arXiv subjects

Tom Theuns

Publications and source records attributed to Tom Theuns.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

The effect of baryons on the inner density profiles of rich clusters

We use the "Evolution and assembly of galaxies and their environments" (EAGLE) cosmological simulation to investigate the effect of baryons on the density profiles of rich galaxy clusters. We focus on EAGLE clusters with $M_{200}>10^{14}~M_\odot$ of which we have six examples. The central brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in the simulation have steep stellar density profiles, $ρ_*(r) \propto r^{-3}$. Stars dominate the mass density for $r<10~\rm{kpc}$, and, as a result, the total mass density profiles are steeper than the Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profile, in remarkable agreement with observations. The dark matter halo itself closely follows the NFW form at all resolved radii ($r\gtrsim3.0~\rm{kpc}$). The EAGLE BCGs have similar surface brightness and line-of-sight velocity dispersion profiles as the BCGs in the sample of Newman et al., which have the most detailed measurements currently available. After subtracting the contribution of the stars to the central density, Newman et al. infer significantly shallower slopes than the NFW value, in contradiction with the EAGLE results. We discuss possible reasons for this discrepancy, and conclude that an inconsistency between the kinematical model adopted by Newman et al. for their BCGs, which assumes isotropic stellar orbits, and the kinematical structure of the EAGLE BCGs, in which the orbital stellar anisotropy varies with radius and tends to be radially biased, could explain at least part of the discrepancy.

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arXiv2015

The evolution of galaxy metallicity scaling relations in cosmological hydrodynamical simulations

The evolution of the metal content of galaxies and its relations to other global properties [such as total stellar mass (M*), circular velocity, star formation rate (SFR), halo mass, etc.] provides important constraints on models of galaxy formation. Here we examine the evolution of metallicity scaling relations of simulated galaxies in the Galaxies-Intergalactic Medium Interaction Calculation suite of cosmological simulations. We make comparisons to observations of the correlation of gas-phase abundances with M* (the mass-metallicity relation, MZR), as well as with both M* and SFR or gas mass fraction (the so-called 3D fundamental metallicity relations, FMRs). The simulated galaxies follow the observed local MZR and FMRs over an order of magnitude in M*, but overpredict the metallicity of massive galaxies (log M* > 10.5), plausibly due to inefficient feedback in this regime. We discuss the origin of the MZR and FMRs in the context of galactic outflows and gas accretion. We examine the evolution of mass-metallicity relations defined using different elements that probe the three enrichment channels (SNII, SNIa, and AGB stars). Relations based on elements produced mainly by SNII evolve weakly, whereas those based on elements produced preferentially in SNIa/AGB exhibit stronger evolution, due to the longer timescales associated with these channels. Finally, we compare the relations of central and satellite galaxies, finding systematically higher metallicities for satellites, as observed. We show this is due to the removal of the metal poor gas reservoir that normally surrounds galaxies and acts to dilute their gas-phase metallicity (via cooling/accretion onto the disk), but is lost due to ram pressure stripping for satellites.

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arXiv2015

Baryon effects on the internal structure of LCDM halos in the EAGLE simulations

We investigate the internal structure and density profiles of halos of mass $10^{10}-10^{14}~M_\odot$ in the Evolution and Assembly of Galaxies and their Environment (EAGLE) simulations. These follow the formation of galaxies in a $Λ$CDM Universe and include a treatment of the baryon physics thought to be relevant. The EAGLE simulations reproduce the observed present-day galaxy stellar mass function, as well as many other properties of the galaxy population as a function of time. We find significant differences between the masses of halos in the EAGLE simulations and in simulations that follow only the dark matter component. Nevertheless, halos are well described by the Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) density profile at radii larger than ~5% of the virial radius but, closer to the centre, the presence of stars can produce cuspier profiles. Central enhancements in the total mass profile are most important in halos of mass $10^{12}-10^{13}M_\odot$, where the stellar fraction peaks. Over the radial range where they are well resolved, the resulting galaxy rotation curves are in very good agreement with observational data for galaxies with stellar mass $M_*<5\times10^{10}M_\odot$. We present an empirical fitting function that describes the total mass profiles and show that its parameters are strongly correlated with halo mass.

