L$^{\ast}$ Galaxy Halos via X-ray \& tSZ Constraints

Many state-of-the-art galaxy simulations featuring traditional feedback modes have significant challenges producing enough extended soft X-ray ($\sim 0.5-2$ keV) emission at R $\sim 0.5-1$ R$_{\rm vir}$ observed around galaxies with stellar masses M$_{\rm \ast} \lesssim 10^{11} \rm M_\odot$, without violating galaxy mass function constraints. Moreover, thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ) measurements probing the thermal pressure of similar galaxies indicate it is orders-of-magnitude lower than predictions from simple halo hydrodynamics and many hydrodynamical simulations. We demonstrate that these constraints can be met congruously with a large non-thermal pressure contribution in the form of cosmic rays (CRs) from SNe and/or AGN, which lowers the tSZ signal while CR leptons produce plentiful soft X-rays via inverse Compton scattering of the CMB. The combination of these two observations is far more constraining on the pressure budget of galactic halos than either alone -- if these novel tSZ and X-ray observations are borne out by future studies, then taken together they reveal \textit{the strongest evidence for CR support in halos to date}. Conversely, it is very difficult to produce the extended X-rays via traditional thermal emission without increasing the overall thermal pressure and thus tSZ signal in tandem, making these tensions even worse. Finally, tSZ \& X-rays together unlock a novel observational method to constrain halo CR pressure relative to thermal pressure, with implications for CR transport parameters and AGN feedback energetics across various galaxy mass scales. Taking the currently observed constraints at M$_{\rm halo} \sim 10^{\rm 12} \rm M_\odot$ imply the halo CR pressure must at least be equal to the gas thermal pressure.

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arXiv2025

Galactic Center Gamma-Ray Emission in MHD Galaxy Formation Simulations with Full Cosmic Ray Spectra

The Milky Way's galactic center is a highly dynamical, crowded environment. Gamma ray observations of this region, such as the excess of GeV scale gamma rays observed by Fermi LAT, have been of tremendous interest to both the high energy astrophysics and particle physics communities. However, nearly all past studies of gamma ray emission make simplifying assumptions about cosmic ray (CR) propagation that may not be valid in the galactic center. Recent numerical breakthroughs now enable fully time dependent dynamical evolution of CRs in magnetohydrodynamic simulations with resolved, multi phase small scale structure in the interstellar medium (ISM), allowing self consistent comparisons to the Milky Way cosmic ray spectrum. We model diffuse gamma ray emission from cosmic ray interactions for a set of Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE) simulations of Milky Way mass galaxies run with spectrally resolved cosmic ray spectra for multiple species at MeV to TeV energies. We find that the galactic center gamma ray spectrum can vary by order of magnitude amounts in normalization, and by approx. 10 percent in spectral slope at high energies, driven by both injection from highly variable star formation and losses from variable structure in the turbulent ISM. Gamma ray emission from inverse Compton scattering and relativistic nonthermal Bremsstrahlung is particularly variable on Myr timescales. We argue that features of the observed Milky Way gamma ray spectrum may arise from such transient phenomena in gamma rays produced from CR interactions.

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arXiv2025

Time-Dependent Cosmic Ray Halos from Bursty Star Formation and Active Galactic Nuclei: Semi-Analytic Formalism and Galaxy Formation Implications

Cosmic ray (CR) feedback in galaxy evolution has seen a theoretical resurgence in the past decade, but significant uncertainties remain in CR transport through the interstellar and circum-galactic media (ISM and CGM). While several works indicate CR effects may be notable in both star-forming and quenched massive galaxies, modeling the vast CR transport parameter space currently allowed by observations is computationally restrictive to survey. Analytic treatments of CR feedback have provided useful insights to potential ramifications in different regimes, but have relied on time-steady assumptions which may not well characterize CR effects at different cosmic epochs and galaxy mass scales. We present semi-analytic approximations and numerical solutions describing the time-dependent evolution of CR pressure in the CGM under simplified assumptions, which allow for quick evaluation of the vast allowable CR transport parameter space. We demonstrate that time-dependent injection from bursty star formation and/or episodic black hole accretion can substantially alter CR pressure profiles, particularly in the outer halos of massive galaxies ($\gtrsim R_{vir}$). Finally, we benchmark the approximate solutions from our semi-analytic formalism against a cosmic ray-magnetohydrodynamic (CR-MHD) cosmological zoom-in galaxy simulation directly modeling the CR scattering rate and emergent transport in full generality, highlighting the validity of our approach. We conclude by motivating careful consideration of time-dependent ``softening" effects in sub-grid routines for CR feedback, particularly for use in large cosmological volumes.

