Schaller M. et al., MNRAS, May 2024, Vol. 530, Issue 2, pp. 2378-2419 (citations: 111)
Schaller M. et al., Astrophysics Source Code Library, 2018, ascl:1805.020 (citations: 56)
Schaller M. et al., PASC, 2016, Vol. 1, Article Id. 2 (citations: 44)
They have jointly gathered 3065 citations and have an h-index of 32.
Aljamal, E et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 544 , issue 1 (citations: 1)
Abstract
We examine scale and redshift dependence of mass─property relations (MPRs) for five hot gas properties of two large group- bservationsand cluster-scale halo samples realized by the Illustris TNG, TNG-Cluster, and FLAMINGO cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. For intrinsic properties of (i) hot gas mass (
Lim, S et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 543 , issue 3 (citations: 4)
Abstract
Exploiting a large sample of 5.3 million galaxies with
Vecchi, F et al., A&A, 2025 , vol. 703 (citations: 0)
Abstract
Weak gravitational lensing observations of galaxy clusters are sensitive to all the mass that is present along the line of sight (LoS). Thus, the systematic and additional statistical uncertainties due to intervening structures must be taken into consideration. In this work, we quantify the impact of these structures on the recovery of mass density profile parameters using 967 clusters from the highest-resolution FLAMINGO simulation. We constructed mock weak-lensing maps, which included both single source plane mocks at redshifts up to zs ≤ 3, along with Euclid-like mocks with a realistic source redshift distribution. Applying Bayesian inference with Nautilus, we fit spherical and elliptical Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) models to recover the cluster mass, concentration, axis ratio, and centre. We used these parameters to measure the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) offset from the potential centre (or BCG wobble). We find that the spherical model fits clusters along under-dense sight lines better than those along over-dense ones. This introduces a positive skew in the relative error distributions for mass and concentration, which increases with source redshift. In Euclid-like mocks, this results in a mean mass bias of +5.3 ± 1.4% (significant at 3.5σ) when assuming a spherical NFW model. We also detected a mean axis ratio bias of −2.0 ± 0.7% (2.9σ), with no significant bias in concentration. We measured a BCG wobble of ∼14 kpc in our Euclid-like mocks, with a negligible contribution from LoS structure. Furthermore, we predicted the scatter in mass estimates from future weak lensing surveys with mean source redshifts of zs ≳ 1.2 (e.g. Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope) would end up dominated by LoS structure. Hence, assuming a diagonal covariance matrix will lead to an overestimation in terms of precision. We conclude that cluster weak-lensing pipelines should be calibrated on simulations with light cone data to properly account for the significant impact of LoS structure.
Venville, B et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 0)
Abstract
Techniques using multiple tracers of the large scale structure of the universe show great promise for examining the fundamentals of our Universe's cosmology. Such techniques rely on the different relationship between the overdensity of tracers and the broader matter overdensity, enabling cosmic-variance-free tests of primordial non-Gaussianity in the initial curvature perturbations. There is a great opportunity for current and future all-sky extra-galactic radio surveys to make use of this technique to test for non-Gaussianity at a precision greater than existing all-sky constraints from the cosmic microwave background. To realize this goal there is a need for accurate simulations. Previous radio galaxy simulations have either been realistic but covering only a small area (and so unhelpful for cosmological forecasts), or all-sky dark matter only cosmological simulations but having no connection to a real radio galaxy population. In this study, we use the FLAMINGO suite of cosmological surveys, as well as the matching of dark matter halos to radio galaxy population, to create an accurate sky simulation in order to examine the feasibility of multi-tracer techniques. We present an analysis of the clustering (with a bias model for the simulation), as well as redshift distributions, source counts and radio luminosity functions, and discuss future work on non-Gaussianity detection.
Lovell, C et al., MNRAS, 2025 (citations: 13)
Abstract
We perform the first direct cosmological and astrophysical parameter inference from the combination of galaxy luminosity functions and colours using a simulation based inference approach. Using the SYNTHESIZER code we simulate the dust attenuated ultraviolet-near infrared stellar emission from galaxies in thousands of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations from the CAMELS suite, including the SWIFT-EAGLE, ILLUSTRISTNG, SIMBA & ASTRID galaxy formation models. For each galaxy we calculate the rest-frame luminosity in a number of photometric bands, including the SDSS ugriz and GALEX FUV & NUV filters; this dataset represents the largest catalogue of synthetic photometry based on hydrodynamic galaxy formation simulations produced to date, totalling >200 million sources. From these we compile luminosity functions and colour distributions, and find clear dependencies on both cosmology and feedback. We then perform simulation based (likelihood-free) inference using these distributions to obtain constraints on Ωm, σ8, and four parameters controlling the strength of stellar and AGN feedback. Both colour distributions and luminosity functions provide complementary information on certain parameters when performing inference. We achieve constraints on the stellar feedback parameters, as well as Ωmand σ8. The latter is attributable to the fact that the photometry encodes the star formation-metal enrichment history of each galaxy; galaxies in a universe with a higher σ8 tend to form earlier and have higher metallicities, which leads to redder colours. We find that a model trained on one galaxy formation simulation generalises poorly when applied to another, and attribute this to differences in the subgrid prescriptions, and lack of flexibility in our emission modelling. The photometric catalogues are publicly available.
Costello, E et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 0)
Abstract
The gas mass fraction of galaxy groups and clusters is a key physical quantity for constraining the impact of feedback processes on large-scale structure. While several modern cosmological simulations use the gas fraction-halo mass relation to calibrate their feedback implementations, we note that this relation exhibits substantial intrinsic scatter whose origin has not been fully elucidated. Using the large-volume FLAMINGO hydrodynamical simulations, we examine the role of both central and satellite supermassive black holes (BHs) in shaping this scatter, probing higher halo masses than previously possible. For haloes with M500 < 10^13 Msun, we find that central BH mass correlates strongly and negatively with gas fraction, such that higher BH masses give rise to lower gas fractions at fixed halo mass, consistent with previous studies. Interestingly, however, for 10^13 Msun < M500 < 10^14.5 Msun the correlation reverses and becomes positive, with overmassive BHs residing in haloes with above-average gas fractions. By tracing progenitor BHs and haloes through cosmic time, we show that this behaviour is driven by the expulsion and subsequent re-accretion of halo gas, regulated by the timing of BH growth and feedback. Specifically, haloes that collapse earlier form BHs earlier, leading to earlier gas expulsion and re-accretion and a high gas fraction compared to haloes of the same present-day mass that formed later. Our results demonstrate that present-day scatter in the gas fraction-halo mass relation is strongly shaped by the early growth history of BHs and their haloes, a prediction that can be tested with future observational measurements.
Ploeckinger, S et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 543 , issue 2 (citations: 9)
Abstract
Radiative processes play a pivotal role in shaping the thermal and chemical states of gas across diverse astrophysical environments, from the interstellar medium (ISM) to the intergalactic medium. We present a hybrid cooling model for cosmological simulations that incorporates a comprehensive treatment of radiative processes, including parametrizations of the interstellar radiation field, cosmic ray rates, and dust physics. The model uses the CHIMES chemical network and combines on-the-fly non-equilibrium calculations with quasi-equilibrium cooling rates. The quasi-equilibrium rates account for the time-dependent free electron fractions of elements tracked in non-equilibrium, balancing computational efficiency with physical accuracy. We evaluate the performance under various conditions, including the thermal evolution of primordial gas at the cosmic mean density, the properties of the warm and cold neutral media in Milky Way-like galaxies, and the atomic-to-molecular hydrogen transition. We demonstrate that thermal equilibrium predictions for the neutral phases of the ISM underestimate the median gas pressures in simulations of isolated galaxies by up to 0.5 dex. Finally we find that the atomic-to-molecular hydrogen transition is shifted to lower densities by up to 1 dex if oxygen is not included in the chemical network. Our work provides a robust framework for studying the multiphase ISM and its role in galaxy formation and evolution.
Yang, X et al., CoPhC, 2025 , vol. 315 (citations: 0)
Abstract
In this paper, a Feature-preserving Particle Generation (FPPG) method for arbitrary complex geometry is proposed. Instead of basing on implicit geometries, such as level-set, FPPG employs an explicit geometric representation for the parallel and automatic generation of high-quality surface and volume particles, which enables the full preservation of geometric features, such as sharp edges, singularities and etc. Several new algorithms are proposed in this paper to achieve the aforementioned objectives. First, a particle mapping and feature line extraction algorithm is proposed to ensure the adequate representation of arbitrary complex geometry. An improved and efficient data structure is developed too to maximize the parallel efficiency and to optimize the memory footprint. Second, the physics-based particle relaxation procedure is tailored for the explicit geometric representation to achieve a uniform particle distribution. Third, in order to handle large-scale industrial models, the proposed FPPG method is entirely parallelized on shared memory systems and Boolean operations are allowed to tackle structures with multiple assemblies. Intensive numerical tests are carried out to demonstrate the capabilities of FPPG. The scalability tests show that a speedup of 10X is achieved through multi-threading parallelization with various models. Comparative studies with other particle generation methods show that FPPG achieves better performance in both runtime and accuracy. Last, two industrial cases of vehicle wading and gearbox oiling are studied to illustrate that FPPG is applicable to complex geometries.
McAlpine, S, arXiv, 2025 (citations: 0)
Abstract
We present a publicly available catalogue of massive structures in the nearby Universe, constructed from the Manticore-Local posterior ensemble -- a Bayesian reconstruction of the local Universe from 2M++ galaxies. We identify massive structures by clustering central haloes at $z = 0$ across the 80 posterior realizations, selecting at most one member per realization. These $\textit{associations}$ serve as probabilistic counterparts to individual massive clusters, each with robust posterior estimates of mass, position, and velocity. The catalogue contains 225 associations with mean masses $\langle M_{200} \rangle > 10^{14}$ M$_{\odot}$ persisting in at least 50\% of realizations. We independently validate these systems through stacked \textit{Planck} thermal Sunyaev--Zel'dovich measurements, which yield significant detections ($>3σ$) with amplitudes following the expected $Y$--$M$ relation. Many associations exhibit coherent evolutionary histories: even with only $z = 0$ constraints, the inference narrows each system's possible assembly pathway, localizing progenitor configurations to volumes 2--5 times smaller than mass-matched haloes in unconstrained $Λ$CDM simulations. Cross-matches with X-ray catalogues reveal systematic mass-scale differences that align with known observational biases: \textsc{Manticore-Local} masses are typically twice ROSAT-based estimates but agree at unity with weak-lensing-calibrated eROSITA measurements. This demonstrates the catalogue's capability to diagnose systematics on an object-by-object basis. The resulting catalogue provides an observationally consistent map of massive structures in the local Universe, enabling direct cross-probe comparisons, hybrid analyses combining simulated and observed quantities, and systematic mass-scale studies.
Ding, B et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 0)
Abstract
Cosmological hydrodynamical simulations are essential tools for studying the formation and evolution of galaxies and their central supermassive black holes. While they reproduce many key observed properties of galaxies, their limited volumes have hindered comprehensive studies of the AGN and quasar populations. In this work, we leverage the FLAMINGO simulation suite, focusing on its large $(2.8$ $\mathrm{Gpc})^3$ volume, to investigate two key observables of quasar activity: the quasar luminosity function (QLF) and quasar clustering. FLAMINGO reproduces the observed QLF at low redshift ($z \lesssim 1$) and for faint quasars ($L_\mathrm{bol} \lesssim 10^{45}$ $\mathrm{erg s^{-1}}$), but significantly underpredicts the abundance of bright quasars at $z \approx 1$-$3$. Introducing a 0.75 dex log-normal luminosity scatter to represent unresolved small-scale variability boosts the number of bright quasars by upscattering lower-luminosity systems, thereby improving agreement with observations at the bright end. A decomposition of the QLF by black hole mass reveals that this boost is primarily driven by low-mass black holes radiating above the Eddington limit. Nevertheless, limitations remain in fully reproducing the rise and decline of the bright quasar population over cosmic time and in matching the black hole masses inferred from quasar spectra. Thanks to FLAMINGO's large volume, we can robustly sample rare, luminous quasars and measure their spatial clustering for $\log_{10} L_\mathrm{bol}/\mathrm{erg s^{-1}} \gtrsim 45.5$. The simulation reproduces the observed clustering across $0 \lesssim z \lesssim 3$, and the reduced luminosity dependence introduced by scatter aligns with observational trends. However, it underpredicts the clustering strength at $z \approx 4$, consistent with other models and possibly reflecting high-redshift observational uncertainties.
Marinichenko, M et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 0)
Abstract
The scattering transform is a wavelet-based statistic capable of capturing non-Gaussian features in weak lensing (WL) convergence maps and has been proven to tighten cosmological parameter constraints by accessing information beyond two-point functions. However, its application in cosmological inference requires a clear understanding of its sensitivity to astrophysical systematics, the most significant of which are baryonic effects. These processes substantially modify the matter distribution on small to intermediate scales ($k\gtrsim 0.1\,h\,\mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$), leaving scale-dependent imprints on the WL convergence field. We systematically examine the impact of baryonic feedback on scattering coefficients using full-sky WL convergence maps with Stage IV survey characteristics, generated from the FLAMINGO simulation suite. These simulations include a broad range of feedback models, calibrated to match the observed cluster gas fraction and galaxy stellar mass function, including systematically shifted variations, and incorporating either thermal or jet-mode AGN feedback. We characterise baryonic effects using a baryonic transfer function defined as the ratio of hydrodynamical to dark-matter-only scattering coefficients. While the coefficients themselves are sensitive to both cosmology and feedback, the transfer function remains largely insensitive to cosmology and shows a strong response to feedback, with suppression reaching up to $10\%$ on scales of $k\gtrsim 0.1\,h\,\mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$. We also demonstrate that shape noise significantly diminishes the sensitivity of the scattering coefficients to baryonic effects, reducing the suppression from $\sim 2 - 10 \;\%$ to $\sim 1\;\%$, even with 1.5 arcmin Gaussian smoothing. This highlights the need for noise mitigation strategies and high-resolution data in future WL surveys.
Bigwood, L et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 2)
Abstract
Baryonic feedback remains one of the largest uncertainties in cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, with different prescriptions producing divergent predictions for the fraction of gas expelled from halos, the radial extent of the gas expulsion and the impact on large scale matter clustering. We present the first systematic study of the kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (kSZ) effect across a wide range of simulations (FLAMINGO, ANTILLES, BAHAMAS, SIMBA, FABLE and their variants), and compare them directly to DESI Year 1 + ACT kSZ measurements. We ensure a like-for-like comparison with observations by developing a robust methodology that accounts for the halo mass selection using galaxy-galaxy lensing, cosmic variance, miscentering and satellites, establishing the kSZ effect as a new benchmark for the simulations. We find that fiducial feedback models are disfavoured by >3 sigma, while simulations with more powerful AGN feedback within the FLAMINGO and BAHAMAS suites, as well as SIMBA, reproduce the observed kSZ signal within <2 sigma. We use the ANTILLES simulation suite to demonstrate that the amplitude of the kSZ effect is a strong predictor of matter power spectrum suppression, competitive with baryon fraction metrics. These results establish the kSZ as a critical probe for evaluating feedback physics and for advancing the fidelity of cosmological simulations.
Forouhar Moreno, V et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 543 , issue 2 (citations: 33)
Abstract
Cosmological simulations are essential for inferring cosmological and galaxy population properties based on forward-modelling, but this typically requires finding the population of (sub)haloes and galaxies that they contain. The properties of said populations vary depending on the algorithm used to find them, which is concerning as it may bias key statistics. We compare how the predicted (sub)halo mass functions, satellite radial distributions, and correlation functions vary across algorithms in the dark-matter-only and hydrodynamical versions of the FLAMINGO simulations. We test three representative approaches to finding subhaloes: grouping particles in configuration- (SUBFIND), phase- (ROCKSTAR and VELOCIRAPTOR) and history-space (HBT-HERONS). We also present HBT-HERONS, a new version of the HBT+ subhalo finder that improves the tracking of subhaloes. We find 10 per cent-level differences in the
Colazo, P et al., A&A, 2025 , vol. 702 (citations: 1)
Abstract
Context. In this paper we explore the impact of primordial black holes (PBHs) on the abundance of low mass haloes and subhaloes in the dark and low stellar mass regime, and examine how these effects can be measured through fluctuations in strong lensing and brightness fluctuations in clusters of galaxies, providing potential ways to constrain the fraction of dark matter in PBHs. Aims. Various dark matter candidates leave unique imprints on the low mass range of the halo mass function that can be challenging to detect. Among these are the hot and warm dark matter models that predict a reduced abundance of low mass structures compared to the cold dark matter with a cosmological constant (ΛCDM) model. Models with PBHs also affect this mass range, but in the opposite direction, producing an increase in these low mass objects. By examining lensing perturbations in galaxy clusters, constraints can be placed on the low mass subhalo abundance and, therefore, on these different models for dark matter. We aim to provide predictions useful for this type of perturbations for the PBH case. Additionally, we examine the abundance of haloes and subhaloes in the range where the stellar mass to halo mass relation is steeply increases, which could be compared to brightness fluctuations in clusters of galaxies due to low mass satellites with low luminosities. Methods. We ran cosmological simulations using the SWIFT code, comparing a fiducial model with alternative inflationary models both with and without PBHs. Results. We find a significant excess of substructure in the presence of PBHs compared to the ΛCDM model, without altering the abundance of high mass haloes at redshift zero. This increase is of up to a factor of six for extended PBH mass functions with an exponential cut-off at MPBH = 102 M⊙ in the range of parameter space where they could make up all of the dark matter. Similar increases are also produced when this fraction is smaller, even at sub-percent levels, for PBHs that show an exponential cut-off in their mass function at masses MPBH = 104 M⊙.
Liu, Y et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 0)
Abstract
Hydrogen recombination lines are key diagnostics of ionized gas in the interstellar medium (ISM), particularly within photoionized nebulae. Hydrodynamical simulations, even those that include radiative transfer, do not usually determine the level population of hydrogen required to compute line intensities, but rather interpolate them from pre-computed tables. Here we present the HyLight atomic model, which captures the dominant processes governing the level populations, enabling the calculation of all dipole-allowed hydrogen transitions as well as two-photon transitions from the 2s to 1s state without the need to pre-computed tables. We compare HyLight predictions to those of other codes and published tables, finding differences between the various rates of up to factors of several per cent for common transitions, including those of the Balmer and Brackett series. However, we find sub-per cent agreement between HyLight and the Cloudy spectral synthesis code when enforcing photo-ionisation equilibrium in gas under typical nebular conditions of density and temperature. Importantly, HyLight can also predict emissivities if the gas is not in photo-ionisation equilibrium. As examples, we compute the ratios between the total photoionization rate and line intensities in a nebula, and post-process a snapshot from Sparcs, a hydrodynamical code that combines radiative transfer with non-equilibrium physics, and compute mock hydrogen emission line maps which can be compared directly to observations. Implemented in Python, HyLight is an accurate tool for determining the level population in neutral hydrogen, a crucial step in bridging the gap between simulations and observations in studies of photoionized regions in galaxies.
Jo, Y et al., ApJ, 2025 , vol. 991 , issue 1 (citations: 6)
Abstract
The rapid advancement of large-scale cosmological simulations has opened new avenues for cosmological and astrophysical research. However, the increasing diversity among cosmological simulation models presents a challenge to the robustness. In this work, we develop the Model-Insensitive ESTimator (MIEST), a machine that can robustly estimate the cosmological parameters, Ωm and σ8, from neural hydrogen maps of simulation models in the Cosmology and Astrophysics with MachinE Learning Simulations project—ILLUSTRISTNG, SIMBA, ASTRID, and SWIFT-EAGLE. An estimator is considered robust if it possesses a consistent predictive power across all simulations, including those used during the training phase. We train our machine using multiple simulation models and ensure that it only extracts common features between the models while disregarding the model-specific features. This allows us to develop a novel model that is capable of accurately estimating parameters across a range of simulation models, without being biased toward any particular model. Upon the investigation of the latent space—a set of summary statistics, we find that the implementation of robustness leads to the blending of latent variables across different models, demonstrating the removal of model-specific features. In comparison to a standard machine lacking robustness, the average performance of MIEST on the unseen simulations during the training phase has been improved by ∼17% for Ωm and 38% for σ8. By using a machine learning approach that can extract robust, yet physical features, we hope to improve our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution in a (subgrid) model-insensitive manner, and ultimately, gain insight into the underlying physical processes responsible for robustness.
Sandnes, T et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 542 , issue 2 (citations: 4)
Abstract
A giant impact has been proposed as a possible formation mechanism for Jupiter's dilute core – the planet's inferred internal structure in which the transition between its core of heavy elements and its predominantly hydrogen–helium envelope is gradual rather than a discrete interface. A past simulation suggested that a head-on impact of a
Bravo, M et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 0)
Abstract
Large-scale galaxy redshift surveys conducted over the last couple of decades have proven crucial in deepening our understanding of structure growth in the Universe and galaxy evolution. While there have been several such surveys, until now those that achieve the high completeness and precision necessary to probe the low-mass end of galaxy groups have been limited to relatively low redshifts ($z\lesssim0.3$), with surveys exploring the more distant Universe being constrained by small sample sizes and/or low redshift completeness. The recent Deep Extragalactic VIsible Legacy Survey (DEVILS) aims to explore galaxy environment over the last $\sim6$ Gyr with a completeness level comparable to the most complete local Universe surveys ($>85\%$). In this work, we present the galaxy group catalogue for the D10-COSMOS field from DEVILS, which achieves a redshift completeness of $90\%$ for galaxies with $Y<21.2$ mag. We showcase the science potential by exploring the impact of environment on the fraction and power of active galactic nuclei (AGN), finding that satellites in galaxy groups show no evidence of altered AGN properties, while satellites in clusters exhibit increased AGN fractions but decreased AGN luminosities.
Chaikin, E et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 6)
Abstract
We present the calibration of stellar and active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback in the subgrid model for the new COLIBRE hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation. COLIBRE directly simulates the multi-phase interstellar medium and the evolution of dust grains, which is coupled to the chemistry. COLIBRE is calibrated at three resolutions: particle masses of $m_{\rm gas} \approx m_{\rm dm} \sim 10^7$ (m7), $10^6$ (m6), and $10^5~\mathrm{M_\odot}$ (m5). To calibrate the COLIBRE feedback at m7 resolution, we run Latin hypercubes of $\approx 200$ simulations that vary up to four subgrid parameters in cosmological volumes of ($50~\mathrm{cMpc}$)$^{3}$. We train Gaussian process emulators on these simulations to predict the $z=0$ galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) and size - stellar mass relation (SSMR) as functions of the model parameters, which we then fit to observations. The trained emulators not only provide the best-fitting parameter values but also enable us to investigate how different aspects of the prescriptions for supernova and AGN feedback affect the predictions. In particular, we demonstrate that while the observed $z=0$ GSMF and SSMR can be matched individually with a relatively simple supernova feedback model, simultaneously reproducing both necessitates a more sophisticated prescription. We show that the calibrated m7 COLIBRE model not only reproduces the calibration target observables, but also matches various other galaxy properties to which the model was not calibrated. Finally, we apply the calibrated m7 model to the m6 and m5 resolutions and, after slight manual adjustments of the subgrid parameters, achieve a similar level of agreement with the observed $z=0$ GSMF and SSMR.
