The AGORA High-resolution Galaxy Simulations Comparison Project. IX - Part 1: Effects of a Major Galaxy Merger on Star Formation of a Milky Way-mass Galaxy Progenitor
Given their highly nonlinear dynamics and sensitivity to initial conditions, galaxy mergers are a compelling area to conduct a simulation code comparison. We perform a comparative study of a major galaxy merger at $z \approx 4.5$ in cosmological zoom-in hydrodynamic simulations of a Milky Way-mass galaxy progenitor. The comparison employs the AGORA CosmoRun suite of nine well-calibrated, state-of-the-art numerical codes, each adopting a different stellar feedback scheme. We find that the evolution of the star formation rate (SFR) during the interaction is strongly shaped by the stellar feedback type. Using kinetic feedback in the feedback model drives a pronounced merger-induced starburst that starts to subside before coalescence; using thermal feedback without kinetic feedback yields prolonged SFR growth even after coalescence; and using delayed cooling or radiation pressure results in highly fluctuating SFR. Tracking gas particles in particle-based codes reveals that kinetic feedback facilitates gas inflow from the secondary galaxy onto the primary galaxy between the first periapsis and apoapsis, thus producing an earlier and more prominent starburst. In contrast, thermal feedback, augmented by superbubble or delayed-cooling feedback, suppresses gas cooling, creates a more extended gas distribution, and hinders strong starbursts during the merger. We also observe an inverse correlation between burst fraction and pre-merger gas fraction that is independent of feedback models. Overall, these results highlight the sensitivity of simulated galaxy mergers' star formation response to stellar feedback prescriptions. This study indicates that galaxy mergers may serve as a good testbed for stellar feedback processes in cosmological simulations.