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Yangyao Chen

Publications and source records attributed to Yangyao Chen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Probing the Faint Outskirts of Star-Forming Galaxies with 1<z<9 Using Stacked Images

We present a systematic study of the faint outer light profiles of star-forming galaxies using deep JWST/NIRCam imaging from the CEERS, JADES, and PRIMER surveys. Our sample consists of 14,812 face-on disk galaxies at $1 8.5$, selected from the DAWN JWST Archive. To characterize the low-surface-brightness outskirts beyond the effective radius ($R_e$), we stack galaxies in bins of stellar mass and redshift, accounting for cosmological surface-brightness dimming, angular-size scaling, and PSF convolution, and estimate residual backgrounds from blank-sky stacks. The color profiles generally become bluer toward larger radii, indicating negative color gradients and supporting an inside-out growth scenario. Galaxies with $\log(M_*/M_{\odot}) < 9.5$ at $z>2.5$ exhibit a weak reversal in their outermost regions, suggesting more complex stellar population gradients at early times. The outer light profiles generally exhibit a good exponential decline with radius, and the outer scale lengths measured beyond $2R_e$ show mass and redshift dependences remarkably similar to those of the conventional mass-size relation. This similarity suggests that the extended outer light is closely linked to the same processes governing the growth of the inner galaxy, rather than providing a direct tracer of ex-situ stellar components in the early universe. We also find little wavelength dependence in the outer scale lengths, indicating that dust attenuation likely has a limited impact at these radii. These results provide new constraints on the buildup of extended stellar distributions during cosmic noon and at earlier epochs.

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arXiv2026

Halo formation and distribution around cosmic web

We use the ELUCID simulation to study how the local environment affects the formation of dark matter halos and their spatial distribution around the cosmic web. We describe the environment by local density and cosmic-web type. At fixed web type, the halo mass function (HMF) depends strongly on the local density, whereas at fixed density it depends only weakly, though significantly, on the web type; the character of both dependencies changes around the mean density. The halo formation redshift is primarily driven by local density rather than cosmic web. We then introduce the three-dimensional cosmic-web cross-correlation function (3D-WCCF), which expresses the distribution of halos around cosmic web in the local tidal eigenframe. The 3D-WCCF provides numerous anisotropic characteristics. Around all web types, halos are most strongly correlated along the axis of weakest compression, $\mathbf{e}_3$, and least along the axis of strongest compression, $\mathbf{e}_1$. Nearly all cluster-sized halos reside in knots and lie preferentially in the plane perpendicular to ${\bf e}_1$. The 3D-WCCF also provides important information on the geometry and size of filaments, sheets and voids. Moreover, early-forming halos are more strongly correlated with the web than late-forming ones, and this assembly bias is anisotropic around filaments, sheets, and voids, being strongest along $\mathbf{e}_3$, but nearly isotropic around knots.

astro-ph.CO↗
arXiv2026

Observational Evidence for Anisotropic Metal Excess around Galaxies

The exchange of matter and energy between galaxies and their surroundings drives the cosmic baryon cycle, yet mapping metal transport remains an observational challenge. While simulations predict that galactic winds escape anisotropically along minor axes, evidence for chemical enrichment in neighboring galaxies is limited. We analyze 1,433 galaxy pairs from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument survey and detect a gas-phase metallicity excess of 14.6% $\pm$ 3.7% to 24.2% $\pm$ 2.6% in neighbors aligned with the minor axis of massive primary at projected separations of 15--60 kpc, qualitatively consistent with IllustrisTNG simulation. Permutation tests indicate that this excess varies from a marginal detection ($>$92% confidence) at closer separations (15--30 kpc) to a significant signal ($>$98% confidence) at intermediate separations (30--60 kpc). Here, we show that these results provide empirical constraints on galactic feedback models and are consistent with a scenario where anisotropic outflows can enrich nearby galaxies, a mechanism that complements other environmental processes.