Zhou, A et al., JCAP, 2025 , vol. 2025 , issue 9 (citations: 7)
Abstract
Precision cosmology benefits from extracting maximal information from cosmic structures, motivating the use of higher-order statistics (HOS) at small spatial scales. However, predicting how baryonic processes modify matter statistics at these scales has been challenging. The baryonic correction model (BCM) addresses this by modifying dark-matter-only simulations to mimic baryonic effects, providing a flexible, simulation-based framework for predicting both two-point and HOS. We show that a 3-parameter version of the BCM can jointly fit weak lensing maps' two-point statistics, wavelet phase harmonics coefficients, scattering coefficients, and the third and fourth moments to within 2% accuracy across all scales ℓ < 2000 and tomographic bins for a DES-Y3-like redshift distribution (z ≲ 2), using the FLAMINGO simulations. These results demonstrate the viability of BCM-assisted, simulation-based weak lensing inference of two-point and HOS, paving the way for robust cosmological constraints that fully exploit non-Gaussian information on small spatial scales.
van Daalen, M et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 2)
Abstract
In order to derive unbiased cosmological parameters from Stage-IV surveys, we need models that can predict the matter power spectrum for at least $k\,\lesssim\,10\,h\mathrm{\,Mpc^{-1}}$ with percent-level precision. The main challenge in this endeavour is that baryonic feedback significantly redistributes matter on large scales, but to an unknown degree. Here, we present an improved version of the "resummation" model, which maps observed halo baryon fractions of massive haloes ($M_{\mathrm{500c}}\gtrsim 10^{12.5}\, \mathrm{M_\odot}$) to a flexible suppression signal - i.e. the ratio of baryonic to dark-matter-only (DMO) matter power spectra - using zero free parameters. We apply this model to the FLAMINGO hydrodynamical simulations, obtaining a typical precision of $\lesssim 1\%$ for $k\,\leq\,10\,h\mathrm{\,Mpc^{-1}}$ given mean halo baryon fractions within the spherical overdensity radii $R_{\mathrm{500c}}$ and $R_{\mathrm{200m}}$. When only those within $R_{\mathrm{500c}}$ are available, we still obtain $\lesssim 2\%$ precision. We show that given small-scale stellar mass fractions, the model can be extended to yield $\lesssim 3\%$ precise suppression signals for all scales measured ($k\,\leq\,25\,h\mathrm{\,Mpc^{-1}}$). We also extend the model to redshifts $z>0$. Central to the model is a seemingly mass-independent and feedback-independent relation that allows observed halo masses to be mapped to equivalent DMO halo masses using only observed mean halo baryon fractions, to $\lesssim 1\%$ precision. We demonstrate that this relation can also be used to retrieve the DMO halo mass function from observed halo masses and baryon fractions with percent-level precision, without any assumptions on the strength of feedback. A Python package implementing the resummation model is made publicly available.
Husko, F et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 1)
Abstract
We present a hybrid active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback model that features three accretion disc states (the thick, thin, and slim discs at low, moderate, and super-Eddington accretion rates, respectively), and two feedback modes: thermal isotropic and kinetic jets. The model includes black hole (BH) spin evolution due to gas accretion, BH mergers, jet spindown, and Lense-Thirring torques. The BH spin determines the jet directions and affects the feedback efficiencies. The model is implemented in the SWIFT code and coupled with the COLIBRE galaxy formation model. We present the first results from hybrid AGN feedback simulations run as part of the COLIBRE suite, focusing on the impact of new parameters and calibration efforts. Using the new hybrid AGN feedback model, we find that AGN feedback affects not just massive galaxies, but all galaxies down to $M_*\approx10^8$ $\mathrm{M}_\odot$. BH spins are predicted to be near-maximal for intermediate-mass BHs ($M_\mathrm{BH}\in[10^6,10^8]$ $\mathrm{M}_\odot$), and lower for other BH masses. These trends are in good agreement with observations. The intergalactic medium is hotter and impacted on larger scales in the hybrid AGN feedback simulations compared to those using purely thermal feedback. In the hybrid AGN simulations, we predict that half of the cumulative injected AGN energy is in thermal and the other half in jet form, broadly independent of BH mass and redshift. Jet feedback is important at all redshifts and dominates over thermal feedback at $z<0.5$ and $z>1.5$, but only mildly.
Kammerer, L et al., A&A, 2025 , vol. 701 (citations: 6)
Abstract
Context. Baryonic physics has a considerable impact on the distribution of matter in our Universe on scales probed by current and future cosmological surveys, acting as a key systematic in such analyses. Aims. We seek simple symbolic parametrisations for the impact of baryonic physics on the matter power spectrum for a range of physically motivated models, as a function of wavenumber, redshift, cosmology, and parameters controlling the baryonic feedback. Methods. We used symbolic regression to construct analytic approximations for the ratio of the matter power spectrum in the presence of baryons to that without such effects. We obtained separate functions of each of four distinct sub-grid prescriptions of baryonic physics from the CAMELS suite of hydrodynamical simulations (Astrid, IllustrisTNG, SIMBA, and Swift-EAGLE) as well as for a baryonification algorithm. We also provide functions that describe the uncertainty on these predictions, due to both the stochastic nature of baryonic physics and the errors on our fits. Results. The error on our approximations to the hydrodynamical simulations is comparable to the sample variance estimated through varying initial conditions, and our baryonification expression has a root mean squared error of better than one percent, although this increases on small scales. These errors are comparable to those of previous numerical emulators for these models. Our expressions are enforced to have the physically correct behaviour on large scales and at high redshift. Due to their analytic form, we are able to directly interpret the impact of varying cosmology and feedback parameters, and we can identify parameters that have little to no effect. Conlcusions. Each function is based on a different implementation of baryonic physics, and can therefore be used to discriminate between these models when applied to real data. We provide a publicly available code for all symbolic approximations found.
Harvey, D et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 0)
Abstract
We present the "DARKSKIES" suite of one hundred, zoom-in hydrodynamic simulations of massive ($M_{200}>5\times10^{14}{\rm M}_\odot)$ galaxy clusters with self-interacting dark matter (SIDM). We super-sample the simulations such that $m_{\rm DM}/m_{\rm gas}\sim0.1$, enabling us to simulate a dark matter particle mass of $m=0.68\times10^{8}M_\odot$ an order of magnitude faster, whilst exploring SIDM in the core of clusters at extremely high resolution. We calibrate the baryonic feedback to produce observationally consistent and realistic galaxy clusters across all simulations and simulate five models of velocity-independent SIDM targeting the expected sensitivity of future telescopes - $σ_{\rm DM}/m=0.,0.01,0.05,0.1,0.2$ cm$^2$/g. We find the density profiles exhibit the characteristic core even in the smallest of cross-sections, with cores developing only at late times ($z<0.5$). We investigate the dynamics of the brightest cluster galaxy inside the dark matter halo and find in SIDM cosmologies there exists a so-called wobbling not observed in collisionless dark matter. We find this wobble is driven by accreting mass on to a cored density profile with the signal peaking at $z=0.25$ and dropping thereafter. This finding is further supported by the existence of an anti-correlation between the offset between the BCG and the dark matter halo and its relative velocity in SIDM only, a hallmark of harmonic oscillation.
Chaikin, E et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 2)
Abstract
We investigate the evolution of the galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) and star formation rates (SFRs) across cosmic time in the COLIBRE simulations of galaxy formation. COLIBRE includes a multiphase interstellar medium, radiative cooling rates coupled to a model for the evolution of dust grains, and employs prescriptions for stellar and AGN feedback calibrated to reproduce the $z=0$ observed GSMF and stellar mass - size relation. We present the evolution of the GSMF from simulations at three resolutions: $m_{\rm gas}\approx m_{\rm dm}\sim 10^7$, $10^6$, and $10^5~\mathrm{M_\odot}$, in cosmological volumes of up to $400^3$, $200^3$, and $50^3$ cMpc$^3$, respectively. We demonstrate that COLIBRE is consistent with the observed GSMF over the full redshift range for which there are observations to compare with ($0<z<12$), with maximum systematic deviations of $\approx 0.3$ dex reached at $2<z<4$. We also examine the evolution of the star-forming main sequence, cosmic SFR density, stellar mass density, and galaxy quenched fraction, making predictions for both the fiducial COLIBRE model with thermally-driven AGN feedback and its variant with hybrid (thermal + kinetic jet) AGN feedback, and finding good agreement with observations. Notably, we show that COLIBRE matches the number density of massive quiescent galaxies at high redshifts reported by JWST, while predicting a stellar-to-halo mass relation that evolves little with redshift. We conclude that neither a redshift-dependent star formation efficiency, nor a variable stellar initial mass function, nor a deviation from $Λ\mathrm{CDM}$ is necessary to reproduce the high-redshift JWST stellar masses and SFRs.
Di Valentino, E et al., PDU, 2025 , vol. 49 (citations: 200)
Abstract
The standard model of cosmology has provided a good phenomenological description of a wide range of observations both at astrophysical and cosmological scales for several decades. This concordance model is constructed by a universal cosmological constant and supported by a matter sector described by the standard model of particle physics and a cold dark matter contribution, as well as very early-time inflationary physics, and underpinned by gravitation through general relativity. There have always been open questions about the soundness of the foundations of the standard model. However, recent years have shown that there may also be questions from the observational sector with the emergence of differences between certain cosmological probes. In this White Paper, we identify the key objectives that need to be addressed over the coming decade together with the core science projects that aim to meet these challenges. These discordances primarily rest on the divergence in the measurement of core cosmological parameters with varying levels of statistical confidence. These possible statistical tensions may be partially accounted for by systematics in various measurements or cosmological probes but there is also a growing indication of potential new physics beyond the standard model. After reviewing the principal probes used in the measurement of cosmological parameters, as well as potential systematics, we discuss the most promising array of potential new physics that may be observable in upcoming surveys. We also discuss the growing set of novel data analysis approaches that go beyond traditional methods to test physical models. These new methods will become increasingly important in the coming years as the volume of survey data continues to increase, and as the degeneracy between predictions of different physical models grows. There are several perspectives on the divergences between the values of cosmological parameters, such as the model-independent probes in the late Universe and model-dependent measurements in the early Universe, which we cover at length. The White Paper closes with a number of recommendations for the community to focus on for the upcoming decade of observational cosmology, statistical data analysis, and fundamental physics developments.
Benitez-Llambay, A et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 0)
Abstract
We present the implementation and testing of a subgrid non-explosive pre-supernova (NEPS) feedback module for the COLIBRE model of galaxy formation. The NEPS module incorporates three key physical processes sourced by young, massive stars that act immediately following star formation: momentum injection from stellar winds and radiation pressure, and thermal energy from photoheating in HII regions. The age- and metallicity-dependent energy and momentum budgets are derived from BPASS stellar population models and are coupled self-consistently to the local gas properties. We test the model using a suite of smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of isolated, unstable gaseous disks at various numerical resolutions (gas particle masses in the range $10^4-10^6$ $\rm M_{\odot}$). We find that the NEPS module successfully regulates star formation by providing pressure support that prevents catastrophic gas collapse. This regulation improves the numerical convergence of star formation rates and disk structure. In our model, feedback from HII regions is the dominant regulatory mechanism. Furthermore, we demonstrate a crucial synergy with subsequent supernova feedback; NEPS feedback pre-processes the interstellar medium, creating a more homogeneous environment that moderates the effect of explosive feedback from supernova events. Our NEPS module thus provides a physically motivated and numerically robust framework that mitigates resolution-dependent artefacts and promotes self-regulated galaxy growth.
Karapiperis, O et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 541 , issue 2 (citations: 0)
Abstract
Physical problems with a solution that can be expressed analytically are scarce; this holds even more true for problems set in a cosmological context. Such solutions are, however, invaluable tools for making comparisons between theory, numerical experimentation, and observations. In this work, we present what to our knowledge is the first set of non-trivial closed-form expressions describing the behaviour of a system governed by the equations of non-ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), where the effects of Ohmic diffusion are considered, in a cosmologically expanding frame. We provide analytical solutions that describe the time evolution of linear perturbations to a homogeneous background in a radiation-dominated universe, yielding dissipative Alfvén waves. Although in our base framework solutions for any other cosmology of interest cannot be expressed in a closed form, they can still be obtained reliably through numerical integration of the coupled system of ordinary differential equations we provide. We compare our analytical solutions to numerical results obtained using our novel implementation of smoothed particle magnetohydrodynamics in the SWIFT astrophysical simulation code, to find good agreement between the two. We find the code to display good convergence behaviour, its predictions agreeing with theory to within 0.1 per cent for a modest number of resolution elements and at a negligible computational cost. We aim this work as a companion and supplement to the cosmological ideal MHD wave tests recently presented in the literature, and suggest that it be adopted as part of standard testing of code implementations of MHD.
Shchutskyi, N et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 541 , issue 4 (citations: 0)
Abstract
Understanding the origin and evolution of magnetic fields on cosmological scales opens up a window into the physics of the early Universe. Numerical simulations of such fields require a careful treatment to faithfully solve the equations of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) without introducing numerical artefacts. In this paper, we study the growth of the magnetic fields in controlled kinematic dynamo set-ups using both smoothed particle hydrodynamics implementations in the SWIFT code. We assess the quality of the reconstructed solution in the Roberts flow case against the reference implementation in the PENCIL CODE and find generally a good agreement. Similarly, we reproduce the known features of the more complex Arnold–Beltrami–Childress (ABC) flow. Using a simple induction-diffusion balance model to analyse the results, we construct an 'overwinding' trigger metric to locally detect regions where the magnetic diffusion cannot counteract the expected induction because of limitations in the method's ability to resolve magnetic field gradients. This metric is then used to identify the necessary resolution and resistivity levels to counteract the overwinding problem. We finally apply this metric to adiabatic cosmological simulations and discuss the resolution requirements needed to resolve the growth of the primordial fields without artefacts.
Li, S et al., A&A, 2025 , vol. 700 (citations: 2)
Abstract
Understanding the scaling relation between baryonic observables and dark matter halo properties is crucial not only for studying galaxy formation and evolution, but also for deriving accurate cosmological constraints from galaxy surveys. In this paper, we constrain the stellar-to-halo mass relation of galaxy groups identified by the Galaxy and Mass Assembly survey, using weak lensing signals measured by the Kilo-Degree Survey. We compare our measured scaling relation with predictions from the FLAMINGO hydrodynamical simulations and the L-GALAXIES semi-analytical model. We find a general agreement between our measurements and simulation predictions for halos with masses ≳1013.5 h70‑1 M⊙, but observe slight discrepancies with the FLAMINGO simulations at lower halo masses. We explore improvements to the current halo model framework by incorporating simulation-informed scatter in the group stellar mass distribution as a function of halo mass. We find that including a simulation-informed scatter model tightens the constraints on scaling relations, despite the current data statistics being insufficient to directly constrain the variable scatter. We also test the robustness of our results against different statistical models of miscentring effects from selected central galaxies. We find that accounting for miscentring is essential, but our current measurements do not distinguish among different miscentring models.
Schaye, J et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 18)
Abstract
We present the COLIBRE galaxy formation model and the COLIBRE suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. COLIBRE includes new models for radiative cooling, dust grains, star formation, stellar mass loss, turbulent diffusion, pre-supernova stellar feedback, supernova feedback, supermassive black holes and active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. The multiphase interstellar medium is explicitly modelled without a pressure floor. Hydrogen and helium are tracked in non-equilibrium, with their contributions to the free electron density included in metal-line cooling calculations. The chemical network is coupled to a dust model that tracks three grain species and two grain sizes. In addition to the fiducial thermally-driven AGN feedback, a subset of simulations uses black hole spin-dependent hybrid jet/thermal AGN feedback. To suppress spurious transfer of energy from dark matter to stars, dark matter is supersampled by a factor 4, yielding similar dark matter and baryonic particle masses. The subgrid feedback model is calibrated to match the observed $z \approx 0$ galaxy stellar mass function, galaxy sizes, and black hole masses in massive galaxies. The COLIBRE suite includes three resolutions, with particle masses of $\sim 10^5$, $10^6$, and $10^7\,\text{M}_\odot$ in cubic volumes of up to 50, 200, and 400 cMpc on a side, respectively. The two largest runs use 136 billion ($5 \times 3008^3$) particles. We describe the model, assess its strengths and limitations, and present both visual impressions and quantitative results. Comparisons with various low-redshift galaxy observations generally show very good numerical convergence and excellent agreement with the data.
Maleubre, S et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 2)
Abstract
The cross-correlation of galaxies at different redshifts with other tracers of the large-scale structure can be used to reconstruct the cosmic mean of key physical quantities, and their evolution over billions of years, at high precision. However, a correct interpretation of these measurements must ensure that they are independent of the clustering properties of the galaxy sample used. In this paper we explore different prescriptions to extract tomographic reconstruction measurements and use the FLAMINGO hydrodynamic simulations to show that a robust estimator, independent of the small-scale galaxy bias, can be constructed. We focus on the tomographic reconstruction of the halo bias-weighted electron pressure $\langle bP_e\rangle$ and star-formation density $\langle bρ_{\rm SFR}\rangle$, which can be reconstructed from tomographic analysis of Sunyaev-Zel'dovich and cosmic infrared background maps, respectively. We show that these quantities can be reconstructed with an accuracy of 1-3\% over a wide range of redshifts, using different galaxy samples. We also show that these measurements can be accurately interpreted using the halo model, assuming a sufficiently reliable model can be constructed for the halo mass function, large-scale halo bias, and for the dependence of the physical quantities being reconstructed on halo mass.
Altamura, E et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 541 , issue 4 (citations: 1)
Abstract
The evolution of the intergalactic medium (IGM) is influenced by gravitational collapse, radiative cooling, and baryonic feedback. Using cosmological hydrodynamic zoom-in simulations of a
Chan, T et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 2)
Abstract
We present SPARCS, which combines the moment-based radiative transfer method SPH-M1RT with the non-equilibrium metal chemistry solver CHIMES in the modern highly-parallel astrophysical code SWIFT. SPARCS enables on-the-fly radiation hydrodynamics simulations, with multi-frequency ultraviolet radiative transfer coupled with all ionisation states of 11 major elements, in the presence of dust, cosmic ray ionization and heating, and self-gravity. Direct radiation pressure on gas and dust is also accounted for. We validate SPARCS against analytic solutions and standard photo-ionization codes such as CLOUDY in idealized tests. As an example application, we simulate an ionization front propagating through an inhomogeneous interstellar medium with solar metallicity. We produce mock optical emission line observations with the level population calculation code HyLight and the diagnostic radiative transfer code RADMC3D. We find that non-equilibrium effects and inhomogeneities can boost the low ion fractions by up to an order of magnitude. Possible applications of SPARCS include studying the dynamical impact of radiation on gas in star-forming regions, and in the interstellar and circumgalactic medium, as well as interpreting line diagnostics in such environments, and galactic or AGN outflows.
Stasyszyn, F et al., BAAA, 2025 , vol. 66 (citations: 0)
Abstract
The origin of cosmic magnetic fields in the Universe remains an open question in astrophysics. Cosmological magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations have been proven to be an effective tool for understanding the cosmic structure formation process and the magnetic field evolution, which we can infer from observations. In this work, we present results from a novel set of cosmological simulations aimed at studying different magnetogenesis scenarios. Our set of runs have been obtained using the MHD version of the smoothed particle hydrodynamics code \texttt{SWIFT} and explores different mass resolutions, seeding mechanisms, and astrophysical models. We focus on different astrophysical processes responsible for enhancing magnetic fields and confirm previous results obtained with structure formation models. Therefore, with these simulations, we can study the distribution of magnetic fields inside the different cosmic structures embedded within the cosmic web. In particular, we observe differences in the alignment between the spin of galaxies and their magnetic fields between two different magnetogenesis models.
Malandrino, R et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 1)
Abstract
While cosmic voids are now recognized as a valuable cosmological probe, identifying them in a galaxy catalog is challenging for multiple reasons: observational effects such as holes in the mask or magnitude selection hinder the detection process; galaxies are biased tracers of the underlying dark matter distribution; and it is non-trivial to estimate the detection significance and parameter uncertainties for individual voids. Our goal is to extract a catalog of voids from constrained simulations of the large-scale structure that are consistent with the observed galaxy positions, effectively representing statistically independent realizations of the probability distribution of the cosmic web. This allows us to carry out a full Bayesian analysis of the structures emerging in the Universe. We use 50 posterior realizations of the large-scale structure in the Manticore-Local suite, obtained from the 2M++ galaxies. Running the VIDE void finder on each realization, we extract 50 independent void catalogs. We perform a posterior clustering analysis to identify high-significance voids at the 5$σ$ level, and we assess the probability distribution of their properties. We produce a catalog of 100 voids with high statistical significance, available at https://voids.cosmictwin.org/, including the probability distributions of the centers and radii of the voids. We characterize the morphology of these regions, effectively producing a template for density environments that can be used in astrophysical applications such as galaxy evolution studies. While providing the community with a detailed catalog of voids in the nearby Universe, this work also constitutes an approach to identifying cosmic voids from galaxy surveys that allows us to account rigorously for the observational systematics intrinsic to direct detection, and provide a Bayesian characterization of their properties.
Herle, A et al., A&A, 2025 , vol. 699 (citations: 2)
Abstract
The shapes of dark matter haloes are sensitive to both cosmology and baryon physics, but are difficult to measure observationally. A promising way to constrain them is to use the positions of satellite galaxies as tracers of the underlying dark matter, but there are typically too few galaxies per halo for reliable shape estimates, resulting in biased shapes. We present a method to model sampling noise to correct for the shape bias. We compare our predicted median shape bias with that obtained from the FLAMINGO suite of simulations and find reasonable agreement. We check that our results are robust to resolution effects and baryonic feedback. We also explore the validity of our bias correction at various redshifts and we discuss how our method might be applied to observations in the future. We show that median projected halo axis ratios are on average biased low by 0.31 when they are traced by only five satellites. Using the satellite galaxies, the projected host halo axis ratio can be corrected with a residual bias of ∼0.1, by accounting for sampling bias. Hence, about two-thirds of the projected axis ratio bias can be explained by sampling noise. This enables the statistical measurement of halo shapes at lower masses than previously possible. Our method will also allow improved estimates of halo shapes in cosmological simulations using fewer particles than currently required.
McGibbon, R et al., JOSS, 2025 , vol. 10 , issue 111 (citations: 14)
Abstract
Modern large scale cosmological hydrodynamic simulations require robust tools capable of analysing their data outputs in a parallel and efficient manner. We introduce SOAP (Spherical Overdensity and Aperture Processor), a Python package designed to compute halo and galaxy properties from SWIFT simulations after being post-processed with a subhalo finder. SOAP takes a subhalo catalogue as input and calculates a wide array of properties for each object. SOAP offers parallel processing capabilities via mpi4py for efficient handling of large datasets, and allows for consistent property calculation across multiple halo finders. SOAP supports various halo definitions, including spherical overdensities and fixed physical apertures, providing flexibility for diverse observational comparisons. The package is compatible with both dark matter-only and full hydrodynamic simulations, producing HDF5 catalogues that are integrated with the swiftsimio package for seamless unit handling.
