Halo Properties Research Articles

Constraints on assembly bias from galaxy clustering

ABSTRACT We constrain the newly introduced decorated halo occupation distribution (HOD) model using SDSS DR7 measurements of projected galaxy clustering, $w$p(rp) of galaxies in r-band luminosity-threshold samples. The decorated HOD is a model for the galaxy–halo connection that augments the traditional HOD by allowing for the possibility of galaxy assembly bias: galaxy luminosity may be correlated with dark matter halo properties besides mass, Mvir. We demonstrate that it is not possible to rule out galaxy assembly bias using DR7 measurements of galaxy clustering alone. Moreover, galaxy samples with Mr < −20 and Mr < −20.5 favour central galaxy assembly bias. These samples prefer scenarios in which high-concentration haloes are more likely to host a central galaxy relative to low-concentration haloes of the same Mvir. We formally rule out zero assembly bias with high significance for these samples. In the particular case of the Mr < −20 sample, zero assembly bias is excluded at greater than the 3σ level. Satellite galaxy assembly bias is preferred for the faintest sample we study, Mr < −19. We find no evidence for assembly bias in the Mr < −21 sample. Assembly bias should be accounted for in galaxy clustering analyses or attempts to exploit galaxy clustering to constrain cosmology. In addition to presenting the first constraints on HOD models that accommodate assembly bias, our analysis includes numerous improvements over previous analyses of this data set and supersedes previously published results, even in the case of a standard HOD analysis.

How Are Galaxies Assigned to Halos? Searching for Assembly Bias in the SDSS Galaxy Clustering

Abstract Clustering of dark matter halos has been shown to depend on halo properties beyond mass, such as halo concentration, a phenomenon referred to as halo assembly bias. Standard halo-occupation models (HOD) in large-scale structure studies assume that halo mass alone is sufficient in characterizing the connection between galaxies and halos. Modeling of galaxy clustering can face systematic effects if the number of galaxies within a halo is correlated with other halo properties. Using the Small MultiDark-Planck high-resolution N-body simulation and the clustering measurements of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR7 main galaxy sample, we investigate the extent to which the concentration dependence of halo occupation can be constrained. Furthermore, we study how allowing for the concentration dependence can improve our modeling of galaxy clustering. Our constraints on HOD with assembly bias suggest that satellite population is not correlated with halo concentration at fixed halo mass. At fixed halo mass, our constraints favor lack of correlation between the occupation of centrals and halo concentration in the most luminous samples (M r < −21.5, −21), and modest correlation in the M r < −20.5, −20, −19.5 samples. We show that, in comparison with abundance-matching mock catalogs, our findings suggest qualitatively similar but modest levels of the impact of halo assembly bias on galaxy clustering. The effect is only present in the central occupation and becomes less significant in brighter galaxy samples. Furthermore, by performing model comparison based on information criteria, we find that in most cases, the standard mass-only HOD model is still favored by the observations.

The distribution of dark matter in galaxies

The distribution of the non-luminous matter in galaxies of different luminosity and Hubble type is much more than a proof of the existence of dark particles governing the structures of the Universe. Here, we will review the complex but well-ordered scenario of the properties of the dark halos also in relation with those of the baryonic components they host. Moreover, we will present a number of tight and unexpected correlations between selected properties of the dark and the luminous matter. Such entanglement evolves across the varying properties of the luminous component and it seems to unequivocally lead to a dark particle able to interact with the Standard Model particles over cosmological times. This review will also focus on whether we need a paradigm shift, from pure collisionless dark particles emerging from "first principles", to particles that we can discover only by looking to how they have designed the structure of the galaxies. \keywords{Dark matter \and Galaxies \and Cosmology \and Elementary particles}

The interplay of self-interacting dark matter and baryons in shaping the halo evolution