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arXiv2025

Second public data release of the FIRE-2 cosmological zoom-in simulations of galaxy formation

We describe the second data release (DR2) of the FIRE-2 cosmological zoom-in simulations of galaxy formation, from the Feedback In Realistic Environments (FIRE) project, available at http://flathub.flatironinstitute.org/fire. DR2 includes all snapshots for most simulations, starting at z ~ 99, with all snapshot time spacings <~ 25 Myr. The Core suite -- comprising 14 Milky Way-mass galaxies, 5 SMC/LMC-mass galaxies, and 4 lower-mass galaxies -- includes 601 snapshots to z = 0. For the Core suite, we also release resimulations with physics variations: (1) dark-matter-only versions; (2) a modified ultraviolet background with later reionization at z = 7.8; (3) magnetohydrodynamics, anisotropic conduction, and viscosity in gas; and (4) a model for cosmic-ray injection, transport, and feedback (assuming a constant diffusion coefficient). The Massive Halo suite now includes 8 massive galaxies with 278 snapshots to z = 1. The High Redshift suite includes 34 simulations: in addition to the 22 simulations run to z = 5, we now include 12 additional simulations run to z = 7 and z = 9. We also release 4 dark-matter-only cosmological boxes used to generate zoom-in initial conditions for many FIRE simulations. Most simulations include catalogs of (sub)halos and galaxies at all available snapshots, and most Core simulations to z = 0 include full halo merger trees.

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arXiv2025

Cosmic Rays Masquerading as Cool Cores: An Inverse-Compton Origin for Cool Core Cluster Emission

X-ray bright cool-core (CC) clusters contain luminous radio sources accelerating cosmic ray (CR) leptons at prodigious rates. Near the acceleration region, high-energy leptons produce synchrotron (mini)halos and sometimes observable gamma rays, but these leptons have short lifetimes and so cannot propagate far from sources without some rejuvenation. However, low-energy (~0.1-1 GeV) CRs should survive for >Gyr, potentially reaching ~100 kpc before losing energy via inverse-Compton (IC) scattering of CMB photons to keV X-ray energies, with remarkably thermal X-ray spectra. In groups/clusters, this will appear similar to relatively 'cool' gas in cluster cores (i.e. CCs). In lower-mass (e.g. Milky Way/M31) halos, analogous CR IC emission will appear as hot (super-virial) gas at outer CGM radii, explaining recent diffuse X-ray observations. We show that for plausible (radio/gamma-ray observed) lepton injection rates, the CR-IC emission could contribute significantly to the X-ray surface brightness (SB) in CCs, implying that CC gas densities may have been overestimated and alleviating the cooling flow problem. A significant IC contribution to diffuse X-ray emission in CC clusters also explains the tight correlation between the X-ray 'cooling luminosity' and AGN/cavity/jet power, because the apparent CC emission is itself driven by the radio source. Comparing observed Sunyaev Zeldovich to X-ray inferred pressures at $\ll 100$ kpc in CCs represents a clean test of this scenario, and existing data appears to favor significant CR-IC. A significant IC contribution also implies that X-ray inferred gas-phase metallicities have been underestimated in CCs, potentially explaining the discrepancy between X-ray (sub-Solar) and optical/UV (super-Solar) observed metallicities in the central ~10 kpc of nearby CCs. We also discuss the model's connection to observations of multiphase gas in clusters.