Wu, J et al., PhRvD, 2025 , vol. 112 , issue 2 (citations: 3)
Abstract
Recent observations from the James Webb Space Telescope revealed a surprisingly large number of galaxies at high redshift, challenging the standard Lambda cold dark matter cosmology with a power-law primordial power spectrum. Previous studies alleviated this tension with a blue-tilted primordial power spectrum [
Sandnes, T et al., JCoPh, 2025 , vol. 532 (citations: 5)
Abstract
We present REMIX, a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) scheme designed to alleviate effects that typically suppress mixing and instability growth at density discontinuities in SPH simulations. We approach this problem by directly targeting sources of kernel smoothing error and discretisation error, resulting in a generalised, material-independent formulation that improves the treatment both of discontinuities within a single material, for example in an ideal gas, and of interfaces between dissimilar materials. This approach also leads to improvements in capturing wider hydrodynamic behaviour unrelated to mixing. We demonstrate marked improvements in three-dimensional test scenarios, focusing on cases with particles of equal mass across the simulation. This choice is particularly relevant for use cases in astrophysics and engineering - specifically those in which particles are free to evolve over a large range of density scales - where bespoke choices of unequal particle masses in the initial conditions cannot easily be used to address emergent and evolving density discontinuities. We achieve these improvements while maintaining sharp discontinuities; without introducing additional equation of state dependence in, for example, particle volume elements; and without contrived or targeted corrections. Our methods build upon a fully compressible and thermodynamically consistent core-SPH construction, retaining Galilean invariance as well as conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. REMIX is integrated in the open-source, state-of-the-art Swift code and is designed with computational efficiency also in mind, meaning that its improved hydrodynamic treatment can be used for high-resolution simulations without prohibitive cost to run-speed.
Feldmann, R et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 2)
Abstract
Galaxy simulations have come a long way from the early days of simple N-body calculations, which considered only gravitational interactions, to the complex, multi-physics models used today. Beginning with initial conditions representative of the Universe shortly after the Big Bang, these modern simulations integrate the relevant physical processes involved in galaxy formation, such as gravity, gas dynamics, cooling, star formation, and feedback, while accounting for cosmic expansion and structure formation. This review provides an introductory overview of cosmological galaxy simulations, outlining the essential components and methods used to model the formation and evolution of galaxies on the computer. It also discusses common steps in the post-processing analysis, essential for extracting physical insights from these numerical experiments, along with basic tests to assess simulation validity and accuracy. Looking forward, next-generation simulations aim to push resolution boundaries, incorporate additional physical processes, and improve the robustness of the numerical models, promising to lead to a deeper understanding of how galaxies emerged and evolved over cosmic time.
Sawala, T et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 541 , issue 1 (citations: 10)
Abstract
Recent discoveries of apparent large-scale features in the structure of the Universe extending over many hundreds of megaparsecs, have been claimed to contradict the large-scale isotropy and homogeneity foundational to the standard (Lambda cold dark matter –
Schaller, M et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 540 , issue 3 (citations: 6)
Abstract
Baryonic effects created by feedback processes associated with galaxy formation are an important, poorly constrained systematic effect for models of large-scale structure as probed by weak gravitational lensing. Upcoming surveys require fast methods to predict and marginalize over the potential impact of baryons on the total matter power spectrum. Here we use the FLAMINGO cosmological hydrodynamical simulations to test a recent proposal to approximate the matter power spectrum as the sum of the linear matter power spectrum and a constant multiple,
McCarthy, I et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 540 , issue 1 (citations: 39)
Abstract
Energetic feedback processes associated with accreting supermassive black holes can expel gas from massive haloes and significantly alter various measures of clustering on
Roche, M et al., PSJ, 2025 , vol. 6 , issue 6 (citations: 0)
Abstract
The primary epoch of planetary accretion concludes with giant impacts—highly energetic collisions between protoplanets that can play a key role in shaping a planet's inventory of volatile elements. Previous work has shown that single giant impacts have the potential to eject a significant amount of a planet's atmosphere but that the efficiency of atmospheric loss depends strongly on the impact parameters and atmospheric properties. Fully quantifying the role of giant impacts in planetary volatile evolution requires a more complete understanding of the mechanisms driving loss during impacts. Here, we use a suite of 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations to show that loss in giant impacts is controlled primarily by ejecta plumes near the impact site and breakout of the impact shock in the far field, with the efficiency of the latter well approximated by 1D ground-kick calculations. The relative contribution of each mechanism to loss changes drastically with varying impact parameters. By considering the near and far fields separately, we present a scaling law that precisely approximates (to within an average of ∼3%) loss from 0.35 to 5.0 M⊕ planets with 5% mass fraction H2–He atmospheres for any combination of impactor mass, impact velocity, and angle. Finally, we apply our scaling law to the results of N-body simulations for different solar system formation scenarios. We find that while individual impacts rarely cause significant loss (>10%) from roughly Earth-mass planets with such massive primary atmospheres, the cumulative effect of multiple impacts can be substantial (40%–70% loss).
McAlpine, S et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 540 , issue 1 (citations: 6)
Abstract
We present the first results from the Manticore Project, dubbed Manticore-Local, a suite of Bayesian constrained simulations of the nearby Universe, generated by fitting a physical structure formation model to the 2M++ galaxy catalogue using the BORG algorithm. This field-level inference yields physically consistent realizations of cosmic structure, leveraging a non-linear gravitational solver, a refined galaxy bias model, and physics-informed priors. The Manticore-Local posterior realizations evolve within a parent cosmological volume statistically consistent with Lambda-cold dark matter, demonstrated through extensive posterior predictive tests of power spectra, bispectra, initial condition Gaussianity, and the halo mass function. The inferred local supervolume (
Kumar, A et al., A&A, 2025 , vol. 698 (citations: 4)
Abstract
Context. Submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) constitute a key population of bright star-forming galaxies at high-redshift. These galaxies challenge galaxy formation models, particularly regarding the reproduction of their observed number counts and redshift distributions. Furthermore, although SMGs contribute significantly to the cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD), their precise role remains uncertain. Upcoming surveys, such as the Ultra Deep Survey with the TolTEC camera, are expected to offer valuable insights into SMG properties and their broader impact in the Universe. Aims. Robust modeling of SMGs in a cosmological representative volume is necessary to investigate their nature in preparation for next-generation submillimeter surveys. Here, we test different parametric models for SMGs in large-volume hydrodynamical simulations, assess their contribution to the SFRD, and build expectations for future submillimeter surveys. Methods. We implement and test parametric relations derived from radiative transfer calculations across three cosmological simulation suites: EAGLE, IllustrisTNG, and FLAMINGO. We place particular emphasis on the FLAMINGO simulations due to their large volume and robust statistical sampling of SMGs. Based on the model that best reproduces observational number counts, we forecast submillimeter fluxes within the simulations, analyze the properties of SMGs, and evaluate their evolution over cosmic time. Results. Our results show that the FLAMINGO simulation reproduces the observed redshift distribution and source number counts of SMGs without requiring a top-heavy initial mass function. On the other hand, the EAGLE and IllustrisTNG simulations show a deficit of bright SMGs. We find that SMGs with S850 > 1 mJy contribute up to ∼27% of the cosmic SFRD at z ∼ 2.6 in the FLAMINGO simulation, which is consistent with recent observations. Flux density functions reveal a rise in SMG abundance from z = 6 to z = 2.5 that is followed by a sharp decline in the number of brighter SMGs from z = 2.5 to z = 0. Leveraging the SMG population in FLAMINGO, we forecast that the TolTEC UDS will detect ∼80 000 sources over 0.8 deg2 at 1.1 mm (at the 4σ detection limit), capturing about 50% of the cosmic SFRD at z ∼ 2.5.
Burger, P et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 1)
Abstract
The Euclid mission and other next-generation large-scale structure surveys will enable high-precision measurements of the cosmic matter distribution. Understanding the impact of baryonic processes such as star formation and AGN feedback on matter clustering is crucial to ensure precise and unbiased cosmological inference. Most theoretical models of baryonic effects to date focus on two-point statistics, neglecting higher-order contributions. This work develops a fast and accurate emulator for baryonic effects on the matter bispectrum, a key non-Gaussian statistic in the nonlinear regime. We employ high-resolution $N$-body simulations from the BACCO suite and apply a combination of cutting-edge techniques such as cosmology scaling and baryonification to efficiently span a large cosmological and astrophysical parameter space. A deep neural network is trained to emulate baryonic effects on the matter bispectrum measured in simulations, capturing modifications across various scales and redshifts relevant to Euclid. We validate the emulator accuracy and robustness using an analysis of \Euclid mock data, employing predictions from the state-of-the-art FLAMINGO hydrodynamical simulations. The emulator reproduces baryonic suppression in the bispectrum to better than 2$\%$ for the $68\%$ percentile across most triangle configurations for $k \in [0.01, 20]\,h^{-1}\mathrm{Mpc}$ and ensures consistency between cosmological posteriors inferred from second- and third-order weak lensing statistics.
Baker, W et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 539 , issue 1 (citations: 35)
Abstract
We use NIRSpec/MSA (Micro Shutter Assembly) spectroscopy and NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) imaging to study a sample of 18 massive (
David-Cleris, T et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 539 , issue 1 (citations: 2)
Abstract
We present SHAMROCK, a performance portable framework developed in C++ 17 with the SYCL programming standard, tailored for numerical astrophysics on Exascale architectures. The core of SHAMROCK is an accelerated parallel tree with negligible construction time, whose efficiency is based on binary algebra. The smoothed particle hydrodynamics algorithm of the PHANTOM code is implemented in SHAMROCK. On-the-fly tree construction circumvents the necessity for extensive data communications. In tests displaying a uniform density with global time-stepping with tens of billions of particles, SHAMROCK completes a single time-step in a few seconds using over the thousand of GPUs of a supercomputer. This corresponds to processing billions of particles per second, with tens of millions of particles per GPU. The parallel efficiency across the entire cluster is larger than
Kamermans, J et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 539 , issue 1 (citations: 4)
Abstract
Dark matter is theorized to form massive haloes, which could be further condensed into so-called spikes when a black hole grows at the centre of such a halo. The existence of these spikes is instrumental for several dark matter detection schemes such as indirect detection and imprints on gravitational wave inspirals, but all previous work on their formation has been (semi-)analytical. We present fully numerically simulated cold dark matter spikes using the SWIFT code. Based on these results, we propose a simple empirical density profile - dependent on only a single mass-ratio parameter between the black hole and total mass - for dark matter spikes grown in Hernquist profiles. We find that the radius of the spike scales differently compared to theoretical predictions, and show a depletion of the outer halo that is significant for high mass-ratio systems. We critically assess approximations of the spike as used in the field, show that our profile significantly deviates, and contextualize the potential influence for future DM detections by simulating binary black hole inspirals embedded in our profile.
Trayford, J et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 10)
Abstract
While marginal in mass terms, dust grains play an outsized role in both the physics and observation of the interstellar medium (ISM). However, explicit modelling of this ISM constituent remains uncommon in large cosmological simulations. In this work, we present a model for the life-cycle of dust in the ISM that couples to the forthcoming COLIBRE galaxy formation model, which explicitly simulates the cold ISM. We follow 6 distinct grain types: 3 chemical species, including carbon and two silicate grains, with 2 size bins each. Our dust model accounts for seeding of grains from stellar ejecta, self-consistent element-by-element metal yields and depletion, grain size transfer and destruction of dust in the ISM. We detail the calibration of this model, particularly the use of a clumping factor, to account for unresolved gas clouds in which dust readily evolves. We present a fiducial run in a 25$^3$~cMpc$^3$ cosmological volume that displays good agreement with observations of the cosmic evolution of dust density, as well as the $z=0$ galaxy dust mass function and dust scaling relations. We highlight known tensions between observational datasets of the dust-to-gas ratio as a function of metallicity depending on which metallicity calibrator is used; our model favours higher-normalisation metallicity calibrators, which agree with the observations within 0.1~dex for stellar masses $>10^9 \; {\rm M_\odot}$. We compare the grain size distribution to observations of local galaxies, and find that our simulation suggests a higher concentration of small grains, associated with more diffuse ISM and the warm-neutral medium (WNM), which both play a key role in boosting H$_2$ content. Putting these results and modelling approaches in context, we set the stage for upcoming insights into the dusty ISM of galaxies using the COLIBRE simulations.
Despali, G et al., A&A, 2025 , vol. 697 (citations: 16)
Abstract
We introduce the AIDA-TNG project, a suite of cosmological magnetohydrodynamic simulations that simultaneously model galaxy formation and different variations in the underlying dark matter model. We consider the standard cold dark matter model and five variations, including three warm dark matter scenarios and two self-interacting models with a constant or velocity-dependent cross-section. In each model, we simulated two cosmological boxes of 51.7 and 110.7 Mpc on a side with the same initial conditions as TNG50 and TNG100, and we combined the variations in the physics of dark matter with the fiducial IllustrisTNG galaxy formation model. The AIDA-TNG runs are thus ideal for studying the simultaneous effects of baryons and alternative dark matter models on observable properties of galaxies and large-scale structures. We resolved haloes in the range between 108 and 4×1014 M⊙ and scales down to the nominal resolution of 570 pc in the highest-resolution runs. This work presents the first results on statistical quantities such as the halo mass function and the matter power spectrum. We quantified the modification in the number of haloes and the power on scales smaller than 1 Mpc due to the combination of baryonic and dark matter physics. Despite being calibrated on cold dark matter, we find that the TNG galaxy formation model can produce a realistic galaxy population in all scenarios. The stellar and gas mass fraction, stellar mass function, black hole mass as a function of stellar mass, and star formation rate density are very similar in all dark matter models, with some deviations only in the most extreme warm dark matter model. Finally, we also quantify changes in halo structure due to warm and self-interacting dark matter, which appear in the density profiles, concentration-mass relation, and galaxy sizes.
Schaller, M et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 539 , issue 2 (citations: 30)
Abstract
The effect of baryon physics associated with galaxy formation onto the large-scale matter distribution of the Universe is a key uncertainty in the theoretical modelling required for the interpretation of Stage IV cosmology surveys. We use the FLAMINGO suite of simulations to study the baryon response due to galaxy formation of the total matter power spectrum. We find that it is only well converged for simulation volumes in excess of
Chandro-Gomez, A et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 539 , issue 2 (citations: 10)
Abstract
Galaxy formation and evolution models, such as semi-analytic models, are powerful theoretical tools for predicting how galaxies evolve across cosmic time. These models follow the evolution of galaxies based on the halo assembly histories inferred from large N-body cosmological simulations. This process requires codes to identify haloes ('halo finder') and to track their time evolution ('tree builder'). While these codes generally perform well, they encounter numerical issues when handling dense environments. In this paper, we present how relevant these issues are in state-of-the-art cosmological simulations. We characterize two major numerical artefacts in halo assembly histories: (i) the non-physical swapping of large amounts of mass between subhaloes, and (ii) the sudden formation of already massive subhaloes at late cosmic times. We quantify these artefacts for different combinations of halo finder (SUBFIND, VELOCIRAPTOR, HBT-HERONS) and tree builder codes (D-TREES + DHALO, TREEFROG, HBT-HERONS), finding that in general more than 50 per cent (80 per cent) of the more massive subhaloes with
Nasar, A et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 0)
Abstract
This paper highlights the first steps towards enabling graphics processing unit (GPU) acceleration of the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) solver for cosmology SWIFT and creating a hydrodynamics solver capable of fully leveraging the hardware available on heterogeneous exascale machines composed of central and graphics processing units (CPUs and GPUs). Exploiting the existing task-based parallelism in SWIFT, novel combinations of algorithms are presented which enable SWIFT to function as a truly heterogeneous software leveraging CPUs for memory-bound computations concurrently with GPUs for compute-bound computations in a manner which minimises the effects of CPU-GPU communication latency. These algorithms are validated in extensive testing which shows that the GPU acceleration methodology is capable of delivering up to 3.5x speedups for SWIFTs SPH hydrodynamics computation kernels when including the time required to prepare the computations on the CPU and unpack the results on the CPU. Speedups of 7.5x are demonstrated when not including the CPU data preparation and unpacking times. Whilst these measured speedups are substantial, it is shown that the overall performance of the hydrodynamic solver for a full simulation when accelerated on the GPU of state-of-the-art superchips, is only marginally faster than the code performance when using the Grace Hopper superchips fully parallelised CPU capabilities. This is shown to be mostly due to excessive fine-graining of the tasks prior to offloading on the GPU. Fine-graining introduces significant over-heads associated with task management on the CPU hosting the simulation and also introduces un-necessary duplication of CPU-GPU communications of the same data.
Ridkokasha, I et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 0)
Abstract
The 3D distribution of matter at small scales encodes valuable information about the nature of dark matter and other fundamental physics. A prominent probe of such scales outside galaxies is the Lyman-alpha forest, which studies absorption features in the spectra of high-redshift quasars caused by neutral hydrogen. The measured quantity is the power spectrum of the absorbed flux, which indirectly traces the underlying matter distribution. However, the connection between the measured flux power spectrum and the underlying 3D dark matter power spectrum is highly nontrivial. The flux power spectrum (i) represents a one-dimensional projection of the density field; (ii) traces only neutral hydrogen, subject to thermodynamic pressure; and (iii) is a nonlinear function of local matter density. Additionally, thermal broadening and redshift-space distortions-determined not only by the hydrogen distribution but also by its thermal state and local velocity field-further complicate interpretation. To robustly constrain dark matter properties using the Lyman-alpha forest, these systematics must be carefully modeled and controlled. In this paper, we present a simple phenomenological recipe for mapping the 3D matter power spectrum to the flux power spectrum. We first motivate our approach in the linear regime, then extend it to later times and into the nonlinear regime. We validate our model against a broad suite of warm and cold dark matter simulations, demonstrating that our recipe yields consistent and accurate estimates across a wide parameter space.
Broxterman, J et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 538 , issue 2 (citations: 5)
Abstract
Weak gravitational lensing (WL) convergence peaks contain valuable cosmological information in the regime of non-linear collapse. Using the FLAMINGO suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, we study the physical origin and redshift distributions of the objects generating WL peaks selected from a WL convergence map mimicking a Euclid signal. We match peaks to individual haloes and show that the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR > 5) WL peaks measured by Stage IV WL surveys primarily trace
Benisty, D et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 10)
Abstract
The Coma cluster, embedded in a cosmic filament, is a complex and dynamically active structure in the local Universe. Applying a density-based member selection (dbscan) to data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we identify its virilised core and zero-velocity boundary. Cross-correlating with the Cosmicflows-4 (CF4) catalogue enables a velocity-distance analysis, incorporating radial infall models and redshift-independent distance estimators. This reveals, for the first time, the Hubble flow surrounding Coma, a first step to investigate the entanglement between the dark matter in bound objects and the dark energy driving the expansion of their surroundings. The distance to the Coma centre is determined as $69.959 \pm 0.012 \, h^{-1}~\text{Mpc}$. From dbscan, we infer a virial radius of $r_{\rm vir} = \left(1.95 \pm 0.12\right)\,h^{-1}~\text{Mpc}$ and a turnaround of $r_{\rm ta} \geq 4.87~{h}^{-1}~\mbox{Mpc}$. Combining the SDSS redshifts with the CF4 distances, we estimate the Hubble constant to be $H_0 = (73.10 \pm 0.92)~\mbox{km}/\mbox{s}/\mbox{Mpc}$. However, with different calibrations for the distance moduli, $H_0$ varies between $[72, 80]$ km/s/Mpc. Mass estimates via caustics, the virial theorem, and the Hubble-flow method yield $M = [0.77, 2.0] \times 10^{15}\,h^{-1}\,M_{\odot}$, consistent with prior studies. Our systematic approach maps the structure of Coma into the local Hubble flow and shows the degeneracies between dynamical parameters such as the Hubble constant, the virial radius, and the total mass.
Le Touze, D et al., RPPh, 2025 , vol. 88 , issue 3 (citations: 9)
Abstract
The smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method is expanding and is being applied to more and more fields, particularly in engineering. The majority of current SPH developments deal with free-surface and multiphase flows, especially for situations where geometrically complex interface configurations are involved. The present review article covers the last 25 years of development of the method to simulate such flows, discussing the related specific features of the method. A path is drawn to link the milestone articles on the topic, and the main related theoretical and numerical issues are investigated. In particular, several SPH schemes have been derived over the years, based on different assumptions. The main ones are presented and discussed in this review underlining the different contexts and the ways in which they were derived, resulting in similarities and differences. In addition, a summary is provided of the recent corrections proposed to increase the accuracy, stability and robustness of SPH schemes in the context of free-surface and multiphase flows. Future perspectives of development are identified, placing the method within the panorama of Computational Fluid Dynamics.
Husko, F et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 537 , issue 3 (citations: 27)
Abstract
We present results of cosmological zoom-in simulations of a massive protocluster down to redshift
Buehlmann, M et al., OJAp, 2025 , vol. 8 (citations: 2)
Abstract
We present the online service cosmICweb (COSMological Initial Conditions on the WEB) - the first database and web interface to store, analyze, and disseminate initial conditions for zoom simulations of objects forming in cosmological simulations: from galaxy clusters to galaxies and more. Specifically, we store compressed information about the Lagrangian proto-halo patches for all objects in a typical simulation merger tree along with properties of the halo/galaxy across cosmic time. This enables a convenient web-based selection of the desired zoom region for an object fitting user-specified selection criteria. The information about the region can then be used with the MUSIC code to generate the zoom ICs for the simulation. In addition to some other simulations, we currently support all objects in the EAGLE simulation database, so that for example the Auriga simulations are easily reproduced, which we demonstrate explicitly. The framework is extensible to include other simulations through an API that can be added to an existing database structure and with which cosmICweb can then be interfaced. We make the web portal and database publicly available to the community.
Kugel, R et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 537 , issue 2 (citations: 6)
Abstract
Galaxy cluster counts have historically been important for the measurement of cosmological parameters and upcoming surveys will greatly reduce the statistical errors. To exploit the potential of current and future cluster surveys, theoretical uncertainties on the predicted abundance must be smaller than the statistical errors. Models used to predict cluster counts typically combine a model for the dark matter only (DMO) halo mass function (HMF) with an observable-mass relation that is assumed to be a power law with lognormal scatter. We use the FLAMINGO suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations to quantify the biases in the cluster counts and cosmological parameters resulting from the different ingredients of conventional models. For the observable-mass proxy, we focus on the Compton-Y parameter quantifying the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, which is expected to result in cluster samples that are relatively close to mass-selected samples. We construct three mock samples based on existing (Planck and SPT) and upcoming (Simons Observatory) surveys. We ignore measurement uncertainties and compare the biases in the counts and inferred cosmological parameters to each survey's Poisson errors. We find that widely used models for the DMO HMF differ significantly from each other and from the DMO version of FLAMINGO, leading to significant biases for all three surveys. For upcoming surveys, dramatic improvements are needed for all additional model ingredients, i.e. the functional forms of the fits to the observable-mass scaling relation and the associated scatter, the priors on the scaling relation and the prior on baryonic effects associated with feedback processes on the HMF.