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arXiv2015

Colours and luminosities of z=0.1 simulated galaxies in the EAGLE simulations

We calculate the colours and luminosities of redshift z = 0.1 galaxies from the EAGLE simulation suite using the GALAXEV population synthesis models. We take into account obscuration by dust in birth clouds and diffuse ISM using a two-component screen model, following the prescription of Charlot and Fall. We compare models in which the dust optical depth is constant to models where it depends on gas metallicity, gas fraction and orientation. The colours of EAGLE galaxies for the more sophisticated models are in broad agreement with those of observed galaxies. In particular, EAGLE produces a red sequence of passive galaxies and a blue cloud of star forming galaxies, with approximately the correct fraction of galaxies in each population and with g-r colours within 0.1 magnitudes of those observed. Luminosity functions from UV to NIR wavelengths differ from observations at a level comparable to systematic shifts resulting from a choice between Petrosian and Kron photometric apertures. Despite the generally good agreement there are clear discrepancies with observations. The blue cloud of EAGLE galaxies extends to somewhat higher luminosities than in the data, consistent with the modest underestimate of the passive fraction in massive EAGLE galaxies. There is also a moderate excess of bright blue galaxies compared to observations. The overall level of agreement with the observed colour distribution suggests that EAGLE galaxies at z = 0.1 have ages, metallicities and levels of obscuration that are comparable to those of observed galaxies.

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arXiv2015

The EAGLE simulations of galaxy formation: calibration of subgrid physics and model variations

We present results from thirteen cosmological simulations that explore the parameter space of the "Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments" (EAGLE) simulation project. Four of the simulations follow the evolution of a periodic cube L = 50 cMpc on a side, and each employs a different subgrid model of the energetic feedback associated with star formation. The relevant parameters were adjusted so that the simulations each reproduce the observed galaxy stellar mass function at z = 0.1. Three of the simulations fail to form disc galaxies as extended as observed, and we show analytically that this is a consequence of numerical radiative losses that reduce the efficiency of stellar feedback in high-density gas. Such losses are greatly reduced in the fourth simulation - the EAGLE reference model - by injecting more energy in higher density gas. This model produces galaxies with the observed size distribution, and also reproduces many galaxy scaling relations. In the remaining nine simulations, a single parameter or process of the reference model was varied at a time. We find that the properties of galaxies with stellar mass <~ M* (the "knee" of the galaxy stellar mass function) are largely governed by feedback associated with star formation, while those of more massive galaxies are also controlled by feedback from accretion onto their central black holes. Both processes must be efficient in order to reproduce the observed galaxy population. In general, simulations that have been calibrated to reproduce the low-redshift galaxy stellar mass function will still not form realistic galaxies, but the additional requirement that galaxy sizes be acceptable leads to agreement with a large range of observables.

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arXiv2015

Star forming filaments in warm dark matter models

We performed a hydrodynamical cosmological simulation of the formation of a Milky Way-like galaxy in a warm dark matter (WDM) cosmology. Smooth and dense filaments, several co-moving mega parsec long, form generically above z 2 in this model. Atomic line cooling allows gas in the centres of these filaments to cool to the base of the cooling function, resulting in a very striking pattern of extended Lyman-limit systems (LLSs). Observations of the correlation function of LLSs might hence provide useful limits on the nature of the dark matter. We argue that the self-shielding of filaments may lead to a thermal instability resulting in star formation. We implement a sub-grid model for this, and find that filaments rather than haloes dominate star formation until z 6. Reionisation decreases the gas density in filaments, and the more usual star formation in haloes dominates below z 6, although star formation in filaments continues until z=2. Fifteen per cent of the stars of the z=0 galaxy formed in filaments. At higher redshift, these stars give galaxies a stringy appearance, which, if observed, might be a strong indication that the dark matter is warm.

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arXiv2015

The broadening of Lyman-alpha forest absorption lines

We provide an analytical description of the line broadening of HI absorbers in the Lyman-alpha forest resulting from Doppler broadening and Jeans smoothing. We demonstrate that our relation captures the dependence of the line-width on column density for narrow lines in z~3 mock spectra remarkably well. Broad lines at a given column density arise when the underlying density structure is more complex, and such clustering is not captured by our model. Our understanding of the line broadening opens the way to a new method to characterise the thermal state of the intergalactic medium and to determine the sizes of the absorbing structures.

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arXiv2014

Galaxy properties and the cosmic web in simulations

We seek to understand the relationship between galaxy properties and their local environment, which calls for a proper formulation of the notion of environment. We analyse the GIMIC suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations within the framework of the cosmic web as formulated by Hoffman et al., focusing on properties of simulated DM haloes and luminous galaxies with respect to voids, sheets, filaments and knots - the four elements of the cosmic web. We find that the mass functions of haloes depend on environment, which drives other environmental dependence of galaxy formation. The web shapes the halo mass function, and through the strong dependence of the galaxy properties on the mass of their host haloes, it also shapes the galaxy-(web) environment dependence.