We use high-resolution hydrodynamical simulation to test the difference of halo properties in cold dark matter (CDM) and a self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) scenario with a constant cross-section of $\sigma^\text{T}/m_{\chi}=1\;\text{cm}^{2}\text{g}^{-1}$. We find that the interplay between dark matter self-interaction and baryonic physics induces a complex evolution of the halo properties, which depends on the halo mass and morphological type, as well as on the halo mass accretion history. While high mass haloes, selected as analogues of early-type galaxies, show cored profiles in the SIDM run, systems of intermediate mass and with a significant disk component can develop a profile that is similar or cuspier than in CDM. The final properties of SIDM haloes - measured at z=0.2 - correlate with the halo concentration and formation time, suggesting that the differences between different systems are due to the fact that we are observing the impact self-interaction. We also search for signatures of self-interacting dark matter in the lensing signal of the main haloes and hints of potential differences in the distribution of Einstein radii, which suggests that future wide-field survey might be able to distinguish between CDM and SIDM models on this basis. Finally, we find that the subhalo abundances are not altered in the adopted SIDM model with respect to CDM.

Osaka feedback model: isolated disc galaxy simulations

We study various implementations of supernova feedback model and present the results of our `Osaka feedback model' using isolated galaxy simulations performed by the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code {\small GADGET-3}. Our model is a modified version of Stinson et al.'s work, and we newly add the momentum kick for SN feedback rather than only thermal feedback. We incorporate the physical properties of SN remnants from the results of Chevalier and McKee \& Ostriker, such as the effective radius of SN bubble and the remnant life-time, in the form of Sedov-Taylor (ST)-like solutions with the effect of radiative cooling. Our model utilizes the local, physical parameters such as density and temperature of the ISM rather than galactic or halo properties to determine the galactic wind velocity or mass-loading factor. The Osaka model succeeds in self-regulating star formation, and naturally produces galactic outflow with variable velocities depending on the local environment and available SN energy as a function of time.An important addition to our previous work by Aoyama et al. is the implementation of the {\small CELib} chemistry library which allows us to deal with the time-dependent input of energy and metal yields for type Ia \& II supernovae (SNe) and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. As initial tests of our model, we apply it to isolated galaxy simulations, and examine various galactic properties and compare with observational data including metal abundances.

The origin of scatter in the star formation rate–stellar mass relation

Observations have revealed that the star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass (M$_{\rm star}$) of star-forming galaxies follow a tight relation known as the galaxy main sequence. However, what physical information is encoded in this relation is under debate. Here, we use the EAGLE cosmological hydrodynamical simulation to study the mass dependence, evolution and origin of scatter in the SFR-M$_{\rm star}$ relation. At $z=0$, we find that the scatter decreases slightly with stellar mass from 0.35 dex at M$_{\rm star} \approx 10^9$ M$_{\odot}$ to 0.30 dex at M$_{\rm star} \gtrsim 10^{10.5}$ M$_{\odot}$. The scatter decreases from $z=0$ to $z=5$ by 0.05 dex at M$_{\rm star} \gtrsim 10^{10}$ M$_{\odot}$ and by 0.15 dex for lower masses. We show that the scatter at $z=0.1$ originates from a combination of fluctuations on short time-scales (ranging from 0.2-2 Gyr) that are presumably associated with self-regulation from cooling, star formation and outflows, but is dominated by long time-scale ($\sim 10$ Gyr) variations related to differences in halo formation times. Shorter time-scale fluctuations are relatively more important for lower-mass galaxies. At high masses, differences in black hole formation efficiency cause additional scatter, but also diminish the scatter caused by different halo formation times. While individual galaxies cross the main sequence multiple times during their evolution, they fluctuate around tracks associated with their halo properties, i.e. galaxies above/below the main sequence at $z = 0.1$ tend to have been above/below the main sequence for $\gg1$ Gyr.