Braspenning, J et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 536 , issue 4 (citations: 8)
Abstract
The masses of galaxy clusters are commonly measured from X-ray observations under the assumption of hydrostatic equilibrium (HSE). This technique is known to underestimate the true mass systematically. The fiducial FLAMINGO (Full-hydro Large-scale structure simulations with All-sky Mapping for the Interpretation of Next Generation Observations) cosmological hydrodynamical simulation predicts the median hydrostatic mass bias to increase from
Elbers, W et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 537 , issue 2 (citations: 26)
Abstract
Large-scale structure surveys have reported measurements of the density of matter,
Padawer-Blatt, A et al., Univ, 2025 , vol. 11 , issue 2 (citations: 1)
Abstract
We employ the SIMBA-C cosmological simulation to study the impact of its upgraded chemical enrichment model (Chem5) on the distribution of metals in the intragroup medium (IGrM). We investigate the projected X-ray emission-weighted abundance profiles of key elements over two decades in halo mass (
Correa, C et al., MNRAS, 2025 , vol. 536 , issue 4 (citations: 19)
Abstract
Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) has the potential to significantly influence galaxy formation in comparison to the cold, collisionless dark matter paradigm (CDM), resulting in observable effects. This study aims to elucidate this influence and to demonstrate that the stellar mass Tully-Fisher relation imposes robust constraints on the parameter space of velocity-dependent SIDM models. We present a new set of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations that include the SIDM scheme from the TangoSIDM project and the SWIFT-EAGLE galaxy formation model. Two cosmological simulations suites were generated: one (Reference model) which yields good agreement with the observed
Janulewicz, P et al., RASTI, 2025 , vol. 4 (citations: 0)
Abstract
We introduce PYMGAL, a Python package for generating optical mock observations of galaxies from hydrodynamical simulations. PYMGAL reads the properties of stellar particles from these simulations and generates spectral energy distributions (SEDs) based on a variety of stellar population models that can be customized to fit the user's choice of applications. Given these SEDs, the program can calculate the brightness of particles in different output units for hundreds of unique filters. These quantities can then be projected to a 2D plane mimicking a telescope observation. The software is compatible with different snapshot formats and allows a flexible selection of models, filters, output units, axes of projection, angular resolutions, fields of view, and more. It also supports additional features including dust attenuation, particle smoothing, and the option to output spectral data cubes and maps of mass, age, and metallicity. These synthetic observations can be used to directly compare the simulated objects to reality in order to model galaxy evolution, study different theoretical models, and investigate different observational effects. This package allows the user to perform fast and consistent comparisons between simulation and observation, leading to a better and more precise understanding of what we see in our Universe.
Ghafour, P et al., arXiv, 2025 (citations: 0)
Abstract
Cosmic voids are large, nearly empty regions that lie between the web of galaxies, filaments and walls, and are recognized for their extensive applications in the field of cosmology and astrophysics. Despite their significance, a universal definition of voids remains unsettled as various void-finding methods identify different types of voids, each differing in shape and density, based on the method that were used. In this paper, we present VEGA, a novel algorithm for void identification. VEGA utilizes Voronoi tessellation to divide the dataset space into spatial cells and applies the Convex Hull algorithm to estimate the volume of each cell. It then integrates Genetic Algorithm analysis with luminosity density contrast to filter out over-dense cells and retain the remaining ones, referred to as void block cells. These filtered cells form the basis for constructing the final void structures. VEGA operates on a grid of points, which increases the algorithm's spatial accessibility to the dataset and facilitates the identification of seed points around which the algorithm constructs the voids. To evaluate VEGA's performance, we applied both VEGA and the Aikio Mähönen method to the same test dataset. We compared the resulting void populations in terms of their luminosity and number density contrast, as well as their morphological features such as sphericity. This comparison demonstrated that the VEGA void finding method yields reliable results and can be effectively applied to various particle distributions.
Sedain, A et al., IAUS, 2025 , vol. 379 (citations: 0)
Abstract
Prolate rotation is characterized by a significant stellar rotation around a galaxy's major axis, which contrasts with the more common oblate rotation. Prolate rotation is thought to be due to major mergers and thus studies of prolate-rotating systems can help us better understand the hierarchical process of galaxy evolution. Dynamical studies of such galaxies are important to find their gravitational potential profile, total mass, and dark matter fraction. Recently, it has been shown in a cosmological simulation that it is possible to form a prolate-rotating dwarf galaxy following a dwarf-dwarf merger event. The simulation also shows that the unusual prolate rotation can be time enduring. In this particular example, the galaxy continued to rotate around its major axis for at least 7.4 Gyr (from the merger event until the end of the simulation). In this project, we use mock observations of the hydro-dynamically simulated prolate-rotating dwarf galaxy to fit various stages of its evolution with Jeans dynamical models. The Jeans models successfully fit the early oblate state before the major merger event, and also the late prolate stages of the simulated galaxy, recovering its mass distribution, velocity dispersion, and rotation profile. We also ran a prolate-rotating N-body simulation with similar properties to the cosmologically simulated galaxy, which gradually loses its angular momentum on a short time scale ∼ 100 Myr. More tests are needed to understand why prolate rotation is time enduring in the cosmological simulation, but not in a simple N-body simulation.
Kegerreis, J et al., Icar, 2025 , vol. 425 (citations: 5)
Abstract
The origin of Mars's small moons, Phobos and Deimos, remains unknown. They are typically thought either to be captured asteroids or to have accreted from a debris disk produced by a giant impact. Here, we present an alternative scenario wherein fragments of a tidally disrupted asteroid are captured and evolve into a collisional proto-satellite disk. We simulate the initial disruption and the fragments' subsequent orbital evolution. We find that tens of percent of an unbound asteroid's mass can be captured and survive beyond collisional timescales, across a broad range of periapsis distances, speeds, masses, spins, and orientations in the Sun–Mars frame. Furthermore, more than one percent of the asteroid's mass could evolve to circularise in the moons' accretion region. This implies a lower mass requirement for the parent body than that for a giant impact, which could increase the likelihood of this route to forming a proto-satellite disk that, unlike direct capture, could also naturally explain the moons' orbits. These three formation scenarios each imply different properties of Mars's moons to be tested by upcoming spacecraft missions.
Martin, G et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 535 , issue 3 (citations: 10)
Abstract
The stellar stripping of satellites in cluster haloes is understood to play an important role in the production of intracluster light. Increasingly, cosmological simulations have been utilized to investigate its origin and assembly. However, such simulations typically model individual galaxies at relatively coarse resolutions, raising concerns about their accuracy. Although there is a growing literature on the importance of numerical resolution for the accurate recovery of the mass-loss rates of dark matter (DM) haloes, there has been no comparable investigation into the numerical resolution required to accurately recover stellar mass-loss rates in galaxy clusters. Using N-body simulations of satellite galaxies orbiting in a cluster halo represented by a static external potential, we conduct a set of convergence tests in order to explore the role of numerical resolution and force softening length on stellar stripping efficiency. We consider a number of orbital configurations, satellite masses, and satellite morphologies. We find that stellar mass resolution is of minor importance relative to DM resolution. Resolving the central regions of satellite DM haloes is critical to accurately recover stellar mass-loss rates. Poorly resolved DM haloes develop cored inner profiles and, if this core is of comparable size to the stellar component of the satellite galaxy, this leads to significant overstripping. To prevent this, relatively high DM mass resolutions of around
Zennaro, M et al., arXiv, 2024 (citations: 6)
Abstract
Galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing are two of the main observational probes in Stage-IV large-scale structure surveys. Unfortunately, the complicated relationship between galaxies and matter limits the exploitation of this data. Galaxy bias models -- such as the hybrid Lagrangian bias expansion -- allow describing galaxy clustering down to scales as small as $k = 0.7h$/Mpc. However, the galaxy-matter cross-power spectra are already affected by baryons on these scales, directly impacting the modelling of galaxy-galaxy lensing. We propose to extend models of the galaxy-matter cross-power spectrum $P_{\rm gm}(k)$ (currently only accounting for dark matter) by including a baryonic correction inferred from the matter component ($S_{\rm mm}(k)$), so that $P_{\rm gm, full \, physics} (k) = \sqrt{S_{\rm mm}} P_{\rm gm, gravity \, only}$. We use the FLAMINGO simulations to measure the effect of baryons on the galaxy-matter cross-power spectrum and to assess the performance of our model. We perform a Bayesian analysis of synthetic data, implementing a model based on BACCO's hybrid Lagrangian bias expansion (for the nonlinear galaxy bias) and Baryon Correction Model. Ignoring baryons in the galaxy-matter cross-power spectrum leads to a biased inference of the galaxy bias, while ignoring baryons in both the galaxy-matter and matter-matter power spectra leads to a biased inference of both the galaxy bias and cosmological parameters. In contrast, our method is 1% accurate compared to all physics variations in FLAMINGO and on all scales described by hybrid perturbative models ($k < 0.7h$/Mpc). Moreover, our model leads to inferred bias and cosmological parameters compatible within 1$\sigma$ with their reference values. We anticipate that our method will be a promising candidate for analysing forthcoming Stage-IV survey data.
Pizzati, E et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 534 , issue 4 (citations: 35)
Abstract
Recent observations from the EIGER JWST program have measured for the first time the quasar-galaxy cross-correlation function at
Wempe, E et al., A&A, 2024 , vol. 691 (citations: 11)
Abstract
We present a novel approach based on Bayesian field-level inference that provides representative ΛCDM initial conditions for simulation of the Local Group (LG) of galaxies and its neighbourhood, constrained by present-day observations. We extended the Bayesian Origin Reconstruction from Galaxies (BORG) algorithm with a multi-resolution approach, allowing us to reach the smaller scales needed to apply the constraints. Our data model simultaneously accounts for observations of mass tracers within the dark haloes of the Milky Way (MW) and M31, for their observed separation and relative velocity, and for the quiet surrounding Hubble flow, represented by the positions and velocities of 31 galaxies at distances between one and four megaparsec. Our approach delivers representative posterior samples of ΛCDM realisations that are statistically and simultaneously consistent with all of these observations, leading to significantly tighter mass constraints than found if the individual datasets are considered separately. In particular, we estimate the virial masses of the MW and M31 to be log10(M200c/M⊙) = 12.07 ± 0.08 and 12.33 ± 0.10, respectively, their sum to be log10(ΣM200c/M⊙) = 12.52 ± 0.07, and the enclosed mass within spheres of radius R to be log10(M(R)/M⊙) = 12.71 ± 0.06 and 12.96 ± 0.08 for R = 1 Mpc and 3 Mpc, respectively. The M31-MW orbit is nearly radial for most of our ΛCDM realisations, and most of them feature a dark matter sheet aligning approximately with the supergalactic plane, despite the surrounding density field not being used explicitly as a constraint. High-resolution, high-fidelity resimulations from initial conditions identified using the approximate simulations of our inference scheme continue to satisfy the observational constraints, demonstrating a route to future high-resolution, full-physics ΛCDM simulations of ensembles of LG look-alikes, all of which closely mirror the observed properties of the real system and its immediate environment.
O'Brennan, H et al., OJAp, 2024 , vol. 7 (citations: 5)
Abstract
Recent JWST observations of very early galaxies, at z≥10, has led to claims that tension exists between the sizes and luminosities of high-redshift galaxies and what is predicted by standard ΛCMD models. Here we use the adaptive mesh refinement code Enzo and the N-body smoothed particle hydrodyanmics code SWIFT to compare (semi-)analytic halo mass functions against the results of direct N-body models at high redshift. In particular, our goal is to investigate the variance between standard halo mass functions derived from (semi-)analytic formulations and N-body calculations and to determine what role any discrepancy may play in driving tensions between observations and theory. We find that the difference between direct N-body calculations and halo mass function fits is less than a factor of two (at z≈10) within the mass range of galaxies currently being observed by JWST and is therefore not a dominant source of error when comparing theory and observation at high redshift.
Au-Yeung, R et al., RPPh, 2024 , vol. 87 , issue 11 (citations: 15)
Abstract
Quantum computing promises to provide the next step up in computational power for diverse application areas. In this review, we examine the science behind the quantum hype, and the breakthroughs required to achieve true quantum advantage in real world applications. Areas that are likely to have the greatest impact on high performance computing (HPC) include simulation of quantum systems, optimization, and machine learning. We draw our examples from electronic structure calculations and computational fluid dynamics which account for a large fraction of current scientific and engineering use of HPC. Potential challenges include encoding and decoding classical data for quantum devices, and mismatched clock speeds between classical and quantum processors. Even a modest quantum enhancement to current classical techniques would have far-reaching impacts in areas such as weather forecasting, aerospace engineering, and the design of 'green' materials for sustainable development. This requires significant effort from the computational science, engineering and quantum computing communities working together.
Kugel, R et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 534 , issue 3 (citations: 6)
Abstract
Galaxy clusters provide an avenue to expand our knowledge of cosmology and galaxy evolution. Because it is difficult to accurately measure the total mass of a large number of individual clusters, cluster samples are typically selected using an observable proxy for mass. Selection effects are therefore a key problem in understanding galaxy cluster statistics. We make use of the
Nusser, A, ApJ, 2024 , vol. 974 , issue 1 (citations: 4)
Abstract
The evolution of halos with masses around M h ≈ 1011 M ⊙ and M h ≈ 1012 M ⊙ at redshifts z > 9 is examined using constrained N-body simulations. The average specific mass accretion rates,
Scharre, L et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 534 , issue 1 (citations: 20)
Abstract
Using several variants of the cosmological SIMBA simulations, we investigate the impact of different feedback prescriptions on the cosmic star formation history. Adopting a global-to-local approach, we link signatures seen in global observables, such as the star formation rate density (SFRD) and the galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF), to feedback effects in individual galaxies. We find a consistent picture: stellar feedback mainly suppresses star formation below halo masses of
Kay, S et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 534 , issue 1 (citations: 10)
Abstract
The relativistic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect can be used to measure intracluster gas temperatures independently of X-ray spectroscopy. Here, we use the large-volume FLAMINGO simulation suite to determine whether SZ y-weighted temperatures lead to more accurate hydrostatic mass estimates in massive (
Eilers, A et al., ApJ, 2024 , vol. 974 , issue 2 (citations: 62)
Abstract
We expect luminous (M 1450 ≲ ‑26.5) high-redshift quasars to trace the highest-density peaks in the early Universe. Here, we present observations of four z ≳ 6 quasar fields using JWST/NIRCam in the imaging and wide-field slitless spectroscopy mode and report a wide range in the number of detected [O III]-emitting galaxies in the quasars' environments, ranging between a density enhancement of δ ≈ 65 within a 2 cMpc radius—one of the largest protoclusters during the Epoch of Reionization discovered to date—to a density contrast consistent with zero, indicating the presence of a UV-luminous quasar in a region comparable to the average density of the Universe. By measuring the two-point cross-correlation function of quasars and their surrounding galaxies, as well as the galaxy autocorrelation function, we infer a correlation length of quasars at <z> = 6.25 of
Dou, J et al., arXiv, 2024 (citations: 0)
Abstract
Head-on giant impacts (collisions between planet-size bodies) are frequently used to study the planet formation process as they present an extreme configuration where the two colliding bodies are greatly disturbed. With limited computing resources, focusing on these extreme impacts eases the burden of exploring a large parameter space. Results from head-on impacts are often then extended to study oblique impacts with angle corrections or used as initial conditions for other calculations, for example, the evolution of ejected debris. In this study, we conduct a detailed investigation of the thermodynamic and energy budget evolution of high-energy head-on giant impacts, entering the catastrophic impacts regime, for target masses between 0.001 and 12 M$_{\oplus}$. We demonstrate the complex interplay of gravitational forces, shock dynamics, and thermodynamic processing in head-on impacts at high energy. Our study illustrates that frequent interactions of core material with the liquid side of the vapour curve could have cumulative effects on the post-collision remnants, leading to fragmentary disintegration occurring at lower impact energy. This results in the mass of the largest remnant diverging significantly from previously developed scaling laws. These findings suggest two key considerations: 1) head-on planetary collisions for different target masses do not behave similarly, so caution is needed when applying scaling laws across a broad parameter space; 2) an accurate model of the liquid-vapour phase boundary is essential for modeling giant impacts. Our findings highlight the need for careful consideration of impact configurations in planetary formation studies, as head-on impacts involve a complex interplay between thermodynamic processing, shocks, gravitational forces, and other factors.
Dou, J et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 534 , issue 1 (citations: 2)
Abstract
Head-on giant impacts (collisions between planet-sized bodies) are frequently used to study the planet formation process as they present an extreme configuration where the two colliding bodies are greatly disturbed. With limited computing resources, focusing on these extreme impacts eases the burden of exploring a large parameter space. Results from head-on impacts are often then extended to study oblique impacts with angle corrections or used as initial conditions for other calculations, for example, the evolution of ejected debris. In this study, we conduct a detailed investigation of the thermodynamic and energy budget evolution of high-energy head-on giant impacts, entering the catastrophic impacts regime, for target masses between 0.001 and 12 M
Contreras, S et al., A&A, 2024 , vol. 690 (citations: 8)
Abstract
Context. Mock galaxy catalogues are essential for correctly interpreting current and future generations of galaxy surveys. Despite their significance in galaxy formation and cosmology, little to no work has been done to validate the predictions of these mocks for high-order clustering statistics. Aims. We compare the predicting power of the latest generation of empirical models used in the creation of mock galaxy catalogues: a 13-parameter halo occupation distribution (HOD) and an extension of the SubHalo Abundance Matching technique (SHAMe). Methos. We built GalaxyEmu-Planck, an emulator that makes precise predictions for the two-point correlation function, galaxy-galaxy lensing (restricted to distances greater than 1 h‑1 Mpc in order to avoid baryonic effects), and other high-order statistics resulting from the evaluation of SHAMe and HOD models. Results. We evaluated the precision of GalaxyEmu-Planck using two galaxy samples extracted from the FLAMINGO hydrodynamical simulation that mimic the properties of DESI-BGS and BOSS galaxies, finding that the emulator reproduces all the predicted statistics precisely. The HOD shows a comparable performance when fitting galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing. In contrast, the SHAMe model shows better predictions for higher-order statistics, especially regarding the galaxy assembly bias level. We also tested the performance of the models after removing some of their extensions, finding that we can withdraw two (out of 13) of the HOD parameters without a significant loss of performance. Conclusions. The results of this paper validate the current generation of empirical models as a way to reproduce galaxy clustering, galaxy-galaxy lensing, and other high-order statistics. The excellent performance of the SHAMe model with a small number of free parameters suggests that it is a valid method to extract cosmological constraints from galaxy clustering.
Lauwers, A et al., A&A, 2024 , vol. 689 (citations: 3)
Abstract
Context. To understand the structures of complex astrophysical objects, 3D numerical simulations of radiative transfer processes are invaluable. For Monte Carlo radiative transfer, the most common radiative transfer method in 3D, the design of a spatial grid is important and non-trivial. Common choices include hierarchical octree and unstructured Voronoi grids, each of which has advantages and limitations. Tetrahedral grids, commonly used in ray-tracing computer graphics, can be an interesting alternative option.
Aims: We aim to investigate the possibilities, advantages, and limitations of tetrahedral grids in the context of Monte Carlo radiative transfer. In particular, we want to compare the performance of tetrahedral grids to other commonly used grid structures.
Methods: We implemented a tetrahedral grid structure, based on the open-source library TetGen, in the generic Monte Carlo radiative transfer code SKIRT. Tetrahedral grids can be imported from external applications or they can be constructed and adaptively refined within SKIRT. We implemented an efficient grid traversal method based on Plücker coordinates and Plücker products.
Results: The correct implementation of the tetrahedral grid construction and the grid traversal algorithm in SKIRT were validated using 2D radiative transfer benchmark problems. Using a simple 3D model, we compared the performance of tetrahedral, octree, and Voronoi grids. With a constant cell count, the octree grid outperforms the tetrahedral and Voronoi grids in terms of traversal speed, whereas the tetrahedral grid is poorer than the other grids in terms of grid quality. All told, we find that the performance of tetrahedral grids is relatively poor compared to octree and Voronoi grids.
Conclusions: Although the adaptively constructed tetrahedral grids might not be favourable in most media representative of astrophysical simulation models, they still form an interesting unstructured alternative to Voronoi grids for specific applications. In particular, they might prove useful for radiative transfer post-processing of hydrodynamical simulations run on tetrahedral or unstructured grids.
Braspenning, J et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 533 , issue 3 (citations: 35)
Abstract
Galaxy clusters are important probes for both cosmology and galaxy formation physics. We test the cosmological, hydrodynamical FLAMINGO (Full-hydro large-scale structure simulations with all-sky mapping for the interpretation of next generation observations) simulations by comparing to observations of the gaseous properties of clusters measured from X-ray observations. FLAMINGO contains unprecedented numbers of massive galaxy groups (
Fischer, M et al., A&A, 2024 , vol. 689 (citations: 25)
Abstract
Context. Dark matter (DM) halos can be subject to gravothermal collapse if the DM is not collisionless, but engaged in strong self-interactions instead. When the scattering is able to efficiently transfer heat from the centre to the outskirts, the central region of the halo collapses and reaches densities much higher than those for collisionless DM. This phenomenon is potentially observable in studies of strong lensing. Current theoretical efforts are motivated by observations of surprisingly dense substructures. However, a comparison with observations requires accurate predictions. One method to obtain such predictions is to use N-body simulations. Collapsed halos are extreme systems that pose severe challenges when applying state-of-the-art codes to model self-interacting dark matter (SIDM). Aims. In this work, we investigate the root of such problems, with a focus on energy non-conservation. Moreover, we discuss possible strategies to avoid them. Methods. We ran N-body simulations, both with and without SIDM, of an isolated DM-only halo and we adjusted the numerical parameters to check the accuracy of the simulation. Results. We find that not only the numerical scheme for SIDM can lead to energy non-conservation, but also the modelling of gravitational interaction and the time integration are problematic. The main issues we find are: (a) particles changing their time step in a non-time-reversible manner; (b) the asymmetry in the tree-based gravitational force evaluation; and (c) SIDM velocity kicks breaking the time symmetry. Conclusions. Tuning the parameters of the simulation to achieve a high level of accuracy allows us to conserve energy not only at early stages of the evolution, but also later on. However, the cost of the simulations becomes prohibitively large as a result. Some of the problems that make the simulations of the gravothermal collapse phase inaccurate can be overcome by choosing appropriate numerical schemes. However, other issues still pose a challenge. Our findings motivate further works on addressing the challenges in simulating strong DM self-interactions.
Nobels, F et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 532 , issue 3 (citations: 18)
Abstract
We use smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of isolated Milky Way-mass disc galaxies that include cold, interstellar gas to test subgrid prescriptions for star formation (SF). Our fiducial model combines a Schmidt law with a gravitational instability criterion, but we also test density thresholds and temperature ceilings. While SF histories are insensitive to the prescription for SF, the Kennicutt-Schmidt (KS) relations between SF rate and gas surface density can discriminate between models. We show that our fiducial model, with an SF efficiency per free-fall time of 1 per cent, agrees with spatially resolved and azimuthally averaged observed KS relations for neutral, atomic, and molecular gas. Density thresholds do not perform as well. While temperature ceilings selecting cold, molecular gas can match the data for galaxies with solar metallicity, they are unsuitable for very low-metallicity gas and hence for cosmological simulations. We argue that SF criteria should be applied at the resolution limit rather than at a fixed physical scale, which means that we should aim for numerical convergence of observables rather than of the properties of gas labelled as star-forming. Our fiducial model yields good convergence when the mass resolution is varied by nearly 4 orders of magnitude, with the exception of the spatially resolved molecular KS relation at low surface densities. For the gravitational instability criterion, we quantify the impact on the KS relations of gravitational softening, the SF efficiency, and the strength of supernova feedback, as well as of observable parameters such as the inclusion of ionized gas, the averaging scale, and the metallicity.