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arXiv2014

Local Group galaxies emerge from the dark

The "Lambda Cold Dark Matter" (LCDM) model of cosmic structure formation is eminently falsifiable: once its parameters are fixed on large scales, it becomes testable in the nearby Universe. Observations within our Local Group of galaxies, including the satellite populations of the Milky Way and Andromeda, appear to contradict LCDM predictions: there are far fewer satellite galaxies than dark matter halos (the "missing satellites" problem), galaxies seem to avoid the largest substructures (the "too big to fail" problem), and the brightest satellites appear to orbit their host galaxies on a thin plane (the "planes of satellites" problem). We present results from the first hydrodynamic simulations of the Local Group that match the observed abundance of galaxies. We find that when baryonic and dark matter are followed simultaneously in the context of a realistic galaxy formation model, all three "problems" are resolved within the LCDM paradigm.

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arXiv2014

The metallicity of galactic winds

The abundance evolution of galaxies depends critically on the balance between the mixing of metals in their interstellar medium, the inflow of new gas and the outflow of enriched gas. We study these processes in gas columns perpendicular to a galactic disk using sub-parsec resolution simulations that track stellar ejecta with the Flash code. We model a simplified interstellar medium stirred and enriched by supernovae and their progenitors. We vary the density distribution of the gas column and integrate our results over an exponential disk to predict wind and ISM enrichment properties for disk galaxies. We find that winds from more massive galaxies are hotter and more highly enriched, in stark contrast to that which is often assumed in galaxy formation models. We use these findings in a simple model of galactic enrichment evolution, in which the metallicity of forming galaxies is the result of accretion of nearly pristine gas and outflow of enriched gas along an equilibrium sequence. We compare these predictions to the observed mass-metallicity relation, and demonstrate how the galaxy's gas fraction is a key controlling parameter. This explains the observed flattening of the mass-metallicity relation at higher stellar masses.

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arXiv2014

The EAGLE project: Simulating the evolution and assembly of galaxies and their environments

We introduce the Virgo Consortium's EAGLE project, a suite of hydrodynamical simulations that follow the formation of galaxies and black holes in representative volumes. We discuss the limitations of such simulations in light of their finite resolution and poorly constrained subgrid physics, and how these affect their predictive power. One major improvement is our treatment of feedback from massive stars and AGN in which thermal energy is injected into the gas without the need to turn off cooling or hydrodynamical forces, allowing winds to develop without predetermined speed or mass loading factors. Because the feedback efficiencies cannot be predicted from first principles, we calibrate them to the z~0 galaxy stellar mass function and the amplitude of the galaxy-central black hole mass relation, also taking galaxy sizes into account. The observed galaxy mass function is reproduced to $\lesssim 0.2$ dex over the full mass range, $10^8 < M_*/M_\odot \lesssim 10^{11}$, a level of agreement close to that attained by semi-analytic models, and unprecedented for hydrodynamical simulations. We compare our results to a representative set of low-redshift observables not considered in the calibration, and find good agreement with the observed galaxy specific star formation rates, passive fractions, Tully-Fisher relation, total stellar luminosities of galaxy clusters, and column density distributions of intergalactic CIV and OVI. While the mass-metallicity relations for gas and stars are consistent with observations for $M_* \gtrsim 10^9 M_\odot$, they are insufficiently steep at lower masses. The gas fractions and temperatures are too high for clusters of galaxies, but for groups these discrepancies can be resolved by adopting a higher heating temperature in the subgrid prescription for AGN feedback. EAGLE constitutes a valuable new resource for studies of galaxy formation.

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arXiv2014

The chosen few: the low mass halos that host faint galaxies

Since reionization prevents star formation in most halos below 3 x 10^9 solar masses, dwarf galaxies only populate a fraction of existing dark matter halos. We use hydrodynamic cosmological simulations of the Local Group to study the discriminating factors for galaxy formation in the early Universe and connect them to the present-day properties of galaxies and halos. A combination of selection effects related to reionization, and the subsequent evolution of halos in different environments, introduces strong biases between the population of halos that host dwarf galaxies, and the total halo population. Halos that host galaxies formed earlier and are more concentrated. In addition, halos more affected by tidal stripping are more likely to host a galaxy for a given mass or maximum circular velocity, vmax, today. Consequently, satellite halos are populated more frequently than field halos, and satellite halos of 10^8 - 10^9 solar masses or vmax of 12 - 20 km/s, similar to the Local Group dwarf spheroidals, have experienced a greater than average reduction in both mass and vmax after infall. They are on closer, more radial orbits with higher infall velocities and earlier infall times. Together, these effects make dwarf galaxies highly biased tracers of the underlying dark matter distribution.