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arXiv2026

Connecting galaxy structure, quenching, and halo environments during cosmic noon

The connection between galaxy structure, star formation activity, and large-scale environments provides important insights into the evolution of massive galaxies. However, the relative importance of different galaxy properties in predicting quenching and the environmental dependence of structurally distinct galaxy populations remain poorly constrained at cosmic noon ($1\leq z<3$). In this work, we investigate massive galaxies with $\log M_*/{\rm M}_{\odot}>10.5$ at $1\leq z<3$ using deep JWST/NIRCam imaging from the COSMOS-Web survey, combining measurements of central stellar mass surface density ($Σ_1$), star formation activity, and galaxy clustering. We find that $Σ_1$ is the most informative predictor of quenching among the considered properties, including stellar mass, effective radius, formation redshift, and local overdensity. The quenched fraction shows a strong dependence on $Σ_1$, increasing rapidly above a characteristic $Σ_1$. We further show that compact quenched galaxies exhibit a tendency toward stronger clustering than compact and extended star-forming galaxies, while compact and extended star-forming galaxies show similar clustering properties. These results highlight the importance of $Σ_1$ in tracing quenching and reveal that structural diversity among star-forming galaxies is not strongly reflected in their large-scale environments, providing new constraints on the interplay between galaxy structure, quenching, and halo environments during cosmic noon.

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arXiv2026

Fountain pattern of baryon cycle revealed in galaxy ecosystems

Baryons in galaxy ecosystems are believed to undergo continuous cycles of inflow and outflow, forming fountain-like patterns that encode key information about how galaxies acquire matter from their environments and respond through feedback. The presence of such baryon cycles has been inferred from pieces of observational evidence, but a concrete understanding remains elusive because individual galaxy ecosystems are diverse and dynamic. Here we introduce a stacking method that combines baryonic fields across ensembles of individual galaxy ecosystems to suppress irregularities and reveal the underlying pattern. Applied to a cosmological hydrodynamic simulation, this approach unveils strikingly regular patterns in gas properties across the full spatial extent of galaxy ecosystems, in close agreement with those inferred from observations. This method is straightforward to implement, allowing the processes shaping the gas-cycling pattern to be fully understood within the structure-formation paradigm, and a solid framework to be constructed for linking simulated galaxy ecosystems with observations.

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arXiv2026

Evidence for the transformation from lenticular to spiral galaxies

It is widely accepted that late-type galaxies, such as spirals, evolve into early-type systems, including elliptical and lenticular galaxies, through galaxy mergers and violent disk instability processes. Throughout this morphological transformation, star formation is typically suppressed by quenching mechanisms whose detailed nature remains the subject of active investigation. Here, we present compelling evidence for an evolutionary pathway that proceeds in the reverse direction. Using the integral field unit observations, we identify a population of spiral galaxies hosting quenched central cores (QCCs). These galaxies exhibit bimodal distributions in both their stellar population properties and their dynamical properties, along with sharp changes in radial gradients near the QCC boundary. These results indicate that the QCCs and the surrounding outer disks formed at distinct cosmic epochs and through different physical processes. Remarkably, QCCs closely resemble quiescent early-type galaxies, particularly lenticular galaxies, in their mass-size and mass-velocity dispersion scaling relations, as well as in their stellar population demographics and internal kinematics. These findings provide strong support for a rejuvenation scenario in which spiral disks are reassembled around pre-existing quiescent lenticular or early-type systems. Moreover, we show that such rejuvenation, accompanied by a reverse morphological transformation from early- to late-type appearance, is quite common. This indicates that quenching in galaxies is not invariably a terminal state and can be reversed under appropriate conditions.