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arXiv2025

X-ray emission signatures of galactic feedback in the hot circumgalactic medium: predictions from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations

Little is currently known about the physical properties of the hot circumgalactic medium (CGM) surrounding massive galaxies. Next-generation X-ray observatories will enable detailed studies of the hot CGM in emission. To support these future efforts, we make predictions of the X-ray emission from the hot CGM using a sample of 28 $\sim$Milky Way-mass disk galaxies at $z=0$ from seven cosmological hydrodynamical simulation suites incorporating a wide range of galactic feedback prescriptions. The X-ray surface brightness (XSB) morphology of the hot CGM varies significantly across simulations. XSB-enhanced outflows and bubble-like structures are predicted in many galaxies simulated with AGN feedback and in some stellar-feedback-only galaxies, while other galaxies exhibit more isotropic XSB distributions at varying brightnesses. Galaxies simulated without cosmic ray physics exhibit radial XSB profiles with similar shapes ($\propto r^{-3}$ within $20-200$ kpc), with scatter about this slope likely due to underlying feedback physics. The hot CGM kinematics also differ substantially: velocity maps reveal signatures of bulk CGM rotation and high-velocity biconical outflows, particularly in simulations incorporating AGN feedback. Some stellar-feedback-only models also generate similar AGN-like outflows, which we postulate is due to centrally-concentrated star formation. Simulations featuring AGN feedback frequently produce extended temperature enhancements in large-scale galactic outflows, while simulations incorporating cosmic ray physics predict the coolest CGM due to pressure support being provided by cosmic rays rather than hot CGM. Individually-resolved X-ray emission lines further distinguish hot CGM phases, with lower-energy lines (e.g., O VII) largely tracing volume-filling gas, and higher-energy lines (e.g., Fe XVII) highlighting high-velocity feedback-driven outflows.

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arXiv2025

Constraining cosmic ray transport models using circumgalactic medium properties and observables

Cosmic rays (CRs) are a pivotal non-thermal component of galaxy formation and evolution. However, the intricacies of CR physics, particularly how they propagate in the circumgalactic medium (CGM), remain largely unconstrained. In this work, we study CGM properties in FIRE-2 (Feedback In Realistic Environments) simulations of the same Milky Way (MW)-mass halo at $z=0$ with different CR transport models that produce similar diffuse $\sim$ GeV $\gamma$-ray emission, as an attempt to further constrain CR transport models. We study the gas morphology and thermal properties, and generate synthetic observations of rest-frame UV ion absorption columns and X-ray emission. CRs lower galaxy masses and star formation rates (SFRs) while supporting more cool CGM gas, which boosts the HI and OVI column densities in the CGM, bringing simulations more in line with observations, but there can be large differences between CR transport models and resolution levels. X-ray emission within and close to galaxies is consistent with thermal (free-free and metal-line) emission plus X-ray binaries, while more extended ($\sim 100\,$kpc) CGM emission is potentially dominated by inverse Compton (IC) scattering, motivating future work on the spatially resolved X-ray profiles. Although comparisons with observations are sensitive to sample selection and mimicking the details of observations, and our analysis did not result in strong constraints on CR models, the differences between simulations are significant and could be used as a framework for future studies.

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arXiv2025

Zooming In On The Multi-Phase Structure of Magnetically-Dominated Quasar Disks: Radiation From Torus to ISCO Across Accretion Rates