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arXiv2014

The properties of warm dark matter haloes

Well-motivated elementary particle candidates for the dark matter, such as the sterile neutrino, behave as warm dark matter (WDM).For particle masses of order a keV, free streaming produces a cutoff in the linear fluctuation power spectrum at a scale corresponding to dwarf galaxies. We investigate the abundance and structure of WDM haloes and subhaloes on these scales using high resolution cosmological N-body simulations of galactic haloes of mass similar to the Milky Way's. On scales larger than the free-streaming cutoff, the initial conditions have the same power spectrum and phases as one of the cold dark matter (CDM) haloes previously simulated by Springel et al as part of the Virgo consortium Aquarius project. We have simulated four haloes with WDM particle masses in the range 1.4-2.3keV and, for one case, we have carried out further simulations at varying resolution. N-body simulations in which the power spectrum cutoff is resolved are known to undergo artificial fragmentation in filaments producing spurious clumps which, for small masses (<10^7Msun in our case) outnumber genuine haloes. We have developed a robust algorithm to identify these spurious objects and remove them from our halo catalogues. We find that the WDM subhalo mass function is suppressed by well over an order magnitude relative to the CDM case for masses <10^9Msun. Requiring that there should be at least as many subhaloes as there are observed satellites in the Milky Way leads to a conservative lower limit to the (thermal equivalent) WDM particle mass of ~1.5\rmn{keV}. WDM haloes and subhaloes have cuspy density distributions that are well described by NFW or Einasto profiles. Their central densities are lower for lower WDM particle masses and none of the models we have considered suffer from the "too big to fail" problem recently highlighted by Boylan-Kolchin et al.

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arXiv2014

Bent by baryons: the low mass galaxy-halo relation

The relation between galaxies and dark matter halos is of vital importance for evaluating theoretical predictions of structure formation and galaxy formation physics. We show that the widely used method of abundance matching based on dark matter only simulations fails at the low mass end because two of its underlying assumptions are broken: only a small fraction of low mass (below 10^9.5 solar masses) halos host a visible galaxy, and halos grow at a lower rate due to the effect of baryons. In this regime, reliance on dark matter only simulations for abundance matching is neither accurate nor self-consistent. We find that the reported discrepancy between observational estimates of the halo masses of dwarf galaxies and the values predicted by abundance matching does not point to a failure of LCDM, but simply to a failure to account for baryonic effects. Our results also imply that the Local Group contains only a few hundred observable galaxies in contrast with the thousands of faint dwarfs that abundance matching would suggest. We show how relations derived from abundance matching can be corrected, so that they can be used self-consistently to calibrate models of galaxy formation.

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arXiv2014

A compact, metal-rich, kpc-scale outflow in FBQS J0209-0438: Detailed diagnostics from HST/COS extreme UV observations

We present HST/COS observations of highly ionized absorption lines associated with a radio-loud QSO at $z=1.1319$. The absorption system has multiple velocity components, tracing gas that is largely outflowing from the QSO at velocities of a few 100 km s$^{-1}$. There is an unprecedented range in ionization, with detections of HI, NIII, NIV, NV, OIV, OIV*, OV, OVI, NeVIII, MgX, SV and ArVIII. We estimate the total hydrogen number density from the column density ratio N(OIV*)/N(OIV) to be $\log(n_{\textrm{H}}/\textrm{cm}^3)\sim 3$. Assuming photoionization equilibrium, we derive a distance to the absorbing complex of $2.3<R<6.0$ kpc from the centre of the QSO. A range in ionization parameter, covering $\sim 2$ orders of magnitude, suggest absorption path lengths in the range $10^{-4.5}<l_{\textrm{abs}}<1$ pc. In addition, the absorbing gas only partially covers the background emission from the QSO continuum, which suggests clouds with transverse sizes $l_{\textrm{trans}}<10^{-2.5}$ pc. Widely differing absorption path lengths, combined with covering fractions less than unity across all ions pose a challenge to models involving simple cloud geometries. These issues may be mitigated by the presence of non-equilibrium effects, together with the possibility of multiple gas temperatures. The dynamics and expected lifetimes of the gas clouds suggest that they do not originate from close to the AGN, but are instead formed close to their observed location. Their inferred distance, outflow velocities and gas densities are broadly consistent with scenarios involving gas entrainment or condensations in winds driven by either supernovae, or the supermassive black hole accretion disc. In the case of the latter, the present data most likely does not trace the bulk of the outflow by mass, which could instead manifest itself as an accompanying warm absorber, detectable in X-rays.