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arXiv2026

An emerging baryon cycle in a galaxy 500 million years after the Big Bang

The emergence of stellar feedback as a regulator of galaxy growth marks a fundamental transition in cosmic history. At early times, rapid gas accretion and collapse may induce intense star formation before feedback becomes effective, producing feedback-free starbursts. When and how such bursts subsequently develop into self-regulated baryon cycles remain observationally unknown. Here we show that Gz9p3, a merging galaxy at $z=9.311$, is caught in this transition only 500 million years after the Big Bang. Deep JWST spectroscopy reveals a substantial neutral-gas reservoir along its merger-driven tidal structure and a multiphase outflow. Fine-structure absorption provides the first direct measurement of the electron density of the cool outflowing gas at high redshift ($\approx\,17\,{\rm cm^{-3}}$), yielding a mass-loading factor among the highest yet measured for galaxies of comparable stellar mass. The emergence of such efficient feedback after an intense burst is consistent with the delayed onset of feedback expected in feedback-free starburst models. The cool outflowing gas is unlikely to escape the host halo, implying that much of this metal-enriched material may remain available for future recycling through the circumgalactic medium. Gz9p3 therefore provides an early view of a baryon cycle being established through the interplay of merger-driven gas redistribution, bursty star formation and stellar feedback, suggesting that feedback-regulated recycling was already shaping galaxy growth during the epoch of reionization.

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arXiv2026

Super-Eddington accretion of black holes in early nuclear bursts gives birth to Little Red Dots

In a recent paper, Chen et al. developed a framework for modeling the seeding and growth of supermassive black holes (BHs) in the context of $Λ$CDM cosmogony. Here, we use a set of physically motivated criteria to select a population of predicted BHs and link them to Little Red Dots (LRDs) discovered by JWST. We show that the LRD population at high redshift ($z$) emerges naturally from a subset of BHs with super-Eddington accretion during nuclear bursts. The model suggests that the observed LRDs are the "tip of the iceberg" of a much larger population of less luminous BHs in the same subset. The model makes specific predictions for the LRD population, such as the mass distributions of their BHs and host galaxies/halos, and the piece-wise redshift evolution of their number density. The cosmological context of the model also allows us to link the observed LRD population to their progenitors (their BH seeds) and lower-$z$ descendant BHs, galaxies and halos. Most LRDs at $z\sim 5$ are seeded at $z \gtrsim 20$ through direct-collapse BHs or pair-instability supernovae from Pop-III stars, and have grown to $M_{\rm BH} \approx 10^5$--$10^7\,{\rm M}_\odot$ through nuclear bursts by their observed redshift. LRDs are predicted to have diverse descendants, ranging from compact dwarf galaxies to brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) at $z=0$. These predictions are consistent with current observations and can be further tested. The success of this model indicates that the results presented here provide a robust foundation for building detailed models of the LRD population.

astro-ph.GA↗
arXiv2026

Satellite quenching by radio jets of central galaxies in galaxy groups

Feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) is now recognized as a key component of galaxy formation models. It plays a central role in regulating the growth and quenching of galaxies in the center of groups. However, the impact of AGN feedback from central galaxies on satellite galaxies remains largely unexplored. Here based on the largest sample to date of radio AGNs in galaxy groups (Yang et al. 2007) and a comprehensive consideration of multiple physical parameters that may influence the star formation of satellite galaxies, we demonstrate that the quiescent satellite fraction around radio AGNs is higher than that around normal galaxies. The most significant enhancement is observed around AGNs with large radio lobes. These findings demonstrate that the impact of kinetic AGN feedback beyond their host galaxies to their satellites. These results provide novel insights into the physical origins of some long-standing puzzles in extragalactic astronomy, including, e.g., galactic conformity and the strong small-scale clustering of quiescent galaxies.

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arXiv2026

A Bending in the Size-mass Relation of Star-forming Galaxies across $0.5 < z < 6.0$ at a Critical Stellar Mass of $10^{10}M_\odot$ Revealed by JWST

We investigate the rest-frame optical size-stellar mass relation of galaxies at $0.5 M_{\rm p}$, an increasing fraction of SFGs decouple from halo growth and become compact, likely associated with rapid bulge (and black hole) growth in $M_{\rm h} \gtrsim 10^{12} M_{\odot}$ halos. These compact SFGs are promising progenitors of massive QGs, as evidenced by their similar masses, surface brightness profiles, and morphologies. Their high number densities can account for the observed buildup of massive QGs at $z > 2$, suggesting that the compaction pathway, rather than major mergers of extended SFGs, dominates the formation of high-z massive QGs.