Recent radiation-thermochemical-magnetohydrodynamic simulations resolved formation of quasar accretion disks from cosmological scales down to ~300 gravitational radii $R_{g}$, arguing they were 'hyper-magnetized' (plasma $\beta\ll1$ supported by toroidal magnetic fields) and distinct from traditional $\alpha$-disks. We extend these, refining to $\approx 3\,R_{g}$ around a $10^{7}\,{\rm M_{\odot}}$ BH with multi-channel radiation and thermochemistry, and exploring a factor of 1000 range of accretion rates ($\dot{m}\sim0.01-20$). At smaller scales, we see the disks maintain steady accretion, thermalize and self-ionize, and radiation pressure grows in importance, but large deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium and single-phase equations of state are always present. Trans-Alfvenic and highly-supersonic turbulence persists in all cases, and leads to efficient vertical mixing, so radiation pressure saturates at levels comparable to fluctuating magnetic and turbulent pressures even for $\dot{m}\gg1$. The disks also become radiatively inefficient in the inner regions at high $\dot{m}$. The midplane magnetic field remains primarily toroidal at large radii, but at super-Eddington $\dot{m}$ we see occasional transitions to a poloidal-field dominated state associated with outflows and flares. Large-scale magnetocentrifugal and continuum radiation-pressure-driven outflows are weak at $\dot{m}<1$, but can be strong at $\dot{m}\gtrsim1$. In all cases there is a scattering photosphere above the disk extending to $\gtrsim 1000\,R_{g}$ at large $\dot{m}$, and the disk is thick and flared owing to magnetic support (with $H/R$ nearly independent of $\dot{m}$), so the outer disk is strongly illuminated by the inner disk and most of the inner disk continuum scatters or is reprocessed at larger scales, giving apparent emission region sizes as large as $\gtrsim 10^{16}\,{\rm cm}$.

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arXiv2025

Modeling Cosmic Rays at AGN Jet-Driven Shock Fronts

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) feedback is a key physical mechanism proposed to regulate star formation, primarily in massive galaxies. In particular, cosmic rays associated with AGN jets have the potential to efficiently suppress cooling flows and quench star formation. The locus of cosmic ray production and their coupling to gas play a crucial role in the overall self-regulation process. To investigate this in detail, we conduct high-resolution, non-cosmological MHD simulations of a massive $10^{14} {\rm M_\odot}$ halo using the FIRE-2 (Feedback In Realistic Environments) stellar feedback model. We explore a variety of AGN jet feedback scenarios with cosmic rays, examining different values for the cosmic ray energy fraction in jets, cosmic ray coupling sites (in the black hole vicinity versus at the large-scale jet-driven shock front), and jet precession parameters. Our findings indicate that when cosmic rays are injected near the black hole, they efficiently inhibit black hole accretion by suppressing the density before the jet propagates out to large radii. As a result, this leads to episodic black hole accretion, with the jet not having sufficient energy flux to reach large radii and impact cooling flows. Conversely, if the cosmic rays are injected at the jet-driven shock front, not only does the jet sustain a higher overall energy flux for an extended period, but it also disperses cosmic rays out to larger radii, more effectively suppressing the cooling flow. Furthermore, the period and angle of jet precession can influence the position of shock fronts. We identify an optimal range of jet precession periods ($\sim$ tens of Myr) that generates shocks at the inner circumgalactic medium, where cooling flows are most severe. We report that this specific configuration offers the most effective scenario for cosmic rays at the shock front to suppress the cooling flow and star formation.

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arXiv2025

Cosmic Rays Masquerading as Hot CGM Gas: An Inverse-Compton Origin for Diffuse X-ray Emission in the Circumgalactic Medium

Observations have argued that Milky Way (MW), Andromeda, and lower-mass galaxies exhibit extended soft X-ray diffuse halos to radii $R\gtrsim100\,$kpc in the circumgalactic medium (CGM). If interpreted as thermal emission, the shallow surface brightness profiles $S_{X}\propto R^{-1}$ are difficult to explain and contradict other observations. We show that such halos instead arise from inverse Compton (IC) scattering of CMB photons with GeV cosmic ray (CR) electrons. GeV electrons have ~Gyr lifetimes and escape the galaxy, forming a shallow extended profile out to $\gtrsim100\,$kpc, where IC off the CMB should produce soft, thermal-like X-ray spectra peaked at ~keV. The observed keV halo luminosities and brightness profiles agree well with those expected for CRs observed in the local interstellar medium (LISM) escaping the galaxy, with energetics consistent with known CRs from SNe and/or AGN, around galaxies with stellar masses $M_{\ast}\lesssim2\times 10^{11}\,M_{\odot}$. At higher masses observed X-ray luminosities are larger than predicted from IC and should be dominated by hot gas. In the MW+M31, the same models of escaping CRs reproduce gamma-ray observations if we assume an LISM-like proton-to-electron ratio and CR-pressure-dominated halo. In all other halos, the radio and $\gamma$-ray brightness is below detectable limits. If true, the observations provide qualitatively new constraints on CGM and CR physics: X-ray brightness directly traces the CR lepton energy density in the CGM. This agrees with LISM values within 10 kpc, which following the profile expected for escaping CRs in the CGM. The inferred CR pressure is a major part of the MW CGM pressure budget. X-ray surface brightness and luminosity allows one to further determine the CGM diffusivity at radii $\sim10-1000\,$kpc. These also agree with LISM values at small radii but increase in the CGM.