Lim, S et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 532 , issue 4 (citations: 23)
Abstract
Motivated by the recent JWST discovery of galaxy overdensities during the Epoch of Reionzation, we examine the physical properties of high-z protoclusters and their evolution using the Full-hydro Large-scale structure simulations with All-sky Mapping for the Interpretation of Next Generation Observations (FLAMINGO) simulation suite. We investigate the impact of the apertures used to define protoclusters, because the heterogeneous apertures used in the literature have limited our understanding of the population. Our results are insensitive to the uncertainties of the subgrid models at a given resolution, whereas further investigation into the dependence on numerical resolution is needed. When considering galaxies more massive than $M_\ast \, {\simeq }\, 10^8\, {\rm M_\odot }$, the FLAMINGO simulations predict a dominant contribution from progenitors similar to those of the Coma cluster to the cosmic star formation rate density during the reionization epoch. Our results indicate the onset of suppression of star formation in the protocluster environments as early as $z\, {\simeq }\, 5$. The galaxy number density profiles are similar to NFW (Navarro-Frenk-White profile) at $z\, {\lesssim }\, 1$ while showing a steeper slope at earlier times before the formation of the core. Different from most previous simulations, the predicted star formation history for individual protoclusters is in good agreement with observations. We demonstrate that, depending on the aperture, the integrated physical properties including the total (dark matter and baryonic) mass can be biased by a factor of 2 to 5 at $z\, {=}\, 5.5$-7, and by an order of magnitude at $z\, {\lesssim }\, 4$. This correction suffices to remove the ${\simeq }\, 3\, \sigma$ tensions with the number density of structures found in recent JWST observations.
Yuasa, T et al., NewA, 2024 , vol. 109 (citations: 1)
Abstract
We present a new hydrodynamic scheme named Godunov Density-Independent Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (GDISPH), that can accurately handle shock waves and contact discontinuities without any manually tuned parameters. This is in contrast to the standard formulation of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SSPH), which requires the parameters for an artificial viscosity term to handle the shocks and struggles to accurately handle the contact discontinuities due to unphysical repulsive forces, resulting in surface tension that disrupts pressure equilibrium and suppresses fluid instabilities. While Godunov SPH (GSPH) can handle the shocks without the parameters by using solutions from a Riemann solver, it still cannot fully handle the contact discontinuities. Density-Independent Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (DISPH), one of several schemes proposed to handle contact discontinuities more effectively than SSPH, demonstrates superior performance in our tests involving strong shocks and contact discontinuities. However, DISPH still requires the artificial viscosity term. We integrate the Riemann solver into DISPH in several ways, yielding some patterns of GDISPH. The results of standard tests such as the one-dimensional Riemann problem, pressure equilibrium, Sedov–Taylor, and Kelvin–Helmholtz tests are favourable to GDISPH Case 1 and GDISPH Case 2, as well as DISPH. We conclude that GDISPH Case 1 has an advantage over GDISPH Case 2effectively handling shocks and contact discontinuities without the need for specific parameters or introducing any additional numerical diffusion.
Mansfield, P et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 531 , issue 1 (citations: 0)
Abstract
As cosmological simulations have grown in size, the permanent storage requirements of their particle data have also grown. Even modest simulations present a major logistical challenge for the groups which run these boxes and researchers without access to high performance computing facilities often need to restrict their analysis to lower quality data. In this paper, we present GUPPY, a compression algorithm and code base tailored to reduce the sizes of dark matter-only cosmological simulations by approximately an order of magnitude. GUPPY is a 'lossy' algorithm, meaning that it injects a small amount of controlled and uncorrelated noise into particle properties. We perform extensive tests on the impact that this noise has on the internal structure of dark matter haloes, and identify conservative accuracy limits which ensure that compression has no practical impact on single-snapshot halo properties, profiles, and abundances. We also release functional prototype libraries in C, Python, and Go for reading and creating GUPPY data.
Radtke, P et al., arXiv, 2024 (citations: 1)
Abstract
The C++ programming language and its cousins lean towards a memory-inefficient storage of structs: The compiler inserts helper bits such that individual instance variables fit to byte or cache boundaries, while it is not able to exploit knowledge about the range of integers, enums or bitsets. Furthermore, the language provides neither support for data exchange via MPI nor for arbitrary floating-point precisions. We propose C++ attributes through which developers can guide the compiler what memory arrangements would be beneficial: Can multiple booleans or integers with limited range be squeezed into one bit field, do floating point numbers hold fewer significant bits than in the IEEE standard, or does the code benefit from a MPI datatype for subsets of attributes? The extension offers the opportunity to fall back to normal alignment via plain C++ assignments, no dependencies upon external libraries are introduced, and the resulting code remains standard C++ subject to some weakened guarantees on addresses and pointer arithmetics. Our work implements the language annotations within LLVM and demonstrates their potential impact, both upon the runtime and the memory footprint, through smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) benchmarks. They uncover the potential gains in terms of performance and development productivity.
Roca-Fabrega, S et al., ApJ, 2024 , vol. 968 , issue 2 (citations: 16)
Abstract
In this fourth paper from the AGORA Collaboration, we study the evolution down to redshift z = 2 and below of a set of cosmological zoom-in simulations of a Milky Way mass galaxy by eight of the leading hydrodynamic simulation codes. We also compare this CosmoRun suite of simulations with dark matter-only simulations by the same eight codes. We analyze general properties of the halo and galaxy at z = 4 and 3, and before the last major merger, focusing on the formation of well-defined rotationally supported disks, the mass–metallicity relation, the specific star formation rate, the gas metallicity gradients, and the nonaxisymmetric structures in the stellar disks. Codes generally converge well to the stellar-to-halo mass ratios predicted by semianalytic models at z ∼ 2. We see that almost all the hydro codes develop rotationally supported structures at low redshifts. Most agree within 0.5 dex with the observed mass–metallicity relation at high and intermediate redshifts, and reproduce the gas metallicity gradients obtained from analytical models and low-redshift observations. We confirm that the intercode differences in the halo assembly history reported in the first paper of the collaboration also exist in CosmoRun, making the code-to-code comparison more difficult. We show that such differences are mainly due to variations in code-dependent parameters that control the time stepping strategy of the gravity solver. We find that variations in the early stellar feedback can also result in differences in the timing of the low-redshift mergers. All the simulation data down to z = 2 and the auxiliary data will be made publicly available.
Colazo, P et al., A&A, 2024 , vol. 685 (citations: 14)
Abstract
Context. This Letter explores the potential role of primordial black holes (PBHs) to address cosmological tensions as the presence of more massive than expected galaxies at high redshifts, as indicated by recent James Webb Space Telescope observations.
Aims: Motivated by inflation models that enhance the power at scales beyond the observable range that produce PBHs with Schechter-like mass functions, we aim to explain the excess of high redshift galaxies via a modification of the Λ cold dark matter power spectrum that consists in adding (i) a blue spectral index nb at kpiv = 10/Mpc and (ii) Poisson and isocurvature contributions from massive PBHs that only make up 0.5% of the dark matter.
Methods: We simulated these models using the SWIFT code and find an increased abundance of high redshift galaxies in simulations that include PBHs. We compared these models to estimates from James Webb Space Telescope observations.
Results: Unlike the Λ cold dark matter model, the inclusion of PBHs allowed us to reproduce the observations with reasonable values for the star formation efficiency. Furthermore, the power spectra we adopted potentially produce PBHs that can serve as seeds for supermassive black holes with masses 7.57 × 104 M⊙.
Upadhye, A et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 530 , issue 1 (citations: 2)
Abstract
Cosmology is poised to measure the neutrino mass sum Mν and has identified several smaller-scale observables sensitive to neutrinos, necessitating accurate predictions of neutrino clustering over a wide range of length scales. The FlowsForTheMasses non-linear perturbation theory for the the massive neutrino power spectrum, $\Delta ^2_\nu (k)$, agrees with its companion N-body simulation at the $10~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}-15~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ level for k ≤ 1 h Mpc-1. Building upon the Mira-Titan IV emulator for the cold matter, we use FlowsForTheMasses to construct an emulator for $\Delta ^2_\nu (k)$, Cosmic-Eν, which covers a large range of cosmological parameters and neutrino fractions Ων, 0h2 ≤ 0.01 (Mν ≤ 0.93 eV). Consistent with FlowsForTheMasses at the 3.5 per cent level, it returns a power spectrum in milliseconds. Ranking the neutrinos by initial momenta, we also emulate the power spectra of momentum deciles, providing information about their perturbed distribution function. Comparing a Mν = 0.15 eV model to a wide range of N-body simulation methods, we find agreement to 3 per cent for k ≤ 3kFS = 0.17 h Mpc-1 and to 19 per cent for k ≤ 0.4 h Mpc-1. We find that the enhancement factor, the ratio of $\Delta ^2_\nu (k)$ to its linear-response equivalent, is most strongly correlated with Ων, 0h2, and also with the clustering amplitude σ8. Furthermore, non-linearities enhance the free-streaming-limit scaling $\partial \log (\Delta ^2_\nu /\Delta ^2_{\rm m}) / \partial \log (M_\nu)$ beyond its linear value of 4, increasing the Mν-sensitivity of the small-scale neutrino density.
Upadhye, A et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 529 , issue 2 (citations: 6)
Abstract
Weak lensing of the cosmic microwave background is rapidly emerging as a powerful probe of neutrinos, dark energy, and new physics. We present a fast computation of the non-linear CMB lensing power spectrum that combines non-linear perturbation theory at early times with power spectrum emulation using cosmological simulations at late times. Comparing our calculation with light-cones from the FLAMINGO 5.6 Gpc cube dark-matter-only simulation, we confirm its accuracy to $1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ ($2{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) up to multipoles L = 3000 (L = 5000) for a νΛCDM cosmology consistent with current data. Clustering suppression due to small-scale baryonic phenomena such as feedback from active galactic nuclei can reduce the lensing power by $\sim 10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. To our perturbation theory and emulator-based calculation, we add SP(k), a new fitting function for this suppression, and confirm its accuracy compared to the FLAMINGO hydrodynamic simulations to $4{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ at L = 5000, with similar accuracy for massive neutrino models. We further demonstrate that scale-dependent suppression due to neutrinos and baryons approximately factorize, implying that a careful treatment of baryonic feedback can limit biasing neutrino mass constraints.
Berlok, T et al., JOSS, 2024 , vol. 9 , issue 96 (citations: 5)
Abstract
We present Paicos, a new object-oriented Python package for analyzing simulations performed with Arepo. Paicos strives to reduce the learning curve for students and researchers getting started with Arepo simulations. As such, Paicos includes many examples in the form of Python scripts and Jupyter notebooks as well as an online documentation describing the installation procedure and recommended first steps. Paicos' main features are automatic handling of cosmological and physical units, computation of derived variables, 2D visualization (slices and projections), 1D and 2D histograms, and easy saving and loading of derived data including units and all the relevant metadata.
Broxterman, J et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 529 , issue 3 (citations: 18)
Abstract
Weak gravitational lensing convergence peaks, the local maxima in weak lensing convergence maps, have been shown to contain valuable cosmological information complementary to commonly used two-point statistics. To exploit the full power of weak lensing for cosmology, we must model baryonic feedback processes because these reshape the matter distribution on non-linear and mildly non-linear scales. We study the impact of baryonic physics on the number density of weak lensing peaks using the FLAMINGO cosmological hydrodynamical simulation suite. We generate ray-traced full-sky convergence maps mimicking the characteristics of a Stage IV weak lensing survey. We compare the number densities of peaks in simulations that have been calibrated to reproduce the observed galaxy mass function and cluster gas fraction or to match a shifted version of these, and that use either thermally driven or jet active galactic nucleus feedback. We show that the differences induced by realistic baryonic feedback prescriptions (typically 5-30 per cent for κ = 0.1-0.4) are smaller than those induced by reasonable variations in cosmological parameters (20-60 per cent for κ = 0.1-0.4) but must be modelled carefully to obtain unbiased results. The reasons behind these differences can be understood by considering the impact of feedback on halo masses, or by considering the impact of different cosmological parameters on the halo mass function. Our analysis demonstrates that, for the range of models we investigated, the baryonic suppression is insensitive to changes in cosmology up to κ ≈ 0.4 and that the higher κ regime is dominated by Poisson noise and cosmic variance.
Dou, J et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 529 , issue 3 (citations: 8)
Abstract
During the final stage of planetary formation, different formation pathways of planetary embryos could significantly influence the observed variations in planetary densities. Of the approximately 5000 exoplanets identified to date, a notable subset exhibits core fractions reminiscent of Mercury, potentially a consequence of high-velocity giant impacts. In order to better understand the influence of such collisions on planetary formation and compositional evolution, we conducted an extensive set of smoothed particle hydrodynamics giant impact simulations between two-layered rocky bodies. These simulations spanned a broad range of impact velocities from 1 to 11 times the mutual escape velocity. We derived novel scaling laws that estimate the mass and core mass fraction of the largest post-collision remnants. Our findings indicate that the extent of core vaporization markedly influences mantle stripping efficiency at low impact angles. We delineate the distinct roles played by two mechanisms - kinetic momentum transfer and vaporization-induced ejection - in mantle stripping. Our research suggests that collisional outcomes for multilayered planets are more complex than those for undifferentiated planetesimal impacts. Thus, a single universal law may not encompass all collision processes. We found a significant decrease in the mantle stripping efficiency as the impact angle increases. To form a 5 M⊕ super-Mercury at 45°, an impact velocity over 200 km s-1 is required. This poses a challenge to the formation of super-Mercuries through a single giant impact, implying that their formation would favour either relatively low-angle single impacts or multiple collisions.
Schaller, M, MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 529 , issue 1 (citations: 1)
Abstract
In his 2021 lecture to the Canadian Association of Physicists Congress, P.J.E. Peebles pointed out that the brightest extragalactic radio sources tend to be aligned with the plane of the de Vaucouleur Local Supercluster up to redshifts of z = 0.02 ($d_{\rm MW}\approx 85~\rm {Mpc}$). He then asked whether such an alignment of clusters is anomalous in the standard Lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM) framework. In this letter, we employ an alternative, absolute orientation agnostic, measure of the anisotropy based on the inertia tensor axial ratio of these brightest sources and use a large cosmological simulation from the FLAMINGO suite to measure how common such an alignment of structures is. We find that only 3.5 per cent of randomly selected regions display an anisotropy of their clusters more extreme than the one found in the local Universe's radio data. This sets the region around the Milky Way as a 1.85σ outlier. Varying the selection parameters of the objects in the catalogue, we find that the clusters in the local Universe are never more than 2σ away from the simulations' prediction for the same selection. We thus conclude that the reported anisotropy, whilst noteworthy, is not in tension with the ΛCDM paradigm.
Pizzati, E et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 528 , issue 3 (citations: 14)
Abstract
Observations from wide-field quasar surveys indicate that the quasar autocorrelation length increases dramatically from z ≈ 2.5 to ≈ 4. This large clustering amplitude at z ≈ 4 has proven hard to interpret theoretically, as it implies that quasars are hosted by the most massive dark matter haloes residing in the most extreme environments at that redshift. In this work, we present a model that simultaneously reproduces both the observed quasar autocorrelation and quasar luminosity functions. The spatial distribution of haloes and their relative abundance are obtained via a novel method that computes the halo mass and halo cross-correlation functions by combining multiple large-volume dark-matter-only cosmological simulations with different box sizes and resolutions. Armed with these halo properties, our model exploits the conditional luminosity function framework to describe the stochastic relationship between quasar luminosity, L, and halo mass, M. Assuming a simple power-law relation L ∝ Mγ with lognormal scatter, σ, we are able to reproduce observations at z ~ 4 and find that: (i) the quasar luminosity-halo mass relation is highly non-linear (γ ≳ 2), with very little scatter (σ ≲ 0.3 dex); (ii) luminous quasars ($\log _{10} L/{\rm erg}\, {\rm s}^{-1}\gtrsim 46.5-47$) are hosted by haloes with mass log10M/M⊙ ≳ 13-13.5; and (iii) the implied duty cycle for quasar activity approaches unity ($\varepsilon _{\rm DC}\approx 10\,\mathrm{ per}\,\mathrm{ cent}-60~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$). We also consider observations at z ≈ 2.5 and find that the quasar luminosity-halo mass relation evolves significantly with cosmic time, implying a rapid change in quasar host halo masses and duty cycles, which in turn suggests concurrent evolution in black hole scaling relations and/or accretion efficiency.
Ventura, E et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 529 , issue 1 (citations: 34)
Abstract
We implemented Population III (Pop. III) star formation in mini-haloes within the MERAXES semi-analytic galaxy formation and reionization model, run on top of a N-body simulation with L = 10 h-1 cMpc with 20483 particles resolving all dark matter haloes down to the mini-haloes (~105 M⊙). Our modelling includes the chemical evolution of the IGM, with metals released through supernova-driven bubbles that expand according to the Sedov-Taylor model. We found that SN-driven metal bubbles are generally small, with radii typically of 150 ckpc at z = 6. Hence, the majority of the first galaxies are likely enriched by their own star formation. However, as reionization progresses, the feedback effects from the UV background become more pronounced, leading to a halt in star formation in low-mass galaxies, after which external chemical enrichment becomes more relevant. We explore the sensitivity of the star formation rate density and stellar mass functions to the unknown values of free parameters. We also discuss the observability of Pop. III dominated systems with JWST, finding that the inclusion of Pop. III galaxies can have a significant effect on the total UV luminosity function at z = 12-16. Our results support the idea that the excess of bright galaxies detected with JWST might be explained by the presence of bright top-heavy Pop. III dominated galaxies without requiring an increased star formation efficiency.
Ploeckinger, S et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 528 , issue 2 (citations: 8)
Abstract
Large-scale cosmological galaxy formation simulations typically prevent gas in the interstellar medium (ISM) from cooling below $\approx 10^4\, \mathrm{K}$. This has been motivated by the inability to resolve the Jeans mass in molecular gas ($\ll 10^5\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$) which would result in undesired artificial clumping. We show that the classical Jeans criteria derived for Newtonian gravity are not applicable in the simulated ISM if the spacing of resolution elements representing the dense ISM is below the gravitational force softening length and gravity is therefore softened and not Newtonian. We re-derive the Jeans criteria for softened gravity in Lagrangian codes and use them to analyse gravitational instabilities at and below the hydrodynamical resolution limit for simulations with adaptive and constant gravitational softening lengths. In addition, we define criteria for which a numerical runaway collapse of dense gas clumps can occur caused by oversmoothing of the hydrodynamical properties relative to the gravitational force resolution. This effect is illustrated using simulations of isolated disc galaxies with the smoothed particle hydrodynamics code SWIFT. We also demonstrate how to avoid the formation of artificial clumps in gas and stars by adjusting the gravitational and hydrodynamical force resolutions.
Strawn, C et al., ApJ, 2024 , vol. 962 , issue 1 (citations: 13)
Abstract
We analyze the circumgalactic medium (CGM) for eight commonly-used cosmological codes in the AGORA collaboration. The codes are calibrated to use identical initial conditions, cosmology, heating and cooling, and star formation thresholds, but each evolves with its own unique code architecture and stellar feedback implementation. Here, we analyze the results of these simulations in terms of the structure, composition, and phase dynamics of the CGM. We show properties such as metal distribution, ionization levels, and kinematics are effective tracers of the effects of the different code feedback and implementation methods, and as such they can be highly divergent between simulations. This is merely a fiducial set of models, against which we will in the future compare multiple feedback recipes for each code. Nevertheless, we find that the large parameter space these simulations establish can help disentangle the different variables that affect observable quantities in the CGM, e.g., showing that abundances for ions with higher ionization energy are more strongly determined by the simulation's metallicity, while abundances for ions with lower ionization energy are more strongly determined by the gas density and temperature.
Lock, S et al., PSJ, 2024 , vol. 5 , issue 2 (citations: 6)
Abstract
Earth likely acquired much of its inventory of volatile elements during the main stage of its formation. Some of Earth's proto-atmosphere must therefore have survived the giant impacts, collisions between planet-sized bodies, that dominate the latter phases of accretion. Here, we use a suite of 1D hydrodynamic simulations and impedance-match calculations to quantify the effect that preimpact surface conditions (such as atmospheric pressure and the presence of an ocean) have on the efficiency of atmospheric and ocean loss from protoplanets during giant impacts. We find that—in the absence of an ocean—lighter, hotter, and lower-pressure atmospheres are more easily lost. The presence of an ocean can significantly increase the efficiency of atmospheric loss compared to the no-ocean case, with a rapid transition between low- and high-loss regimes as the mass ratio of atmosphere to ocean decreases. However, contrary to previous thinking, the presence of an ocean can also reduce atmospheric loss if the ocean is not sufficiently massive, typically less than a few times the atmospheric mass. Volatile loss due to giant impacts is thus highly sensitive to the surface conditions on the colliding bodies. To allow our results to be combined with 3D impact simulations, we have developed scaling laws that relate loss to the ground velocity and surface conditions. Our results demonstrate that the final volatile budgets of planets are critically dependent on the exact timing and sequence of impacts experienced by their precursor planetary embryos, making atmospheric properties a highly stochastic outcome of accretion.
Chan, T et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 528 , issue 2 (citations: 16)
Abstract
An ionization front (I-front) that propagates through an inhomogeneous medium is slowed down by self-shielding and recombinations. We perform cosmological radiation hydrodynamics simulations of the I-front propagation during the epoch of cosmic reionization. The simulations resolve gas in mini-haloes (halo mass 104 ≲ Mh[M⊙] ≲ 108) that could dominate recombinations, in a computational volume that is large enough to sample the abundance of such haloes. The numerical resolution is sufficient (gas-particle mass ~20 M⊙ and spatial resolution <0.1 ckpc) to allow accurate modelling of the hydrodynamic response of gas to photoheating. We quantify the photoevaporation time of mini-haloes as a function of Mh and its dependence on the photoionization rate, Γ-12, and the redshift of reionization, zi. The recombination rate can be enhanced over that of a uniform medium by a factor ~10-20 early on. The peak value increases with Γ-12 and decreases with zi, due to the enhanced contribution from mini-haloes. The clumping factor, cr, decreases to a factor of a few at ~100 Myr after the passage of the I-front when the mini-haloes have been photoevaporated; this asymptotic value depends only weakly on Γ-12. Recombinations increase the required number of photons per baryon to reionize the Universe by 20 per cent-100 per cent, with the higher value occurring when Γ-12 is high and zi is low. We complement the numerical simulations with simple analytical models for the evaporation rate and the inverse Strömgren layer. The study also demonstrates the proficiency and potential of SPH-M1RT to address astrophysical problems in high-resolution cosmological simulations.
Husko, F et al., MNRAS, 2024 , vol. 527 , issue 3 (citations: 22)
Abstract
Using the SWIFT simulation code, we compare the effects of different forms of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) feedback in idealized galaxy groups and clusters. We first present a physically motivated model of black hole (BH) spin evolution and a numerical implementation of thermal isotropic feedback (representing the effects of energy-driven winds) and collimated kinetic jets that they launch at different accretion rates. We find that kinetic jet feedback is more efficient at quenching star formation in the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) than thermal isotropic feedback, while simultaneously yielding cooler cores in the intracluster medium (ICM). A hybrid model with both types of AGN feedback yields moderate star formation rates, while having the coolest cores. We then consider a simplified implementation of AGN feedback by fixing the feedback efficiencies and the jet direction, finding that the same general conclusions hold. We vary the feedback energetics (the kick velocity and the heating temperature), the fixed efficiencies and the type of energy (kinetic versus thermal) in both the isotropic and the jet case. The isotropic case is largely insensitive to these variations. On the other hand, jet feedback must be kinetic in order to be efficient at quenching. We also find that it is much more sensitive to the choice of energy per feedback event (the jet velocity), as well as the efficiency. The former indicates that jet velocities need to be carefully chosen in cosmological simulations, while the latter motivates the use of BH spin evolution models.