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arXiv2026

Interpreting the strong clustering of ultra-diffuse galaxies by halo spin bias

We use the IllustrisTNG300-ODM simulation to investigate the spin bias of low-mass halos and its connection to the strong clustering of ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) reported by Zhang et al. (2025). By comparing two halo spin definitions-one using only bound particles ($λ_{\rm b}$) and another including unbound particles ($λ_{\rm a}$)-we demonstrate that the spin bias of low-mass halos critically depends on the definition. While $λ_{\rm a}$ yields stronger clustering for higher-spin halos at all masses, $λ_{\rm b}$ produces an inverted trend below $M_{\rm h}\sim 10^{11} \rm M_{\odot}/h$. This discrepancy is driven by a subset of halos in high-density environments that have large $λ_{\rm a}$ but small $λ_{\rm b}$. Using an empirical model implemented in SDSS-like mocks, we link the stellar surface-mass-density ($Σ_\ast$) of a galaxy to $λ_{\rm a}$ of its host halo and find an anti-correlation that more diffuse dwarfs tend to reside in higher-spin halos. The model naturally reproduces the observed strong clustering of UDGs within the standard $Λ$CDM framework without invoking exotic assumptions such as self-interacting dark matter. The high fraction of unbound particles in UDG hosts likely originates from tidal fields in dense regions, an effect particularly significant for low-mass halos. We discuss how the angular momentum of a halo represented by $λ_{\rm a}$ may be transferred to the gas to affect size and surface density of the galaxy that forms in the halo.

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arXiv2026

A two-phase model of galaxy formation: IV. Seeding and growing supermassive black holes in dark matter halos

We present a theoretical framework for seeding and growing supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in dark matter halos along their assembly histories. Seeds are bred out of Pop-III stars formed during the first collapse of pristine gas in mini-halos that have reached the $\rm H_2$-cooling limit, modulated by UV radiation from star formation and dynamical heating from fast halo assembly. Such breeding persists until the enrichment of the intergalactic medium (IGM) enables Pop-II stars to form. Post-seeding growth of black holes (BHs) is driven by distinct channels, starting with episodic super-Eddington accretion associated with nuclear bursts induced by global disturbances of galaxies, followed by sustained sub-Eddington accretion via capturing sub-clouds formed in self-gravitating gas clouds (SGCs) in halos of fast assembly, and ending with merger-dominated, quiescent growth. We implement the model in subhalo merger trees to build a coherent framework to follow SMBH-galaxy-halo co-evolution across the whole history and structural hierarchy. BH seeds are bred with a broad mass spectrum of $M_{\rm BH} = 10 - 10^5\,{\rm M}_\odot$ at $z \approx 20 - 30$ in mini-halos with masses of $10^5 - 10^8\,{\rm M}_\odot$. Nuclear bursts provide the key condition for seeds to grow into SMBHs. The $M_{\rm BH}$-$M_*$ relation is a multi-piece, redshift-dependent function shaped by the interplay among different growth channels. Our model predictions are broadly consistent with existing observations; especially, a population of BHs reminiscent of 'little red dots' (LRDs) discovered by JWST naturally results from the seeding and growing processes. Potential future tests of the model are discussed.