Shape of dark matter haloes in the Illustris simulation: effects of baryons

We study the effect of baryonic processes on the shapes of dark matter (DM) haloes from Illustris, a suite of hydrodynamical (Illustris) and DM-only (Illustris-Dark) cosmological simulations performed with the moving-mesh code {\sc arepo}. DM halo shapes are determined using an iterative method based on the inertia tensor for a wide range of $z=0$ masses ($M_{200} = 1 \times 10^{11} - 3 \times 10^{14} M_\odot$). Convergence tests shows that the local DM shape profiles are converged only for $r > 9\epsilon$, $\epsilon$ being the Plummer-equivalent softening length, larger than expected. Haloes from non-radiative simulations (i.e. neglecting radiative processes, star formation, and feedback) exhibit no alteration in shapes from their DM-only counterparts: thus moving-mesh hydrodynamics alone is insufficient to cause differences in DM shapes. With the full galaxy-physics implementation, condensation of baryons results in significantly rounder and more oblate haloes, with the median minor-to-major axis ratio $\left< s\equiv c/a \right> \approx 0.7$, almost invariant throughout the halo and across halo masses. This somewhat improves the agreement between simulation predictions and observational estimates of the Milky Way halo shape. Consistently, the velocity anisotropy of DM is also reduced in Illustris, across halo masses and radii. Within the inner halo ($r=0.15 R_{200}$), both $s$ and $q$ (intermediate-to-major axis ratio) exhibit non-monotonicity with galaxy mass, peaking at $m_* \approx 10^{10.5-11} M_\odot$, which we find is due to the strong dependence of inner halo shape with galaxy formation efficiency. Baryons in Illustris affect the correlation of halo shape with halo properties, leading to a positive correlation of sphericity of MW-mass haloes with halo formation time and concentration, the latter being mildly more pronounced than in Illustris-Dark.

Dark matter haloes in the multicomponent model – II. Density profiles of galactic haloes

The multicomponent dark matter model with self-scattering and inter-conversions of species into one another is an alternative dark matter paradigm that is capable of resolving the long-standing problems of $\Lambda$CDM cosmology at small scales. In this paper, we have studied in detail the properties of dark matter halos with $M \sim 4-5 \times10^{11} M_{\odot}$ obtained in $N$-body cosmological simulations with the simplest two-component (2cDM) model. A large set of velocity-dependent cross-section prescriptions for elastic scattering and mass conversions, $\sigma_s(v)\propto v^{a_s}$ and $\sigma_c(v)\propto v^{a_c}$, has been explored and the results were compared with observational data. The results demonstrate that self-interactions with the cross-section per particle mass evaluated at $v=100$ km s$^{-1}$ being in the range of $0.01\lesssim \sigma_0/m\lesssim 1$ cm$^2$g$^{-1}$ robustly suppress central cusps, thus resolving the core-cusp problem. The core radii are controlled by the values of $\sigma_0/m$ and the DM cross-section's velocity-dependent power-law indices $(a_s,a_c)$, but are largely insensitive to the species' mass degeneracy. These values are in full agreement with those resolving the substructure and too-big-to-fail problems. We have also studied the evolution of halos in the 2cDM model with cosmic time.

Revisiting the clustering of narrow-line AGN in the local Universe: Joint dependence on stellar mass and colour

We investigate the clustering and dark halo properties for the narrow-line active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the SDSS, particularly examining the joint dependence on galaxy mass and color. AGN in galaxies with blue colors or massive red galaxies with M*>~10^{10.5}Msun are found to show almost identical clustering amplitudes at all scales to control galaxies of the same mass, color and structural parameters. This suggests AGN activity in blue galaxies or massive red galaxies is regulated by internal processes, with no correlation with environment. The antibias of AGN at scales between ~100kpc and a few Mpc, as found in Li et al. (2006) for the AGN as a whole, is observed only for the AGN hosted by galaxies with red colors and relatively low masses <10^{10.5}Msun. A simple halo model in which AGN are preferentially found at dark halo centers can reproduce the observational results, but requiring a mass-dependent central fraction which is a factor of ~4 higher than the fraction estimated from the SDSS group catalogue. The same group catalogue reveals that the host groups of AGN in red satellites tend to have lower halo masses than control galaxies, while the host groups of AGN in red centrals tend to form earlier, as indicated by a larger stellar mass gap between the two most massive galaxies in the groups. Our result implies that the mass assembly history of dark halos may play an additional role in the AGN activity in low-mass red galaxies.