Altamura, E, PhDT, 2023 (citations: 1)
Abstract
Hydrodynamic simulations have become irreplaceable in modern cosmology for exploring complex systems and making predictions to steer future observations. In Chapter 1, we begin with a philosophical discussion on the role of simulations in science. We argue that simulations can bridge the gap between empirical and fundamental knowledge. The validation of simulations stresses the importance of achieving a balance between trustworthiness and scepticism. Next, Chapter 2 introduces the formation of structures and comparisons between synthetic and observational data. Chapter 3 describes the production pipeline of zoom-in simulations used to model individual objects and novel methods to mitigate known shortcomings. Then, we assessed the weak scaling of the SWIFT code and found it to be one of the hydrodynamic codes with the highest parallel efficiency. In Chapter 4, we study the rotational kinetic Sunyaev-Zeldovich (rkSZ) effect for high-mass galaxy clusters from the MACSIS simulations. We find a maximum signal greater than 100 $\mu$K, 30 times stronger than early predictions from self-similar models, opening prospects for future detection. In Chapter 5, we address a tension between the distribution of entropy measured from observations and predicted by simulations of groups and clusters of galaxies. We find that most recent hydrodynamic simulations systematically over-predict the entropy profiles by up to one order of magnitude, leading to profiles that are shallower and higher than the power-law-like entropy profiles that have been observed. We discuss the dependence on different hydrodynamic and sub-grid parameters using variations of the EAGLE model. Chapter 6 explores the evolution of the profiles as a function of cosmic time. We report power-law-like entropy profiles at high redshift for both objects. However, at late times, an entropy plateau develops and alters the shape of the profile.
McCarthy, I et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 526 , issue 4 (citations: 38)
Abstract
A number of recent studies have found evidence for a tension between observations of large-scale structure (LSS) and the predictions of the standard model of cosmology with the cosmological parameters fit to the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The origin of this 'S8 tension' remains unclear, but possibilities include new physics beyond the standard model, unaccounted for systematic errors in the observational measurements and/or uncertainties in the role that baryons play. Here, we carefully examine the latter possibility using the new FLAMINGO suite of large-volume cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. We project the simulations onto observable harmonic space and compare with observational measurements of the power and cross-power spectra of cosmic shear, CMB lensing, and the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ) effect. We explore the dependence of the predictions on box size and resolution and cosmological parameters, including the neutrino mass, and the efficiency and nature of baryonic 'feedback'. Despite the wide range of astrophysical behaviours simulated, we find that baryonic effects are not sufficiently large to remove the S8 tension. Consistent with recent studies, we find the CMB lensing power spectrum is in excellent agreement with the standard model, while the cosmic shear power spectrum, tSZ effect power spectrum, and the cross-spectra between shear, CMB lensing, and the tSZ effect are all in varying degrees of tension with the CMB-specified standard model. These results suggest that some mechanism is required to slow the growth of fluctuations at late times and/or on non-linear scales, but that it is unlikely that baryon physics is driving this modification.
Baldi, R, A&ARv, 2023 , vol. 31 , issue 1 (citations: 35)
Abstract
Radio-loud compact radio sources (CRSs) are characterised by morphological compactness of the jet structure centred on the active nucleus of the galaxy. Most of the local elliptical galaxies are found to host a CRS with nuclear luminosities lower than those of typical quasars, ≲1042ergs-1 . Recently, low-luminosity CRSs with a LINER-like optical spectrum have been named Fanaroff-Riley (FR) type 0 to highlight their lack of substantially extended radio emission at kpc scales, in contrast with the other Fanaroff-Riley classes, full-fledged FR Is and FR II radio galaxies. FR 0s are the most abundant class of radio galaxies in the local Universe, and characterised by a higher core dominance, poorer Mpc-scale environment and smaller (sub-kpc scale, if resolved) jets than FR Is. However, FR 0s share similar host and nuclear properties with FR Is. A different accretion-ejection paradigm from that in place in FR Is is invoked to account for the parsec-scale FR 0 jets. This review revises the state-of-the-art knowledge about FR 0s, their nature, and which open issues the next generation of radio telescopes can solve in this context.
Roper, W et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 526 , issue 4 (citations: 24)
Abstract
In the First Light And Reionization Epoch Simulations (FLARES) suite of hydrodynamical simulations, we find the high-redshift (z > 5) intrinsic size-luminosity relation is, surprisingly, negatively sloped. However, after including the effects of dust attenuation, we find a positively sloped UV observed size-luminosity relation in good agreement with other simulated and observational studies. In this work, we extend this analysis to probe the underlying physical mechanisms driving the formation and evolution of the compact galaxies driving the negative size-mass/size-luminosity relation. We find the majority of compact galaxies (R1/2, ⋆ < 1 pkpc, which drive the negative slope of the size-mass relation, have transitioned from extended to compact sizes via efficient centralized cooling, resulting in high specific star formation rates in their cores. These compact stellar systems are enshrouded by non-star-forming gas distributions as much as 100 times larger than their stellar counterparts. By comparing with galaxies from the EAGLE simulation suite, we find that these extended gas distributions 'turn on' and begin to form stars between z = 5 and 0 leading to increasing sizes, and thus the evolution of the size-mass relation from a negative to a positive slope. This explicitly demonstrates the process of inside-out galaxy formation in which compact bulges form earlier than the surrounding discs.
Kugel, R et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 526 , issue 4 (citations: 84)
Abstract
To fully take advantage of the data provided by large-scale structure surveys, we need to quantify the potential impact of baryonic effects, such as feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) and star formation, on cosmological observables. In simulations, feedback processes originate on scales that remain unresolved. Therefore, they need to be sourced via subgrid models that contain free parameters. We use machine learning to calibrate the AGN and stellar feedback models for the FLAMINGO (Fullhydro Large-scale structure simulations with All-sky Mapping for the Interpretation of Next Generation Observations) cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. Using Gaussian process emulators trained on Latin hypercubes of 32 smaller volume simulations, we model how the galaxy stellar mass function (SMF) and cluster gas fractions change as a function of the subgrid parameters. The emulators are then fit to observational data, allowing for the inclusion of potential observational biases. We apply our method to the three different FLAMINGO resolutions, spanning a factor of 64 in particle mass, recovering the observed relations within the respective resolved mass ranges. We also use the emulators, which link changes in subgrid parameters to changes in observables, to find models that skirt or exceed the observationally allowed range for cluster gas fractions and the SMF. Our method enables us to define model variations in terms of the data that they are calibrated to rather than the values of specific subgrid parameters. This approach is useful, because subgrid parameters are typically not directly linked to particular observables, and predictions for a specific observable are influenced by multiple subgrid parameters.
Li, W et al., IJNMF, 2023 , vol. 95 , issue 12 (citations: 1)
Abstract
A novel p-adaptive discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method has been developed to solve the Euler equations on three-dimensional tetrahedral grids. Hierarchical orthogonal basis functions are adopted for the DG spatial discretization while a third order TVD Runge-Kutta method is used for the time integration. A vertex-based limiter is applied to the numerical solution in order to eliminate oscillations in the high order method. An error indicator constructed from the solution of order and is used to adapt degrees of freedom in each computational element, which remarkably reduces the computational cost while still maintaining an accurate solution. The developed method is implemented with under the Charm++ parallel computing framework. Charm++ is a parallel computing framework that includes various load-balancing strategies. Implementing the numerical solver under Charm++ system provides us with access to a suite of dynamic load balancing strategies. This can be efficiently used to alleviate the load imbalances created by p-adaptation. A number of numerical experiments are performed to demonstrate both the numerical accuracy and parallel performance of the developed p-adaptive DG method. It is observed that the unbalanced load distribution caused by the parallel p-adaptive DG method can be alleviated by the dynamic load balancing from Charm++ system. Due to this, high performance gain can be achieved. For the testcases studied in the current work, the parallel performance gain ranged from 1.5× to 3.7×. Therefore, the developed p-adaptive DG method can significantly reduce the total simulation time in comparison to the standard DG method without p-adaptation.
Borrow, J et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 526 , issue 2 (citations: 38)
Abstract
All modern galaxy formation models employ stochastic elements in their sub-grid prescriptions to discretize continuous equations across the time domain. In this paper, we investigate how the stochastic nature of these models, notably star formation, black hole accretion, and their associated feedback, that act on small (< kpc) scales, can back-react on macroscopic galaxy properties (e.g. stellar mass and size) across long (> Gyr) time-scales. We find that the scatter in scaling relations predicted by the EAGLE model implemented in the SWIFT code can be significantly impacted by random variability between re-simulations of the same object, even when galaxies are resolved by tens of thousands of particles. We then illustrate how re-simulations of the same object can be used to better understand the underlying model, by showing how correlations between galaxy stellar mass and black hole mass disappear at the highest black hole masses (MBH > 108 M⊙), indicating that the feedback cycle may be interrupted by external processes. We find that although properties that are collected cumulatively over many objects are relatively robust against random variability (e.g. the median of a scaling relation), the properties of individual galaxies (such as galaxy stellar mass) can vary by up to 25 per cent, even far into the well-resolved regime, driven by bursty physics (black hole feedback), and mergers between galaxies. We suggest that studies of individual objects within cosmological simulations be treated with caution, and that any studies aiming to closely investigate such objects must account for random variability within their results.
Schaye, J et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 526 , issue 4 (citations: 251)
Abstract
We introduce the Virgo Consortium's FLAMINGO suite of hydrodynamical simulations for cosmology and galaxy cluster physics. To ensure the simulations are sufficiently realistic for studies of large-scale structure, the subgrid prescriptions for stellar and AGN feedback are calibrated to the observed low-redshift galaxy stellar mass function and cluster gas fractions. The calibration is performed using machine learning, separately for each of FLAMINGO's three resolutions. This approach enables specification of the model by the observables to which they are calibrated. The calibration accounts for a number of potential observational biases and for random errors in the observed stellar masses. The two most demanding simulations have box sizes of 1.0 and 2.8 Gpc on a side and baryonic particle masses of 1 × 108 and $1\times 10^9\, \text{M}_\odot$, respectively. For the latter resolution, the suite includes 12 model variations in a 1 Gpc box. There are 8 variations at fixed cosmology, including shifts in the stellar mass function and/or the cluster gas fractions to which we calibrate, and two alternative implementations of AGN feedback (thermal or jets). The remaining 4 variations use the unmodified calibration data but different cosmologies, including different neutrino masses. The 2.8 Gpc simulation follows 3 × 1011 particles, making it the largest ever hydrodynamical simulation run to z = 0. Light-cone output is produced on-the-fly for up to 8 different observers. We investigate numerical convergence, show that the simulations reproduce the calibration data, and compare with a number of galaxy, cluster, and large-scale structure observations, finding very good agreement with the data for converged predictions. Finally, by comparing hydrodynamical and 'dark-matter-only' simulations, we confirm that baryonic effects can suppress the halo mass function and the matter power spectrum by up to ≈20 per cent.
Zimmer, F et al., JCAP, 2023 , vol. 2023 , issue 11 (citations: 14)
Abstract
Gravitational potentials of the Milky Way and extragalactic structures can influence the propagation of the cosmic neutrino background (CNB). Of particular interest to future CNB observatories, such as PTOLEMY, is the CNB number density on Earth. In this study, we have developed a simulation framework that maps the trajectories of relic neutrinos as they move through the local gravitational environment. The potentials are based on the dark matter halos found in state-of-the-art cosmological N-body simulations, resulting in a more nuanced and realistic input than the previously employed analytical models. We find that the complex dark matter distributions, along with their dynamic evolution, influence the abundance and anisotropies of the CNB in ways unaccounted for by earlier analytical methods. Importantly, these cosmological simulations contain multiple instances of Milky Way-like halos that we employ to model a variety of gravitational landscapes. Consequently, we notice a variation in the CNB number densities that can be primarily attributed to the differences in the masses of these individual halos. For neutrino masses between 0.01 and 0.3 eV, we note clustering factors within the range of 1 + 𝒪(10-3) to 1 + 𝒪(1). Furthermore, the asymmetric nature of the underlying dark matter distributions within the halos results in not only overdense, but intriguingly, underdense regions within the full-sky anisotropy maps. Gravitational clustering appears to have a significant impact on the angular power spectra of these maps, leading to orders of magnitude more power on smaller scales beyond multipoles of ℓ = 3 when juxtaposed against predictions by primordial fluctuations. We discuss how our results reshape our understanding of relic neutrino clustering and how this might affect observability of future CNB observatories such as PTOLEMY. GitHub: our simulation code will be made visible here.
Yuan, Q et al., Natur, 2023 , vol. 623 , issue 7985 (citations: 37)
Abstract
Seismic images of Earth's interior have revealed two continent-sized anomalies with low seismic velocities, known as the large low-velocity provinces (LLVPs), in the lowermost mantle1. The LLVPs are often interpreted as intrinsically dense heterogeneities that are compositionally distinct from the surrounding mantle2. Here we show that LLVPs may represent buried relics of Theia mantle material (TMM) that was preserved in proto-Earth's mantle after the Moon-forming giant impact3. Our canonical giant-impact simulations show that a fraction of Theia's mantle could have been delivered to proto-Earth's solid lower mantle. We find that TMM is intrinsically 2.0-3.5% denser than proto-Earth's mantle based on models of Theia's mantle and the observed higher FeO content of the Moon. Our mantle convection models show that dense TMM blobs with a size of tens of kilometres after the impact can later sink and accumulate into LLVP-like thermochemical piles atop Earth's core and survive to the present day. The LLVPs may, thus, be a natural consequence of the Moon-forming giant impact. Because giant impacts are common at the end stages of planet accretion, similar mantle heterogeneities caused by impacts may also exist in the interiors of other planetary bodies.
Qin, Y et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 526 , issue 1 (citations: 32)
Abstract
Using a semi-analytic galaxy formation model, we study analogues of eight z ≳ 12 galaxies recently discovered by James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We select analogues from a cosmological simulation with a (311 cMpc)3 volume and an effective particle number of 1012 enabling the resolution of every atomic-cooling galaxy at z ≤ 20. We vary model parameters to reproduce the observed ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function at 5 < z < 13, aiming for a statistically representative high-redshift galaxy mock catalogue. Using the forward-modelled JWST photometry, we identify analogues from this catalogue and study their properties as well as possible evolutionary paths and local environment. We find faint JWST galaxies (MUV ≳ - 19.5) to remain consistent with the standard galaxy formation model and that our fiducial catalogue includes large samples of their analogues. The properties of these analogues broadly agree with conventional spectral energy distribution-fitting results, except for having systematically lower redshifts due to the evolving ultraviolet luminosity function, and for having higher specific star formation rates as a result of burstier histories in our model. On the other hand, only a handful of bright galaxy analogues can be identified for the observed z ~ 12 galaxies. Moreover, in order to reproduce the z ≳ 16 JWST galaxy candidates, boosting star-forming efficiencies through reduced feedback regulation and increased gas depletion rate is necessary relative to models of lower redshift populations. This suggests star formation in the first galaxies could differ significantly from their lower redshift counterparts. We also find that these candidates are subject to low-redshift contamination, which is present in our fiducial results as both the dusty or quiescent galaxies at z ~ 5.
Revaz, Y, A&A, 2023 , vol. 679 (citations: 12)
Abstract
So far, numerical simulations of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) have failed to properly reproduce the observed size-luminosity relation. In particular, no hydrodynamical simulation run has managed to form UFDs with a half-light radius as small as 30 pc, as seen in observations of several UFD candidates. We tackle this problem by developing a simple but numerically clean and powerful method in which predictions of the stellar content of UFDs from ΛCDM cosmological hydrodynamical simulations are combined with very high-resolution dark-matter-only runs. This method allows us to trace the buildup history of UFDs and to determine the impact of the merger of building-block objects on their final size. We find that, while no UFDs more compact than 20 pc can be formed, slightly larger systems are only reproduced if all member stars originate from the same initial mini-halo. However, this imposes that (i) the total virial mass is smaller than 3 × 108 M⊙, and (ii) the stellar content prior to the end of the reionisation epoch is very compact (< 15 pc) and strongly gravitationally bound, which is a challenge for current hydrodynamical numerical simulations. If initial stellar building blocks are larger than 35 pc, the size of the UFD will extend to 80 pc. Finally, our study shows that UFDs keep strong imprints of their buildup history in the form of elongated or extended stellar halos. Those features can erroneously be interpreted as tidal signatures.
Kenworthy, M et al., Natur, 2023 , vol. 622 , issue 7982 (citations: 15)
Abstract
Planets grow in rotating disks of dust and gas around forming stars, some of which can subsequently collide in giant impacts after the gas component is removed from the disk1-3. Monitoring programmes with the warm Spitzer mission have recorded substantial and rapid changes in mid-infrared output for several stars, interpreted as variations in the surface area of warm, dusty material ejected by planetary-scale collisions and heated by the central star: for example, NGC 2354-ID8 (refs. 4,5), HD 166191 (ref. 6) and V488 Persei7. Here we report combined observations of the young (about 300 million years old), solar-like star ASASSN-21qj: an infrared brightening consistent with a blackbody temperature of 1,000 Kelvin and a luminosity that is 4 percent that of the star lasting for about 1,000 days, partially overlapping in time with a complex and deep, wavelength-dependent optical eclipse that lasted for about 500 days. The optical eclipse started 2.5 years after the infrared brightening, implying an orbital period of at least that duration. These observations are consistent with a collision between two exoplanets of several to tens of Earth masses at 2-16 astronomical units from the central star. Such an impact produces a hot, highly extended post-impact remnant with sufficient luminosity to explain the infrared observations. Transit of the impact debris, sheared by orbital motion into a long cloud, causes the subsequent complex eclipse of the host star.
Teodoro, L et al., ApJ, 2023 , vol. 955 , issue 2 (citations: 19)
Abstract
We simulate the collision of precursor icy moons analogous to Dione and Rhea as a possible origin for Saturn's remarkably young rings. Such an event could have been triggered a few hundred million years ago by resonant instabilities in a previous satellite system. Using high-resolution smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations, we find that this kind of impact can produce a wide distribution of massive objects and scatter material throughout the system. This includes the direct placement of pure-ice ejecta onto orbits that enter Saturn's Roche limit, which could form or rejuvenate rings. In addition, fragments and debris of rock and ice totaling more than the mass of Enceladus can be placed onto highly eccentric orbits that would intersect with any precursor moons orbiting in the vicinity of Mimas, Enceladus, or Tethys. This could prompt further disruption and facilitate a collisional cascade to distribute more debris for potential ring formation, the re-formation of the present-day moons, and evolution into an eventual cratering population of planetocentric impactors.
Balu, S et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 525 , issue 2 (citations: 3)
Abstract
The hyperfine 21-cm transition of neutral hydrogen from the early Universe (z > 5) is a sensitive probe of the formation and evolution of the first luminous sources. Using the Fisher matrix formalism we explore the complex and degenerate high-dimensional parameter space associated with the high-z sources of this era and forecast quantitative constraints from a future 21-cm power spectrum (21-cm PS) detection. This is achieved using $\rm {\small ERAXES}$, a coupled semi-analytic galaxy formation model and reionization simulation, applied to an N-body halo merger tree with a statistically complete population of all atomically cooled galaxies out to z ~ 20. Our mock observation assumes a 21-cm detection spanning z ∈ [5, 24] from a 1000 h mock observation with the forthcoming Square Kilometre Array, and is calibrated with respect to ultraviolet luminosity functions (UV LFs) at z ∈ [5, 10], the optical depth of CMB photons to Thompson scattering from Planck, and various constraints on the IGM neutral fraction at z > 5. In this work, we focus on the X-ray luminosity, ionizing UV photon escape fraction, star formation, and supernova feedback of the first galaxies. We demonstrate that it is possible to recover five of the eight parameters describing these properties with better than 50 per cent precision using just the 21-cm PS. By combining with UV LFs, we are able to improve our forecast, with five of the eight parameters constrained to better than 10 per cent (and all below 50 per cent).
Shao, H et al., ApJ, 2023 , vol. 956 , issue 2 (citations: 13)
Abstract
We discover analytic equations that can infer the value of Ωm from the positions and velocity moduli of halo and galaxy catalogs. The equations are derived by combining a tailored graph neural network (GNN) architecture with symbolic regression. We first train the GNN on dark matter halos from Gadget N-body simulations to perform field-level likelihood-free inference, and show that our model can infer Ωm with ~6% accuracy from halo catalogs of thousands of N-body simulations run with six different codes: Abacus, CUBEP3M, Gadget, Enzo, PKDGrav3, and Ramses. By applying symbolic regression to the different parts comprising the GNN, we derive equations that can predict Ωm from halo catalogs of simulations run with all of the above codes with accuracies similar to those of the GNN. We show that, by tuning a single free parameter, our equations can also infer the value of Ωm from galaxy catalogs of thousands of state-of-the-art hydrodynamic simulations of the CAMELS project, each with a different astrophysics model, run with five distinct codes that employ different subgrid physics: IllustrisTNG, SIMBA, Astrid, Magneticum, SWIFT-EAGLE. Furthermore, the equations also perform well when tested on galaxy catalogs from simulations covering a vast region in parameter space that samples variations in 5 cosmological and 23 astrophysical parameters. We speculate that the equations may reflect the existence of a fundamental physics relation between the phase-space distribution of generic tracers and Ωm, one that is not affected by galaxy formation physics down to scales as small as 10 h -1 kpc.
Chaikin, E et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 523 , issue 3 (citations: 37)
Abstract
We present a subgrid model for supernova feedback designed for cosmological simulations of galaxy formation that may include a cold interstellar medium (ISM). The model uses thermal and kinetic channels of energy injection, which are built upon the stochastic kinetic and thermal models for stellar feedback used in the OWLS and EAGLE simulations, respectively. In the thermal channel, the energy is distributed statistically isotropically and injected stochastically in large amounts per event, which minimizes spurious radiative energy losses. In the kinetic channel, we inject the energy in small portions by kicking gas particles in pairs in opposite directions. The implementation of kinetic feedback is designed to conserve energy, linear and angular momentum, and is statistically isotropic. To test the model, we run simulations of isolated Milky Way-mass and dwarf galaxies, in which the gas is allowed to cool down to 10 K. Using the thermal and kinetic channels together, we obtain smooth star formation histories and powerful galactic winds with realistic mass loading factors. Furthermore, the model produces spatially resolved star formation rates (SFRs) and velocity dispersions that are in agreement with observations. We vary the numerical resolution by several orders of magnitude and find excellent convergence of the global SFRs and wind mass loading. We show that large thermal energy injections generate a hot phase of the ISM and modulate the star formation by ejecting gas from the disc, while the low-energy kicks increase the turbulent velocity dispersion in the neutral ISM, which in turn helps suppress star formation.
McGibbon, R et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 523 , issue 4 (citations: 4)
Abstract
Using a novel machine learning method, we investigate the buildup of galaxy properties in different simulations, and in various environments within a single simulation. The aim of this work is to show the power of this approach at identifying the physical drivers of galaxy properties within simulations. We compare how the stellar mass is dependent on the value of other galaxy and halo properties at different points in time by examining the feature importance values of a machine learning model. By training the model on IllustrisTNG, we show that stars are produced at earlier times in higher density regions of the universe than they are in low density regions. We also apply the technique to the Illustris, EAGLE, and CAMELS simulations. We find that stellar mass is built up in a similar way in EAGLE and IllustrisTNG, but significantly differently in the original Illustris, suggesting that subgrid model physics is more important than the choice of hydrodynamics method. These differences are driven by the efficiency of supernova feedback. Applying principal component analysis to the CAMELS simulations allows us to identify a component associated with the importance of a halo's gravitational potential and another component representing the time at which galaxies form. We discover that the speed of galactic winds is a more critical subgrid parameter than the total energy per unit star formation. Finally, we find that the Simba black hole feedback model has a larger effect on galaxy formation than the IllustrisTNG black hole feedback model.