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arXiv2026

Transition from Outside-in to Inside-Out at $z\sim 2$: Evidence from Radial Profiles of Specific Star Formation Rate based on JWST/HST

By combining high-resolution observations from JWST and HST, we have measured the stellar masses, star formation rates (SFRs), and multi-wavelength morphologies of galaxies in the CANDELS fields. Furthermore, based on rest-frame 1 $μ$m morphologies, we have derived spatially resolved stellar mass and SFR surface density ($Σ_*$ and $Σ_{\rm SFR}$) profiles for 46,313 galaxies with reliable structural measurements at $0 8$, and provide the corresponding catalogue. For star-forming galaxies (SFGs), our results show excellent consistency with previous studies in terms of the star formation main sequence and the size-mass relation, demonstrating the robustness of our stellar mass and SFR measurements. For spatially resolved profiles, we find that at higher redshifts ($z>2.5$), the median radial profile of $Σ_{\rm SFR}$ is nearly parallel to but slightly steeper than that of $Σ_*$. This results in mildly negative gradients in the specific SFR (sSFR) profiles across all stellar mass bins considered. These findings indicate that galaxies at $z>2.5$ cannot grow in size via only in-situ star formation, challenging the understanding of galaxy size evolution beyond the cosmic noon. In contrast, at $z<2.0$, the sSFR profiles transition to exhibit more and more positive gradients at lower redshifts, consistent with an inside-out growth scenario where star formation preferentially expands the galactic outskirts.

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arXiv2026

Two-phase formation of galaxies: the coevolution between galaxies and dark matter halos

We use FIRE-2 cosmological zoom-in hydrodynamic simulations to investigate the co-evolution between Milky Way-size galaxies and their host dark matter halos. We find that the formation of these galaxies follows a two-phase pattern, with an early phase featured by hot dynamics, bulge-dominated structure and bursty star formation, and a later phase featured by cold dynamics, disk-dominated structure and steady star formation. The transition times of these galaxy properties are correlated with the time when the host halo transits from fast to slow accretion, indicating the two-phase assembly of halos as a potential mechanism that drives the two-phase formation of galaxies. The physical origin of dynamical hotness can be summarized into two modes of star formation: a scattered mode in which stars form at large radii within cold gas streams associated with fast assembly of halos, and a concentrated mode in which stars form at small radii through violent fragmentation from globally self-gravitated gas when halo assembly is about to slow down. Cold gaseous and stellar disks can form when the conditions of the two modes are removed by the stall of fast halo assembly and the reduction of gas by feedback processes. The two modes of star formation leave distinct imprints on the structural properties of high-redshift galaxies, providing implications to be tested by JWST and future observations.

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arXiv2026

First Statistical Detection of MgII-traced Cool Gas Outflows with JWST Towards Cosmic Dawn

Galactic-scale outflows are a crucial component of galaxy evolution, yet their properties in the early universe remain poorly constrained. We present the first statistical investigation of \ion{Mg}{2}-traced cool gas outflows in galaxies spanning a wide cosmic timeline from $z \approx 1$ to $z > 6$ (with sample coverage extending to $z \sim 10$). Using thousands of public JWST/NIRSpec spectra, we employ a signal-to-noise weighted spectral stacking technique on the \ion{Mg}{2} $λ\lambda2796, 2803$ absorption doublet. We robustly detect blueshifted \ion{Mg}{2} absorption in nearly all stellar mass and redshift bins, with the exception of the lowest-mass systems at $z \sim 1-2$. The outflow equivalent width exhibits a positive correlation with stellar mass ($M_*$) at all epochs, with the fitted slope of $1.21 \pm 0.35$. Our work provides the first statistical constraints on \ion{Mg}{2}-traced cool outflows in the low-mass ($M_* \lesssim 10^{9.5} \, \mathrm{M}_\odot$), high-redshift ($z > 3$) regime. We also find that the outflow velocities generally remain below the host halo escape velocities, consistent with a galactic fountain scenario. The consistency of the stellar mass-outflow equivalent width relation across $z \sim 2-6$ suggests a persistent, unevolving feedback mechanism governing the baryon cycle towards cosmic dawn.