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arXiv2024

Hooks, Lines, and Sinkers: How AGN Feedback and Cosmic-Ray Transport shape the Far Infrared-Radio Correlation of Galaxies

The far-infrared (FIR) - radio correlation (FRC) is one of the most promising empirical constraints on the role of cosmic-rays (CRs) and magnetic fields (\textbf{B}) in galaxy formation and evolution. While many theories have been proposed in order to explain the emergence and maintenance of the FRC across a gamut of galaxy properties and redshift, the non-linear physics at play remain unexplored in full complexity and cosmological context. We present the first reproduction of the $z \sim 0$ FRC using detailed synthetic observations of state-of-the-art cosmological zoom-in simulations from the FIRE-3 suite with explicitly-evolved CR proton and electron (CRe) spectra, for three models for CR transport and multi-channel AGN feedback. In doing so, we generally verify the predictions of `calorimeter' theories at high FIR luminosities (\Lsixty\, $\gtrsim$ 10$^{9.5}$) and at low FIR luminosities (\Lsixty\, $\lesssim$ 10$^{9.5}$) the so-called `conspiracy' of increasing ultraviolet radiation escape in tandem with increasing CRe escape, and find that the global FRC is insensitive to \textit{orders-of-magnitude} locally-variable CR transport coefficients. Importantly, the indirect effect of AGN feedback on emergent observables highlights novel interpretations of outliers in the FRC. In particular, we find that in many cases, `radio-excess' objects can be better understood as \textit{IR-dim} objects with longer-lived radio contributions at low $z$ from Type Ia SNe and intermittent black hole accretion in quenching galaxies, though this is sensitive to the interplay of CR transport and AGN feedback physics. This creates characteristic evolutionary tracks leading to the $z=0$ FRC, which shape the subsequent late-time behavior of each model.

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arXiv2024

Objects May Be Closer Than They Appear: Significant Host Galaxy Dispersion Measures of Fast Radio Bursts in Zoom-in Simulations

We investigate the contribution of host galaxies to the overall Dispersion Measures (DMs) for Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) using the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE-2) cosmological zoom-in simulation suite. We calculate DMs from every star particle in the simulated L* galaxies by ray-tracing through their multi-phase interstellar medium (ISM), summing the line-of-sight free thermal electron column for all gas elements within $\pm$20 kpc of the galactic mid-plane. At $z=0$, we find average (median) host-galaxy DMs of 74 (43) and 210 (94) pc cm$^{-3}$ for older ($\gtrsim$10 Myr) and younger ($\lesssim$10 Myr) stellar populations, respectively. Inclination raises the median DM measured for older populations ($\gtrsim$10 Myr) in the simulations by a factor of $\sim$2, but generally does not affect the younger stars deeply embedded in H{\small II} regions except in extreme edge-on cases (inclination $\gtrsim 85^\circ$). In kinematically disturbed snapshots ($z = 1$ in FIRE), the average (median) host-galaxy DMs are higher: 80 (107) and 266 (795) pc cm$^{-3}$ for older ($\gtrsim$10 Myr) and younger ($\lesssim$10 Myr) stellar populations, respectively. FIRE galaxies tend to have higher DM values than cosmological simulations such as IllustrisTNG\rev{, with larger tails in their distributions to high DMs}. As a result, FRB host galaxies may be closer (lower redshift) than previously inferred. Furthermore, constraining host-galaxy DM distributions may help significantly constrain FRB progenitor models.

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