Braspenning, J et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 523 , issue 1 (citations: 10)
Abstract
Cloud-wind interactions are common in the interstellar and circumgalactic media. Many studies have used simulations of such interactions to investigate the effect of particular physical processes, but the impact of the choice of hydrodynamic solver has largely been overlooked. Here we study the cloud-wind interaction, also known as the 'blob test', using seven different hydrodynamic solvers: three flavours of SPH, a moving mesh, adaptive mesh refinement, and two meshless schemes. The evolution of masses in dense gas and intermediate-temperature gas, as well as the covering fraction of intermediate-temperature gas, are systematically compared for initial density contrasts of 10 and 100, and five numerical resolutions. To isolate the differences due to the hydrodynamic solvers, we use idealized non-radiative simulations without physical conduction. We find large differences between these methods. SPH methods show slower dispersal of the cloud, particularly for the higher density contrast, but faster convergence, especially for the lower density contrast. Predictions for the intermediate-temperature gas differ particularly strongly, also between non-SPH codes, and converge most slowly. We conclude that the hydrodynamical interaction between a dense cloud and a supersonic wind remains an unsolved problem. Studies aiming to understand the physics or observational signatures of cloud-wind interactions should test the robustness of their results by comparing different hydrodynamic solvers.
de Santi, N et al., ApJ, 2023 , vol. 952 , issue 1 (citations: 46)
Abstract
We train graph neural networks to perform field-level likelihood-free inference using galaxy catalogs from state-of-the-art hydrodynamic simulations of the CAMELS project. Our models are rotational, translational, and permutation invariant and do not impose any cut on scale. From galaxy catalogs that only contain 3D positions and radial velocities of ~1000 galaxies in tiny ${(25\,{h}^{-1}\mathrm{Mpc})}^{3}$ volumes our models can infer the value of Ωm with approximately 12% precision. More importantly, by testing the models on galaxy catalogs from thousands of hydrodynamic simulations, each having a different efficiency of supernova and active galactic nucleus feedback, run with five different codes and subgrid models-IllustrisTNG, SIMBA, Astrid, Magneticum, SWIFT-EAGLE-we find that our models are robust to changes in astrophysics, subgrid physics, and subhalo/galaxy finder. Furthermore, we test our models on 1024 simulations that cover a vast region in parameter space-variations in five cosmological and 23 astrophysical parameters-finding that the model extrapolates really well. Our results indicate that the key to building a robust model is the use of both galaxy positions and velocities, suggesting that the network has likely learned an underlying physical relation that does not depend on galaxy formation and is valid on scales larger than ~10 h -1 kpc.
Adamek, J et al., JCAP, 2023 , vol. 2023 , issue 6 (citations: 25)
Abstract
The measurement of the absolute neutrino mass scale from cosmological large-scale clustering data is one of the key science goals of the Euclid mission. Such a measurement relies on precise modelling of the impact of neutrinos on structure formation, which can be studied with N-body simulations. Here we present the results from a major code comparison effort to establish the maturity and reliability of numerical methods for treating massive neutrinos. The comparison includes eleven full N-body implementations (not all of them independent), two N-body schemes with approximate time integration, and four additional codes that directly predict or emulate the matter power spectrum. Using a common set of initial data we quantify the relative agreement on the nonlinear power spectrum of cold dark matter and baryons and, for the N-body codes, also the relative agreement on the bispectrum, halo mass function, and halo bias. We find that the different numerical implementations produce fully consistent results. We can therefore be confident that we can model the impact of massive neutrinos at the sub-percent level in the most common summary statistics. We also provide a code validation pipeline for future reference.
Harris, A et al., JOSS, 2023 , vol. 8 , issue 86 (citations: 19)
Abstract
nan
Sedain, A et al., arXiv, 2023 (citations: 1)
Abstract
Prolate rotation is characterized by a significant stellar rotation around a galaxy's major axis, which contrasts with the more common oblate rotation. Prolate rotation is thought to be due to major mergers and thus studies of prolate-rotating systems can help us better understand the hierarchical process of galaxy evolution. Dynamical studies of such galaxies are important to find their gravitational potential profile, total mass, and dark matter fraction. Recently, it has been shown in a cosmological simulation that it is possible to form a prolate-rotating dwarf galaxy following a dwarf-dwarf merger event. The simulation also shows that the unusual prolate rotation can be time enduring. In this particular example, the galaxy continued to rotate around its major axis for at least $7.4$\,Gyr (from the merger event until the end of the simulation). In this project, we use mock observations of the hydro-dynamically simulated prolate-rotating dwarf galaxy to fit various stages of its evolution with Jeans dynamical models. The Jeans models successfully fit the early oblate state before the major merger event, and also the late prolate stages of the simulated galaxy, recovering its mass distribution, velocity dispersion, and rotation profile. We also ran a prolate-rotating N-body simulation with similar properties to the cosmologically simulated galaxy, which gradually loses its angular momentum on a short time scale $\sim100$\,Myr. More tests are needed to understand why prolate rotation is time enduring in the cosmological simulation, but not in a simple N-body simulation.
Husko, F et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 521 , issue 3 (citations: 17)
Abstract
We use SWIFT, a smoothed particle hydrodynamics code, to simulate the evolution of bubbles inflated by active galactic nuclei (AGNs) jets, as well as their interactions with the ambient intracluster medium (ICM). These jets inflate lobes that turn into bubbles after the jets are turned off (at t = 50 Myr). Almost all of the energy injected into the jets is transferred to the ICM very quickly after they are turned off, with roughly 70 per cent of it in thermal form and the rest in kinetic. At late times (t > 500 Myr) we find the following: (1) the bubbles draw out trailing filaments of low-entropy gas, similar to those recently observed, (2) the action of buoyancy and the uplift of the filaments dominates the energetics of both the bubbles and the ICM, and (3) almost all of the originally injected energy is in the form of gravitational potential energy, with the bubbles containing 15 per cent of it, and the rest contained in the ICM. These findings indicate that feedback proceeds mainly through the displacement of gas to larger radii. We find that the uplift of these filaments permanently changes the thermodynamic properties of the ICM by reducing the central density and increasing the central temperature (within 30 kpc). We propose that jet feedback proceeds not only through the heating of the ICM (which can delay cooling), but also through the uplift-related reduction of the central gas density. The latter also delays cooling, on top of reducing the amount of gas available to cool.
Altamura, E et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 520 , issue 2 (citations: 21)
Abstract
Recent high-resolution cosmological hydrodynamic simulations run with a variety of codes systematically predict large amounts of entropy in the intra-cluster medium at low redshift, leading to flat entropy profiles and a suppressed cool-core population. This prediction is at odds with X-ray observations of groups and clusters. We use a new implementation of the EAGLE galaxy formation model to investigate the sensitivity of the central entropy and the shape of the profiles to changes in the sub-grid model applied to a suite of zoom-in cosmological simulations of a group of mass M500 = 8.8 × 1012 M⊙ and a cluster of mass 2.9 × 1014 M⊙. Using our reference model, calibrated to match the stellar mass function of field galaxies, we confirm that our simulated groups and clusters contain hot gas with too high entropy in their cores. Additional simulations run without artificial conduction, metal cooling or active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback produce lower entropy levels but still fail to reproduce observed profiles. Conversely, the two objects run without supernova feedback show a significant entropy increase which can be attributed to excessive cooling and star formation. Varying the AGN heating temperature does not greatly affect the profile shape, but only the overall normalization. Finally, we compared runs with four AGN heating schemes and obtained similar profiles, with the exception of bipolar AGN heating, which produces a higher and more uniform entropy distribution. Our study leaves open the question of whether the entropy core problem in simulations, and particularly the lack of power-law cool-core profiles, arise from incorrect physical assumptions, missing physical processes, or insufficient numerical resolution.
Husko, F et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 520 , issue 4 (citations: 17)
Abstract
Simulations of active galactic nuclei (AGN) jets have thus far been performed almost exclusively using grid-based codes. We present the first results from hydrodynamical tests of AGN jets, and their interaction with the intracluster medium (ICM), using smoothed particle hydrodynamics as implemented in the SWIFT code. We launch these jets into a constant-density ICM, as well as ones with a power-law density profile. We also vary the jet power, velocity, opening angle, and numerical resolution. In all cases we find broad agreement between our jets and theoretical predictions for the lengths of the jets and the lobes they inflate, as well as the radii of the lobes. The jets first evolve ballistically, and then transition to a self-similar phase, during which the lobes expand in a self-similar fashion (keeping a constant shape). In this phase the kinetic and thermal energies in the lobes and in the shocked ICM are constant fractions of the total injected energy. In our standard simulation, two thirds of the initially injected energy is transferred to the ICM by the time the jets are turned off, mainly through a bow shock. Of that, $70{{\%}}$ is in kinetic form, indicating that the bow shock does not fully and efficiently thermalize while the jet is active. At resolutions typical of large cosmological simulations (mgas ≈ 107 M⊙), the shape of the lobes is close to self-similar predictions to an accuracy of $15{{\%}}$. This indicates that the basic physics of jet-inflated lobes can be correctly simulated even at such resolutions (≈500 particles per jet).
Roper, W et al., arXiv, 2023 (citations: 2)
Abstract
We present the first study of galaxy evolution in $\ddot{\mu}$ based cosmologies. We find that recent JWST observations of massive galaxies at extremely high redshifts are consistent with such a cosmology. However, the low redshift Universe is entirely divergent from the $\ddot{\mu}$ cosmic star formation rate density. We thus propose that our Universe was at one point dominated by a Primordial Bovine Herd (PBH) which later decayed producing dark energy. Note that we do not detail the mechanisms by which this decay process takes place. Despite its vanishingly small probability for existence, a $\ddot{\mu}$ based cosmological model marries the disparate findings in the high and low redshift Universe.
Ivkovic, M, PhDT, 2023 (citations: 2)
Abstract
The development and implementation of GEAR-RT, a radiative transfer solver using the M1 closure in the open source code SWIFT, is presented, and validated using standard tests for radiative transfer. GEAR-RT is modeled after RAMSES-RT (Rosdahl et al. 2013) with some key differences. Firstly, while RAMSES-RT uses Finite Volume methods and an Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) strategy, GEAR-RT employs particles as discretization elements and solves the equations using a Finite Volume Particle Method (FVPM). Secondly, GEAR-RT makes use of the task-based parallelization strategy of SWIFT, which allows for optimized load balancing, increased cache efficiency, asynchronous communications, and a domain decomposition based on work rather than on data. GEAR-RT is able to perform sub-cycles of radiative transfer steps w.r.t. a single hydrodynamics step. Radiation requires much smaller time step sizes than hydrodynamics, and sub-cycling permits calculations which are not strictly necessary to be skipped. Indeed, in a test case with gravity, hydrodynamics, and radiative transfer, the sub-cycling is able to reduce the runtime of a simulation by over 90%. Allowing only a part of the involved physics to be sub-cycled is a contrived matter when task-based parallelism is involved, and is an entirely novel feature in SWIFT. Since GEAR-RT uses a FVPM, a detailed introduction into Finite Volume methods and Finite Volume Particle Methods is presented. In astrophysical literature, two FVPM methods are written about: Hopkins (2015) have implemented one in their GIZMO code, while the one mentioned in Ivanova et al. (2013) isn't used to date. In this work, I test an implementation of the Ivanova et al. (2013) version, and conclude that in its current form, it is not suitable for use with particles which are co-moving with the fluid, which in turn is an essential feature for cosmological simulations.
Alonso Asensio, I et al., MNRAS, 2023 , vol. 519 , issue 1 (citations: 8)
Abstract
We extend the state-of-the-art N-body code PKDGRAV3 with the inclusion of mesh-free gas hydrodynamics for cosmological simulations. Two new hydrodynamic solvers have been implemented, the mesh-less finite volume and mesh-less finite mass methods. The solvers manifestly conserve mass, momentum, and energy, and have been validated with a wide range of standard test simulations, including cosmological simulations. We also describe improvements to PKDGRAV3 that have been implemented for performing hydrodynamic simulations. These changes have been made with efficiency and modularity in mind, and provide a solid base for the implementation of the required modules for galaxy formation and evolution physics and future porting to GPUs. The code is released in a public repository, together with the documentation, and all the test simulations presented in this work.
Chan, T et al., IAUS, 2023 , vol. 362 (citations: 1)
Abstract
The progress of cosmic reionization depends on the presence of over-dense regions that act as photon sinks. Such sinks may slow down ionization fronts as compared to a uniform intergalactic medium (IGM) by increasing the clumping factor. We present simulations of reionization in a clumpy IGM resolving even the smallest sinks. The simulations use a novel, spatially adaptive and efficient radiative transfer implementation in the SWIFT SPH code, based on the two-moment method. We find that photon sinks can increase the clumping factor by a factor of ∼10 during the first ∼100 Myrs after the passage of an ionization front. After this time, the clumping factor decreases as the smaller sinks photoevaporate. Altogether, photon sinks increase the number of photons required to reionize the Universe by a factor of η ∼2, as compared to the homogeneous case. The value of η also depends on the emissivity of the ionizing sources.
Correa, C et al., MNRAS, 2022 , vol. 517 , issue 2 (citations: 47)
Abstract
We introduce the TangoSIDM project, a suite of cosmological simulations of structure formation in a Λ-self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) universe. TangoSIDM explores the impact of large dark matter (DM) scattering cross-sections over dwarf galaxy scales. Motivated by DM interactions that follow a Yukawa potential, the cross-section per unit mass, σ/mχ, assumes a velocity-dependent form that avoids violations of current constraints on large scales. We demonstrate that our implementation accurately models not only core formation in haloes but also gravothermal core collapse. For central haloes in cosmological volumes, frequent DM particle collisions isotropise the particles orbit, making them largely spherical. We show that the velocity-dependent σ/mχ models produce a large diversity in the circular velocities of satellites haloes, with the spread in velocities increasing as the cross-sections reach 20, 60, and 100 cm2 g-1 in $10^9~\rm {M}_{\odot }$ haloes. The large variation in the haloes internal structure is driven by DM particles interactions, causing in some haloes the formation of extended cores, whereas in others gravothermal core collapse. We conclude that the SIDM models from the Tango project offer a promising explanation for the diversity in the density and velocity profiles of observed dwarf galaxies.
Elbers, W et al., MNRAS, 2022 , vol. 516 , issue 3 (citations: 33)
Abstract
The discovery that neutrinos have mass has important consequences for cosmology. The main effect of massive neutrinos is to suppress the growth of cosmic structure on small scales. Such growth can be accurately modelled using cosmological N-body simulations, but doing so requires accurate initial conditions (ICs). There is a trade-off, especially with first-order ICs, between truncation errors for late starts and discreteness and relativistic errors for early starts. Errors can be minimized by starting simulations at late times using higher order ICs. In this paper, we show that neutrino effects can be absorbed into scale-independent coefficients in higher order Lagrangian perturbation theory (LPT). This clears the way for the use of higher order ICs for massive neutrino simulations. We demonstrate that going to higher order substantially improves the accuracy of simulations. To match the sensitivity of surveys like DESI and Euclid, errors in the matter power spectrum should be well below $1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. However, we find that first-order Zel'dovich ICs lead to much larger errors, even when starting as early as z = 127, exceeding $1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ at z = 0 for k > 0.5 Mpc-1 for the power spectrum and k > 0.1 Mpc-1 for the equilateral bispectrum in our simulations. Ratios of power spectra with different neutrino masses are more robust than absolute statistics, but still depend on the choice of ICs. For all statistics considered, we obtain $1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ agreement between 2LPT and 3LPT at z = 0.
Husko, F et al., MNRAS, 2022 , vol. 516 , issue 3 (citations: 59)
Abstract
We implement a black hole spin evolution and jet feedback model into SWIFT, a smoothed particle hydrodynamics code. The jet power is determined self-consistently assuming that the black hole accretion rate is equal to the Bondi rate (i.e. the accretion efficiency is 100 per cent), and using a realistic, spin-dependent efficiency. The jets are launched along the spin axis of the black hole, resulting in natural reorientation and precession. We apply the model to idealized simulations of galaxy groups and clusters, finding that jet feedback successfully quenches gas cooling and star formation in all systems. Our group-size halo (M200 = 1013 M⊙) is quenched by a strong jet episode triggered by a cooling flow, and it is kept quenched by a low-power jet fed from hot halo accretion. In more massive systems (M200 ≳ 1014 M⊙), hot halo accretion is insufficient to quench the galaxies, or to keep them quenched after the first cooling episode. These galaxies experience multiple episodes of gas cooling, star formation, and jet feedback. In the most massive galaxy cluster that we simulate (M200 = 1015 M⊙), we find peak cold gas masses of 1010 M⊙ and peak star formation rates of a few times 100 $\mathrm{M}_\odot \,\, \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$. These values are achieved during strong cooling flows, which also trigger the strongest jets with peak powers of 1047$\mathrm{erg}\, \mathrm{s}^{-1}$. These jets subsequently shut off the cooling flows and any associated star formation. Jet-inflated bubbles draw out low-entropy gas that subsequently forms dense cooling filaments in their wakes, as seen in observations.
Bahe, Y et al., MNRAS, 2022 , vol. 516 , issue 1 (citations: 56)
Abstract
Active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback from accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is an essential ingredient of galaxy formation simulations. The orbital evolution of SMBHs is affected by dynamical friction that cannot be predicted self-consistently by contemporary simulations of galaxy formation in representative volumes. Instead, such simulations typically use a simple 'repositioning' of SMBHs, but the effects of this approach on SMBH and galaxy properties have not yet been investigated systematically. Based on a suite of smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations with the SWIFT code and a Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton sub-grid gas accretion model, we investigate the impact of repositioning on SMBH growth and on other baryonic components through AGN feedback. Across at least a factor ~1000 in mass resolution, SMBH repositioning (or an equivalent approach) is a necessary prerequisite for AGN feedback; without it, black hole growth is negligible. Limiting the effective repositioning speed to ≲10 km s-1 delays the onset of AGN feedback and severely limits its impact on stellar mass growth in the centre of massive galaxies. Repositioning has three direct physical consequences. It promotes SMBH mergers and thus accelerates their initial growth. In addition, it raises the peak density of the ambient gas and reduces the SMBH velocity relative to it, giving a combined boost to the accretion rate that can reach many orders of magnitude. Our results suggest that a more sophisticated and/or better calibrated treatment of SMBH repositioning is a critical step towards more predictive galaxy formation simulations.
Hausammann, L et al., A&C, 2022 , vol. 41 (citations: 2)
Abstract
Exa-scale simulations are on the horizon but almost no new design for the output has been proposed in recent years. In simulations using individual time steps, the traditional snapshots are over resolving particles/cells with large time steps and are under resolving the particles/cells with short time steps. Therefore, they are unable to follow fast events and use efficiently the storage space. The Continuous Simulation Data Stream (CSDS) is designed to decrease this space while providing an accurate state of the simulation at any time. It takes advantage of the individual time step to ensure the same relative accuracy for all the particles. The outputs consist of a single file representing the full evolution of the simulation. Within this file, the particles are written independently and at their own frequency. Through the interpolation of the records, the state of the simulation can be recovered at any point in time. In this paper, we show that the CSDS can reduce the storage space by 2.76x for the same accuracy than snapshots or increase the accuracy by 67.8x for the same storage space whilst retaining an acceptable reading speed for analysis. By using interpolation between records, the CSDS provides the state of the simulation, with a high accuracy, at any time. This should largely improve the analysis of fast events such as supernovae and simplify the construction of light-cone outputs.
Kegerreis, J et al., ApJL, 2022 , vol. 937 , issue 2 (citations: 29)
Abstract
The Moon is traditionally thought to have coalesced from the debris ejected by a giant impact onto the early Earth. However, such models struggle to explain the similar isotopic compositions of Earth and lunar rocks at the same time as the system's angular momentum, and the details of potential impact scenarios are hotly debated. Above a high resolution threshold for simulations, we find that giant impacts can immediately place a satellite with similar mass and iron content to the Moon into orbit far outside Earth's Roche limit. Even satellites that initially pass within the Roche limit can reliably and predictably survive, by being partially stripped and then torqued onto wider, stable orbits. Furthermore, the outer layers of these directly formed satellites are molten over cooler interiors and are composed of around 60% proto-Earth material. This could alleviate the tension between the Moon's Earth-like isotopic composition and the different signature expected for the impactor. Immediate formation opens up new options for the Moon's early orbit and evolution, including the possibility of a highly tilted orbit to explain the lunar inclination, and offers a simpler, single-stage scenario for the origin of the Moon.
Nobels, F et al., MNRAS, 2022 , vol. 515 , issue 4 (citations: 26)
Abstract
Using high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of idealized galaxy clusters, we study the interaction between the brightest cluster galaxy, its supermassive black hole (BH), and the intracluster medium (ICM). We create initial conditions for which the ICM is in hydrostatic equilibrium within the gravitational potential from the galaxy and an NFW dark matter halo. Two free parameters associated with the thermodynamic profiles determine the cluster gas fraction and the central temperature, where the latter can be used to create cool-core or non-cool-core systems. Our simulations include radiative cooling, star formation, BH accretion, and stellar and active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. Even though the energy of AGN feedback is injected thermally and isotropically, it leads to anisotropic outflows and buoyantly rising bubbles. We find that the BH accretion rate (BHAR) is highly variable and only correlates strongly with the star formation rate (SFR) and the ICM when it is averaged over more than $1~\rm Myr$. We generally find good agreement with the theoretical precipitation framework. In $10^{13}~\rm M_\odot$ haloes, AGN feedback quenches the central galaxy and converts cool-core systems into non-cool-core systems. In contrast, higher mass, cool-core clusters evolve cyclically. Episodes of high BHAR raise the entropy of the ICM out to the radius, where the ratio of the cooling time and the local dynamical time tcool/tdyn > 10, thus suppressing condensation and, after a delay, the BHAR. The corresponding reduction in AGN feedback allows the ICM to cool and become unstable to precipitation, thus initiating a new episode of high SFR and BHAR.
Grove, C et al., MNRAS, 2022 , vol. 515 , issue 2 (citations: 33)
Abstract
Analysis of large galaxy surveys requires confidence in the robustness of numerical simulation methods. The simulations are used to construct mock galaxy catalogues to validate data analysis pipelines and identify potential systematics. We compare three N-body simulation codes, ABACUS, GADGET-2, and SWIFT, to investigate the regimes in which their results agree. We run N-body simulations at three different mass resolutions, 6.25 × 108, 2.11 × 109, and 5.00 × 109 h-1 M⊙, matching phases to reduce the noise within the comparisons. We find systematic errors in the halo clustering between different codes are smaller than the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) statistical error for $s\ \gt\ 20\ h^{-1}$ Mpc in the correlation function in redshift space. Through the resolution comparison we find that simulations run with a mass resolution of 2.1 × 109 h-1 M⊙ are sufficiently converged for systematic effects in the halo clustering to be smaller than the DESI statistical error at scales larger than $20\ h^{-1}$ Mpc. These findings show that the simulations are robust for extracting cosmological information from large scales which is the key goal of the DESI survey. Comparing matter power spectra, we find the codes agree to within 1 per cent for k ≤ 10 h Mpc-1. We also run a comparison of three initial condition generation codes and find good agreement. In addition, we include a quasi-N-body code, FastPM, since we plan use it for certain DESI analyses. The impact of the halo definition and galaxy-halo relation will be presented in a follow-up study.