COLOSSUS: A Python Toolkit for Cosmology, Large-scale Structure, and Dark Matter Halos

Abstract This paper introduces Colossus, a public, open-source python package for calculations related to cosmology, the large-scale structure (LSS) of matter in the universe, and the properties of dark matter halos. The code is designed to be fast and easy to use, with a coherent, well-documented user interface. The cosmology module implements Friedman–Lemaitre–Robertson–Walker cosmologies including curvature, relativistic species, and different dark energy equations of state, and provides fast computations of the linear matter power spectrum, variance, and correlation function. The LSS module is concerned with the properties of peaks in Gaussian random fields and halos in a statistical sense, including their peak height, peak curvature, halo bias, and mass function. The halo module deals with spherical overdensity radii and masses, density profiles, concentration, and the splashback radius. To facilitate the rapid exploration of these quantities, Colossus implements more than 40 different fitting functions from the literature. I discuss the core routines in detail, with particular emphasis on their accuracy. Colossus is available at bitbucket.org/bdiemer/colossus.

Dark matter halo properties versus local density and cosmic web location

We study the effects of the local environmental density and the cosmic web environment (filaments, walls, and voids) on key properties of dark matter halos using the Bolshoi-Planck LCDM cosmological simulation. The z = 0 simulation is analysed into filaments, walls, and voids using the SpineWeb method and also the VIDE package of tools, both of which use the watershed transform. The key halo properties that we study are the specific mass accretion rate, spin parameter, concentration, prolateness, scale factor of the last major merger, and scale factor when the halo had half of its z = 0 mass. For all these properties, we find that there is no discernible difference between the halo properties in filaments, walls, or voids when compared at the same environmental density. As a result, we conclude that environmental density is the core attribute that affects these properties. This conclusion is in line with recent findings that properties of galaxies in redshift surveys are independent of their cosmic web environment at the same environmental density at z ~ 0. We also find that the local web environment of the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxies near the centre of a cosmic wall does not appear to have any effect on the properties of these galaxies' dark matter halos except for their orientation, although we find that it is rather rare to have such massive halos near the centre of a relatively small cosmic wall.

Nature versus nurture: what regulates star formation in satellite galaxies?

We use our state-of-the-art Galaxy Evolution and Assembly (GAEA) semi-analytic model to study how and on which time-scales star formation is suppressed in satellite galaxies. Our fiducial stellar feedback model, implementing strong stellar driven outflows, reproduces relatively well the variations of passive fractions as a function of galaxy stellar mass and halo mass measured in the local Universe, as well as the `quenching' time-scales inferred from the data. We show that the same level of agreement can be obtained by using an alternative stellar feedback scheme featuring lower ejection rates at high redshift, and modifying the treatment for hot gas stripping. This scheme over-predicts the number densities of low to intermediate mass galaxies. In addition, a good agreement with the observed passive fractions can be obtained only by assuming that cooling can continue on satellites, at the rate predicted considering halo properties at infall, even after their parent dark matter substructure is stripped below the resolution of the simulation. For our fiducial model, the better agreement with the observed passive fractions can be ascribed to: (i) a larger cold gas fraction of satellites at the time of accretion, and (ii) a lower rate of gas reheating by supernovae explosions and stellar winds with respect to previous versions of our model. Our results suggest that the abundance of passive galaxies with stellar mass larger than ~10^10 Msun is primarily determined by the self-regulation between star formation and stellar feedback, with environmental processes playing a more marginal role.