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arXiv2026

Radio AGN feedback sustains quiescence only in a minority of massive galaxies

Radio active galactic nuclei (AGNs) eject a huge amount of energy into the surrounding medium and are thought to potentially prevent gas cooling and maintain the quiescence of massive galaxies. The short-lived, sporadic, and anisotropic nature of radio activities, coupled with the detection of abundant cold gas around some massive quiescent galaxies, raise questions about the efficiency of radio feedback in massive galaxies. Here we present an innovative method rooted in artificial intelligence to separate galaxies in which radio feedback is effective (RFE), regardless of current radio emission, from those in which radio feedback is ineffective (RFI), according to their optical images. Galaxies categorized as RFE are all dynamically hot, whereas quiescent RFI (RFI-Q) galaxies usually have extended cold-disk components. At given stellar mass, dark matter halos hosting RFE galaxies are between four to ten times more massive than those of RFI-Q galaxies. We find, for the first time, that almost all RFE galaxies have scant cold gas, irrespective of AGN activity. In contrast, many RFI-Q galaxies are surrounded by substantial amounts of condensed atomic gas, indicating a different evolutionary path from RFE galaxies. Our finding provides direct and compelling evidence that a radio AGN has gone through about 300 on-off cycles and that radio feedback can prevent gas cooling over a timescale much longer than that of radio activity. Contrary to general belief, our analysis shows that only a small fraction of massive galaxies are influenced by strong radio AGNs, suggesting that current galaxy formation models need serious revision.

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arXiv2025

The Bigfoot: A footprint of a Coma cluster progenitor at z=3.98

Protoclusters, galaxy clusters' high redshift progenitors, hold the keys to understanding the formation and evolution of clusters and their member galaxies. However, their cosmological distances and spatial extensions (tens of Mpc) have inhibited complete mapping of their structure and constituent galaxies, which is key to robustly linking protoclusters to their descendants. Here we report the discovery of the Bigfoot, a tridimensional structure at $z = 3.98$ including 11 subgroups traced by 55 (700) spectroscopic (photometric) redshifts with JWST, extending over $15\times 37$ $\times 49{\rm{cMpc^3}}$ in the PRIMER-UDS field. Bigfoot's large-scale and mass function of member galaxies closely match constrained simulations' predictions for the progenitors of today's most massive clusters (${M_0} > 10^{15} {M_{_ \odot }}$). All subgroups with ${M_{\rm{h}}} > {10^{12.5}}{M_{_ \odot }}$ exhibit enhanced fractions of massive galaxies ($>{10^{10.0} {M_{_ \odot }}}$) compared to lower-mass halos and the field, demonstrating the accelerated formation of massive galaxies in massive halos. The presence of this massive protocluster with a large central halo (${10^{13.0} {M_{_ \odot }}}$) in a JWST deep field bears important cosmological implication that favors high ${σ_8}$ of PLANCK cosmology over low-redshift probes.

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arXiv2025

Physical Processes Behind the Co-Evolution of Halos, Galaxies and Supermassive Black Holes in the IllustrisTNG Simulation

We explore the co-evolution of dark matter halos, their central galaxies, and central supermassive black holes (SMBHs) using the IllustrisTNG (TNG) simulation. We find that the evolutionary histories of individual galaxies in the $M_{\rm BH}$-$M_*$ plane can be decomposed into four distinct phases, separated by three transition points. We identify the driving processes of galaxy evolution within each phase and derive the conditions necessary and sufficient for transitions to subsequent phases. The first phase is dominated by star formation, with its duration primarily determined by the mass of the SMBH seed and the surrounding gas environment. The second phase is characterized by rapid SMBH growth, and the transition to the next phase occurs when the thermal-mode feedback of active galactic nucleus (AGN) can unbind gas from the galaxy. The third phase involves self-regulation of the SMBH, and the transition to the quenched phase occurs when the kinetic-mode feedback of AGN counterbalances gas cooling within the subhalo. The final phase is dominated by mergers. We investigate the use of scaling relations among different mass components and evolutionary phases to understand processes implemented in TNG and other simulations, and discuss how current and forthcoming observations can be used to constrain models.

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