Chaikin, E et al., MNRAS, 2022 , vol. 514 , issue 1 (citations: 35)
Abstract
Supernova (SN) feedback plays a crucial role in simulations of galaxy formation. Because blast waves from individual SNe occur on scales that remain unresolved in modern cosmological simulations, SN feedback must be implemented as a subgrid model. Differences in the manner in which SN energy is coupled to the local interstellar medium and in which excessive radiative losses are prevented have resulted in a zoo of models used by different groups. However, the importance of the selection of resolution elements around young stellar particles for SN feedback has largely been overlooked. In this work, we examine various selection methods using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics code SWIFT. We run a suite of isolated disc galaxy simulations of a Milky Way-mass galaxy and small cosmological volumes, all with the thermal stochastic SN feedback model used in the EAGLE simulations. We complement the original mass-weighted neighbour selection with a novel algorithm guaranteeing that the SN energy distribution is as close to isotropic as possible. Additionally, we consider algorithms where the energy is injected into the closest, least dense, or most dense neighbour. We show that different neighbour-selection strategies cause significant variations in star formation rates, gas densities, wind mass-loading factors, and galaxy morphology. The isotropic method results in more efficient feedback than the conventional mass-weighted selection. We conclude that the manner in which the feedback energy is distributed among the resolution elements surrounding a feedback event is as important as changing the amount of energy by factors of a few.
McAlpine, S et al., MNRAS, 2022 , vol. 512 , issue 4 (citations: 42)
Abstract
We present SIBELIUS-DARK, a constrained realization simulation of the local volume to a distance of 200 Mpc from the Milky Way. SIBELIUS-DARK is the first study of the 'Simulations Beyond The Local Universe' (SIBELIUS) project, which has the goal of embedding a model Local Group-like system within the correct cosmic environment. The simulation is dark-matter-only, with the galaxy population calculated using the semi-analytic model of galaxy formation, GALFORM. We demonstrate that the large-scale structure that emerges from the SIBELIUS constrained initial conditions matches well the observational data. The inferred galaxy population of SIBELIUS-DARK also match well the observational data, both statistically for the whole volume and on an object-by-object basis for the most massive clusters. For example, the K-band number counts across the whole sky, and when divided between the northern and southern Galactic hemispheres, are well reproduced by SIBELIUS-DARK. We find that the local volume is somewhat unusual in the wider context of ΛCDM: it contains an abnormally high number of supermassive clusters, as well as an overall large-scale underdensity at the level of ≈5 per cent relative to the cosmic mean. However, whilst rare, the extent of these peculiarities does not significantly challenge the ΛCDM model. SIBELIUS-DARK is the most comprehensive constrained realization simulation of the local volume to date, and with this paper we publicly release the halo and galaxy catalogues at z = 0, which we hope will be useful to the wider astronomy community.
Chaikin, E et al., MNRAS, 2022 , vol. 512 , issue 1 (citations: 10)
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that live (not decayed) radioactive 60Fe is present in deep-ocean samples, Antarctic snow, lunar regolith, and cosmic rays. 60Fe represents supernova (SN) ejecta deposited in the Solar system around $3 \, \rm Myr$ ago, and recently an earlier pulse ${\approx}7 \ \rm Myr$ ago has been found. These data point to one or multiple near-Earth SN explosions that presumably participated in the formation of the Local Bubble. We explore this theory using 3D high-resolution smooth-particle hydrodynamical simulations of isolated SNe with ejecta tracers in a uniform interstellar medium (ISM). The simulation allows us to trace the SN ejecta in gas form and those eject in dust grains that are entrained with the gas. We consider two cases of diffused ejecta: when the ejecta are well-mixed in the shock and when they are not. In the latter case, we find that these ejecta remain far behind the forward shock, limiting the distance to which entrained ejecta can be delivered to ≈100 pc in an ISM with $n_\mathrm{H}=0.1\,\, \rm cm^{-3}$ mean hydrogen density. We show that the intensity and the duration of 60Fe accretion depend on the ISM density and the trajectory of the Solar system. Furthermore, we show the possibility of reproducing the two observed peaks in 60Fe concentration with this model by assuming two linear trajectories for the Solar system with 30-km s-1 velocity. The fact that we can reproduce the two observed peaks further supports the theory that the 60Fe signal was originated from near-Earth SNe.
Ruan, C et al., JCAP, 2022 , vol. 2022 , issue 5 (citations: 32)
Abstract
We present MG-GLAM, a code developed for the very fast production of full N-body cosmological simulations in modified gravity (MG) models. We describe the implementation, numerical tests and first results of a large suite of cosmological simulations for three classes of MG models with conformal coupling terms: the f(R) gravity, symmetron and coupled quintessence models. Derived from the parallel particle-mesh code GLAM, MG-GLAM incorporates an efficient multigrid relaxation technique to solve the characteristic nonlinear partial differential equations of these models. For f(R) gravity, we have included new variants to diversify the model behaviour, and we have tailored the relaxation algorithms to these to maintain high computational efficiency. In a companion paper, we describe versions of this code developed for derivative coupling MG models, including the Vainshtein- and K-mouflage-type models. MG-GLAM can model the prototypes for most MG models of interest, and is broad and versatile. The code is highly optimised, with a tremendous speedup of a factor of more than a hundred compared with earlier N-body codes, while still giving accurate predictions of the matter power spectrum and dark matter halo abundance. MG-GLAM is ideal for the generation of large numbers of MG simulations that can be used in the construction of mock galaxy catalogues and the production of accurate emulators for ongoing and future galaxy surveys.
Kugel, R et al., JOSS, 2022 , vol. 7 , issue 72 (citations: 11)
Abstract
nan
Borrow, J et al., MNRAS, 2022 , vol. 511 , issue 2 (citations: 73)
Abstract
Smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is a ubiquitous numerical method for solving the fluid equations, and is prized for its conservation properties, natural adaptivity, and simplicity. We introduce the SPHENIX SPH scheme, which was designed with three key goals in mind: to work well with sub-grid physics modules that inject energy, be highly computationally efficient (both in terms of compute and memory), and to be Lagrangian. SPHENIX uses a Density-Energy equation of motion, along with a variable artificial viscosity and conduction, including limiters designed to work with common sub-grid models of galaxy formation. In particular, we present and test a novel limiter that prevents conduction across shocks, preventing spurious radiative losses in feedback events. SPHENIX is shown to solve many difficult test problems for traditional SPH, including fluid mixing and vorticity conservation, and it is shown to produce convergent behaviour in all tests where this is appropriate. Crucially, we use the same parameters within SPHENIX for the various switches throughout, to demonstrate the performance of the scheme as it would be used in production simulations. SPHENIX is the new default scheme in the SWIFT cosmological simulation code and is available open source.
Dawson, K et al., arXiv, 2022 (citations: 15)
Abstract
Joint studies of imaging and spectroscopic samples, informed by theory and simulations, offer the potential for comprehensive tests of the cosmological model over redshifts z<1.5. Spectroscopic galaxy samples at these redshifts can be increased beyond the planned Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) program by at least an order of magnitude, thus offering significantly more constraining power for these joint studies. Spectroscopic observations of these galaxies in the latter half of the 2020's and beyond would leverage the theory and simulation effort in this regime. In turn, these high density observations will allow enhanced tests of dark energy, physics beyond the standard model, and neutrino masses that will greatly exceed what is currently possible. Here, we present a coordinated program of simulations, theoretical modeling, and future spectroscopy that would enable precise cosmological studies in the accelerating epoch where the effects of dark energy are most apparent.
Bower, R et al., CSE, 2022 , vol. 24 , issue 1 (citations: 1)
Abstract
In this article, we introduce the work of the Massively Parallel Particle Hydrodynamics working group, part of the U.K.'s ExCALIBUR software initiative. The aim of the group is to develop extensible software suitable for simulating complex hydrodynamics problems on exascale computing facilities using a Lagrangian particle-based approach. These methods complement mesh-based approaches, and are particularly suited to problems with a large and fluid dynamic range or that involve free surfaces. The code we are developing uses fine-grained task parallelism to achieve a good load balance, when the workload varies greatly from fluid element to element. We describe how components from astrophysics and engineering are being brought together to further develop this interesting approach, and outline some of the challenges, such as enabling task execution on graphics processing units, that the working group will need to solve in order to extract the full potential of exascale systems.
Hernandez-Aguayo, C et al., JCAP, 2022 , vol. 2022 , issue 1 (citations: 27)
Abstract
We present MG-GLAM, a code developed for the very fast production of full N-body cosmological simulations in modified gravity (MG) models. We describe the implementation, numerical tests and first results of a large suite of cosmological simulations for two broad classes of MG models with derivative coupling terms - the Vainshtein- and Kmouflage-type models - which respectively features the Vainshtein and Kmouflage screening mechanism. Derived from the parallel particle-mesh code GLAM, MG-GLAM incorporates an efficient multigrid relaxation technique to solve the characteristic nonlinear partial differential equations of these models. For Kmouflage, we have proposed a new algorithm for the relaxation solver, and run the first simulations of the model to understand its cosmological behaviour. In a companion paper, we describe versions of this code developed for conformally-coupled MG models, including several variants of f(R) gravity, the symmetron model and coupled quintessence. Altogether, MG-GLAM has so far implemented the prototypes for most MG models of interest, and is broad and versatile. The code is highly optimised, with a tremendous (over two orders of magnitude) speedup when comparing its running time with earlier N-body codes, while still giving accurate predictions of the matter power spectrum and dark matter halo abundance. MG-GLAM is ideal for the generation of large numbers of MG simulations that can be used in the construction of mock galaxy catalogues and accurate emulators for ongoing and future galaxy surveys.
Chan, T et al., MNRAS, 2021 , vol. 505 , issue 4 (citations: 16)
Abstract
We present a new smoothed particle hydrodynamics-radiative transfer method (SPH-M1RT) that is coupled dynamically with SPH. We implement it in the (task-based parallel) SWIFT galaxy simulation code but it can be straightforwardly implemented in other SPH codes. Our moment-based method simultaneously solves the radiation energy and flux equations in SPH, making it adaptive in space and time. We modify the M1 closure relation to stabilize radiation fronts in the optically thin limit. We also introduce anisotropic artificial viscosity and high-order artificial diffusion schemes, which allow the code to handle radiation transport accurately in both the optically thin and optically thick regimes. Non-equilibrium thermochemistry is solved using a semi-implicit sub-cycling technique. The computational cost of our method is independent of the number of sources and can be lowered further by using the reduced speed-of-light approximation. We demonstrate the robustness of our method by applying it to a set of standard tests from the cosmological radiative transfer comparison project of Iliev et al. The SPH-M1RT scheme is well-suited for modelling situations in which numerous sources emit ionizing radiation, such as cosmological simulations of galaxy formation or simulations of the interstellar medium.
Sexton, J et al., JOSS, 2021 , vol. 6 , issue 63 (citations: 14)
Abstract
nan
Hahn, O et al., MNRAS, 2021 , vol. 503 , issue 1 (citations: 63)
Abstract
We present a novel approach to generate higher order initial conditions (ICs) for cosmological simulations that take into account the distinct evolution of baryons and dark matter. We focus on the numerical implementation and the validation of its performance, based on both collisionless N-body simulations and full hydrodynamic Eulerian and Lagrangian simulations. We improve in various ways over previous approaches that were limited to first-order Lagrangian perturbation theory (LPT). Specifically, we (1) generalize nth-order LPT to multifluid systems, allowing 2LPT or 3LPT ICs for two-fluid simulations, (2) employ a novel propagator perturbation theory to set up ICs for Eulerian codes that are fully consistent with 1LPT or 2LPT, (3) demonstrate that our ICs resolve previous problems of two-fluid simulations by using variations in particle masses that eliminate spurious deviations from expected perturbative results, (4) show that the improvements achieved by going to higher order PT are comparable to those seen for single-fluid ICs, and (5) demonstrate the excellent (i.e. few per cent level) agreement between Eulerian and Lagrangian simulations, once high-quality initial conditions are used. The rigorous development of the underlying perturbation theory is presented in a companion paper. All presented algorithms are implemented in the MONOFONIC MUSIC-2 package that we make publicly available.
McCarthy, I et al., MNRAS, 2020 , vol. 499 , issue 3 (citations: 2)
Abstract
The standard model of cosmology, the Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) model, robustly predicts the existence of a multitude of dark matter 'subhaloes' around galaxies like the Milky Way. A wide variety of observations have been proposed to look for the gravitational effects such subhaloes would induce in observable matter. Most of these approaches pertain to the stellar or cool gaseous phases of matter. Here we propose a new approach, which is to search for the perturbations that such dark subhaloes would source in the warm/hot circumgalactic medium (CGM) around normal galaxies. With a combination of analytic theory, carefully controlled high-resolution idealized simulations, and full cosmological hydrodynamical simulations (the ARTEMIS simulations), we calculate the expected signal and how it depends on important physical parameters (subhalo mass, CGM temperature, and relative velocity). We find that dark subhaloes enhance both the local CGM temperature and density and, therefore, also the pressure. For the pressure and density, the fluctuations can vary in magnitude from tens of per cent (for subhaloes with Msub = 1010 M⊙) to a few per cent (for subhaloes with Msub = 108 M⊙), although this depends strongly on the CGM temperature. The subhaloes also induce fluctuations in the velocity field ranging in magnitude from a few km s-1 up to 25 km s-1. We propose that X-ray, Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, radio dispersion measure, and quasar absorption line observations can be used to measure these fluctuations and place constraints on the abundance and distribution of dark subhaloes, thereby placing constraints on the nature of dark matter.
Kegerreis, J et al., ApJL, 2020 , vol. 901 , issue 2 (citations: 34)
Abstract
We present a new scaling law to predict the loss of atmosphere from planetary collisions for any speed, angle, impactor mass, target mass, and body composition, in the regime of giant impacts onto broadly terrestrial planets with relatively thin atmospheres. To this end, we examine the erosion caused by a wide range of impacts, using 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations with sufficiently high resolution to directly model the fate of low-mass atmospheres around 1% of the target's mass. Different collision scenarios lead to extremely different behaviors and consequences for the planets. In spite of this complexity, the fraction of lost atmosphere is fitted well by a power law. Scaling is independent of the system mass for a constant impactor mass ratio. Slow atmosphere-hosting impactors can also deliver a significant mass of atmosphere, but always accompanied by larger proportions of their mantle and core. Different Moon-forming impact hypotheses suggest that around 10%-60% of a primordial atmosphere could have been removed directly, depending on the scenario. We find no evident departure from the scaling trends at the extremes of the parameters explored. The scaling law can be incorporated readily into models of planet formation.
Schafer, C et al., A&C, 2020 , vol. 33 (citations: 15)
Abstract
We present the second release of the now open source smoothed particle hydrodynamics code miluphcuda. The code is designed to run on Nvidia CUDA capable devices. It handles one to three dimensional problems and includes modules to solve the equations for viscid and inviscid hydrodynamical flows, the equations of continuum mechanics using SPH, and self-gravity with a Barnes-Hut tree. The covered material models include different porosity and plasticity models. Several equations of states, especially for impact physics, are implemented. The basic ideas of the numerical scheme are presented, the usage of the code is explained and its versatility is shown by means of different applications. The code is hereby publicly available.
Vandenbroucke, B et al., A&A, 2020 , vol. 641 (citations: 8)
Abstract
Context. Monte Carlo radiative transfer (MCRT) is a widely used technique to model the interaction between radiation and a medium. It plays an important role in astrophysical modelling and when these models are compared with observations.
Aims: We present a novel approach to MCRT that addresses the challenging memory-access patterns of traditional MCRT algorithms, which prevent an optimal performance of MCRT simulations on modern hardware with a complex memory architecture.
Methods: We reformulated the MCRT photon-packet life cycle as a task-based algorithm, whereby the computation is broken down into small tasks that are executed concurrently. Photon packets are stored in intermediate buffers, and tasks propagate photon packets through small parts of the computational domain, moving them from one buffer to another in the process.
Results: Using the implementation of the new algorithm in the photoionization MCRT code CMACIONIZE 2.0, we show that the decomposition of the MCRT grid into small parts leads to a significant performance gain during the photon-packet propagation phase, which constitutes the bulk of an MCRT algorithm because memory caches are used more efficiently. Our new algorithm is faster by a factor 2 to 4 than an equivalent traditional algorithm and shows good strong scaling up to 30 threads. We briefly discuss adjustments to our new algorithm and extensions to other astrophysical MCRT applications.
Conclusions: We show that optimising the memory access patterns of a memory-bound algorithm such as MCRT can yield significant performance gains. The source code of CMACIONIZE 2.0 is hosted at https://github.com/bwvdnbro/CMacIonize
Borrow, J et al., JOSS, 2020 , vol. 5 , issue 52 (citations: 63)
Abstract
nan
Kegerreis, J et al., ApJ, 2020 , vol. 897 , issue 2 (citations: 35)
Abstract
We examine the mechanisms by which the atmosphere can be eroded by giant impacts onto Earth-like planets with thin atmospheres, using 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations with sufficient resolution to directly model the fate of low-mass atmospheres. We present a simple scaling law to estimate the fraction lost for any impact angle and speed in this regime. In the canonical Moon-forming impact, only around 10% of the atmosphere would have been lost from the immediate effects of the collision. There is a gradual transition from removing almost none to almost all of the atmosphere for a grazing impact as it becomes more head-on or increases in speed, including complex, nonmonotonic behavior at low impact angles. In contrast, for head-on impacts, a slightly greater speed can suddenly remove much more atmosphere. Our results broadly agree with the application of 1D models of local atmosphere loss to the ground speeds measured directly from our simulations. However, previous analytical models of shock-wave propagation from an idealized point-mass impact significantly underestimate the ground speeds and hence the total erosion. The strong dependence on impact angle and the interplay of multiple nonlinear and asymmetrical loss mechanisms highlight the need for 3D simulations in order to make realistic predictions.
Cielo, S et al., arXiv, 2020 (citations: 2)
Abstract
The complexity of modern and upcoming computing architectures poses severe challenges for code developers and application specialists, and forces them to expose the highest possible degree of parallelism, in order to make the best use of the available hardware. The Intel$^{(R)}$ Xeon Phi$^{(TM)}$ of second generation (code-named Knights Landing, henceforth KNL) is the latest many-core system, which implements several interesting hardware features like for example a large number of cores per node (up to 72), the 512 bits-wide vector registers and the high-bandwidth memory. The unique features of KNL make this platform a powerful testbed for modern HPC applications. The performance of codes on KNL is therefore a useful proxy of their readiness for future architectures. In this work we describe the lessons learnt during the optimisation of the widely used codes for computational astrophysics P-Gadget-3, Flash and Echo. Moreover, we present results for the visualisation and analysis tools VisIt and yt. These examples show that modern architectures benefit from code optimisation at different levels, even more than traditional multi-core systems. However, the level of modernisation of typical community codes still needs improvements, for them to fully utilise resources of novel architectures.
Elahi, P et al., PASA, 2019 , vol. 36 (citations: 113)
Abstract
We present VELOCIraptor, a massively parallel galaxy/(sub)halo finder that is also capable of robustly identifying tidally disrupted objects and separate stellar halos from galaxies. The code is written in C++11, use the Message Passing Interface (MPI) and OpenMP Application Programming Interface (API) for parallelisation, and includes python tools to read/manipulate the data products produced. We demonstrate the power of the VELOCIraptor (sub)halo finder, showing how it can identify subhalos deep within the host that have negligible density contrasts to their parent halo. We find a subhalo mass-radial distance dependence: large subhalos with mass ratios of ≳10-2 are more common in the central regions than smaller subhalos, a result of dynamical friction and low tidal mass loss rates. This dependence is completely absent in (sub)halo finders in common use, which generally search for substructure in configuration space, yet is present in codes that track particles belonging to halos as they fall into other halos, such as hbt+. VELOCIraptor largely reproduces the dependence seen without tracking, finding a similar radial dependence to hbt+ in well-resolved halos from our limited resolution fiducial simulation.
Zhu, Q, arXiv, 2017 (citations: 1)
Abstract
$N$-body simulations study the dynamics of $N$ particles under the influence of mutual long-distant forces such as gravity. In practice, $N$-body codes will violate Newton's third law if they use either an approximate Poisson solver or individual timesteps. In this study, we construct a novel $N$-body scheme by combining a fast multipole method (FMM) based Poisson solver and a time integrator using a hierarchical Hamiltonian splitting (HHS) technique. We test our implementation for collision-less systems using several problems in galactic dynamics. As a result of the momentum conserving nature of these two key components, the new $N$-body scheme is also momentum conserving. Moreover, we can fully utilize the $\mathcal O(\textit N)$ complexity of FMM with the integrator. With the restored force symmetry, we can improve both angular momentum conservation and energy conservation substantially. The new scheme will be suitable for many applications in galactic dynamics and structure formation. Our implementation, in the code Taichi, is publicly available at https://bitbucket.org/qirong_zhu/taichi_public/.
Kidder, L et al., JCoPh, 2017 , vol. 335 (citations: 94)
Abstract
We introduce a new relativistic astrophysics code, SpECTRE, that combines a discontinuous Galerkin method with a task-based parallelism model. SpECTRE's goal is to achieve more accurate solutions for challenging relativistic astrophysics problems such as core-collapse supernovae and binary neutron star mergers. The robustness of the discontinuous Galerkin method allows for the use of high-resolution shock capturing methods in regions where (relativistic) shocks are found, while exploiting high-order accuracy in smooth regions. A task-based parallelism model allows efficient use of the largest supercomputers for problems with a heterogeneous workload over disparate spatial and temporal scales. We argue that the locality and algorithmic structure of discontinuous Galerkin methods will exhibit good scalability within a task-based parallelism framework. We demonstrate the code on a wide variety of challenging benchmark problems in (non)-relativistic (magneto)-hydrodynamics. We demonstrate the code's scalability including its strong scaling on the NCSA Blue Waters supercomputer up to the machine's full capacity of 22 , 380 nodes using 671 , 400 threads.
Kidder, L et al., arXiv, 2016 (citations: 13)
Abstract
We introduce a new relativistic astrophysics code, SpECTRE, that combines a discontinuous Galerkin method with a task-based parallelism model. SpECTRE's goal is to achieve more accurate solutions for challenging relativistic astrophysics problems such as core-collapse supernovae and binary neutron star mergers. The robustness of the discontinuous Galerkin method allows for the use of high-resolution shock capturing methods in regions where (relativistic) shocks are found, while exploiting high-order accuracy in smooth regions. A task-based parallelism model allows efficient use of the largest supercomputers for problems with a heterogeneous workload over disparate spatial and temporal scales. We argue that the locality and algorithmic structure of discontinuous Galerkin methods will exhibit good scalability within a task-based parallelism framework. We demonstrate the code on a wide variety of challenging benchmark problems in (non)-relativistic (magneto)-hydrodynamics. We demonstrate the code's scalability including its strong scaling on the NCSA Blue Waters supercomputer up to the machine's full capacity of 22,380 nodes using 671,400 threads.