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arXiv2013

The Impact of Different Physical Processes on the Statistics of Lyman-limit and Damped Lyman-alpha Absorbers

We compute the z = 3 neutral hydrogen column density distribution function f(NHI) for 19 simulations drawn from the OWLS project using a post-processing correction for self-shielding calculated with full radiative transfer of the ionising background radiation. We investigate how different physical processes and parameters affect the abundance of Lyman-limit systems (LLSs) and damped Lyman-alpha absorbers (DLAs) including: i) metal-line cooling; ii) the efficiency of feedback from SNe and AGN; iii) the effective equation of state for the ISM; iv) cosmological parameters; v) the assumed star formation law and; vi) the timing of hydrogen reionization . We find that the normalisation and slope, D = d log10 f /d log10 NHI, of f(NHI) in the LLS regime are robust to changes in these physical processes. Among physically plausible models, f(NHI) varies by less than 0.2 dex and D varies by less than 0.18 for LLSs. This is primarily due to the fact that these uncertain physical processes mostly affect star-forming gas which contributes less than 10% to f(NHI) in the the LLS column density range. At higher column densities, variations in f(NHI) become larger (approximately 0.5 dex at NHI = 10^22 cm^-2 and 1.0 dex at NHI = 10^23 cm^-2) and molecular hydrogen formation also becomes important. Many of these changes can be explained in the context of self-regulated star formation in which the amount of star forming gas in a galaxy will adjust such that outflows driven by feedback balance inflows due to accretion. Data and code to reproduce all figures can be found at the following url: https://bitbucket.org/galtay/hi-cddf-owls-1

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arXiv2013

On the connection between the intergalactic medium and galaxies: The HI-galaxy cross-correlation at z < 1

We present a new optical spectroscopic survey of 1777 'star-forming' ('SF') and 366 'non-star-forming' ('non-SF') galaxies at redshifts z < 1 (2143 in total), 22 AGN and 423 stars, observed by instruments such as DEIMOS, VIMOS and GMOS, in 3 fields containing 5 quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) with HST UV spectroscopy. We also present a new spectroscopic survey of 165 'strong' (10^14 < NHI < 10^17 cm^-2), and 489 'weak' (10^13 < NHI < 10^14 cm^-2) intervening HI absorption line systems at z < 1 (654 in total), observed in the spectra of 8 QSOs by COS and FOS on the HST. Combining these new data with previously published galaxy catalogs such as VVDS and GDDS, we have gathered a sample of 654 HI absorption systems and 17509 galaxies at transverse scales < 50 Mpc. We present observational results on the HI-galaxy and galaxy-galaxy correlations at transverse scales r < 10 Mpc, and the HI-HI auto-correlation at transverse scales r < 2 Mpc. The two-point correlation functions are measured both along and transverse to the line-of-sight. We constrain the HI-galaxy statistical connection, as a function of both HI column density and galaxy star-forming activity. Our results are consistent with the following conclusions: (1) the bulk of HI systems on Mpc scales have little velocity dispersion (<120 km/s) with respect to the bulk of galaxies; (2) the vast majority of strong HI systems and SF galaxies are distributed in the same locations, together with 75+-15% of non-SF galaxies, all of which typically reside in dark matter haloes of similar masses; (3) 25+-15% of non-SF galaxies reside in galaxy clusters and are not correlated with strong HI systems at scales < 2 Mpc; and (4) 50% of weak HI systems reside within galaxy voids (hence not correlated with galaxies), and are confined in dark matter haloes of masses smaller than those hosting... [abridged]

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arXiv2013

SWIFT: Fast algorithms for multi-resolution SPH on multi-core architectures

This paper describes a novel approach to neighbour-finding in Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations with large dynamic range in smoothing length. This approach is based on hierarchical cell decompositions, sorted interactions, and a task-based formulation. It is shown to be faster than traditional tree-based codes, and to scale better than domain decomposition-based approaches on shared-memory parallel architectures such as multi-cores.

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