The Information Content in Cold Stellar Streams

Abstract Cold stellar streams—produced by tidal disruptions of globular clusters—are long-lived, coherent dynamical features in the halo of the Milky Way. They hold the promise of delivering precise information about the gravitational potential, including constraints on the shape of the dark matter halo. Because of their different ages and different positions in phase space, different streams tell us different things about the Galaxy. Here we employ a Cramér–Rao lower bound (CRLB) or Fisher-matrix approach to understand the quantitative information content in (toy versions of) 11 known streams: ATLAS, GD-1, Hermus, Kwando, Orinoco, PS1A, PS1C, PS1D, PS1E, Sangarius, and Triangulum. This approach depends on a generative model, which we have developed previously, and which permits calculation of derivatives of predicted stream properties with respect to Galaxy and stream parameters. We find that in simple analytic models of the Milky Way, streams on eccentric orbits contain the most information about the halo shape. For each stream, there are near degeneracies between dark matter halo properties and parameters of the bulge, the disk, and the stream progenitor itself, but simultaneous fitting of multiple streams will constrain all parameters at the percent level. At this precision, simulated dark matter halos deviate from simple analytic parameterizations, so we add an expansion of basis functions as a first step in giving the gravitational potential more freedom. As freedom increases, the information about the halo reduces overall, and it becomes more localized to the current position of the stream. In the limit of high model freedom, a stellar stream appears to measure the local acceleration at its current position; this motivates thinking about future nonparametric approaches. The CRLB formalism also permits us to assess the value of future measurements of stellar velocities, distances, and proper motions. We show that velocities of stream stars are essential for producing competitive constraints on the distribution of dark matter.

Lyman α forest and non-linear structure characterization in Fuzzy Dark Matter cosmologies

Fuzzy Dark Matter (FDM) represents an alternative and intriguing description of the standard Cold Dark Matter (CDM) fluid, able to explain the lack of direct detection of dark matter particles in the GeV sector and to alleviate small scales tensions in the cosmic large-scale structure formation. Cosmological simulations of FDM models in the literature were performed either with very expensive high-resolution grid-based simulations of individual haloes or through N-body simulations encompassing larger cosmic volumes but resorting on significant approximations in the FDM non-linear dynamics to reduce their computational cost. With the use of the new N-body cosmological hydrodynamical code AX-GADGET, we are now able not only to overcome such numerical problems, but also to combine a fully consistent treatment of FDM dynamics with the presence of gas particles and baryonic physical processes, in order to quantify the FDM impact on specific astrophysical observables. In particular, in this paper we perform and analyse several hydrodynamical simulations in order to constrain the FDM mass by quantifying the impact of FDM on Lyman-$\alpha$ forest observations, as obtained for the first time in the literature in a N-body setup without approximating the FDM dynamics. We also study the statistical properties of haloes, exploiting the large available sample, to extract information on how FDM affects the abundance, the shape, and density profiles of dark matter haloes.

The multidimensional dependence of halo bias in the eye of a machine: a tale of halo structure, assembly, and environment

We develop a novel approach in exploring the joint dependence of halo bias on multiple halo properties using Gaussian process regression. Using a $\Lambda$CDM $N$-body simulation, we carry out a comprehensive study of the joint bias dependence on halo structure, formation history and environment. We show that the bias is a multivariate function of halo properties that falls into three regimes. For massive haloes, halo mass explains the majority of bias variation. For early-forming haloes, bias depends sensitively on the recent mass accretion history. For low-mass and late-forming haloes, bias depends more on the structure of a halo such as its shape and spin. Our framework enables us to convincingly prove that $V_\mathrm{max}/V_\mathrm{vir}$ is a lossy proxy of formation time for bias modelling, whereas the mass, spin, shape and formation time variables are non-redundant with respect to each other. Combining mass and formation time largely accounts for the mass accretion history dependence of bias. Combining all the internal halo properties fully accounts for the density profile dependence inside haloes, and predicts the clustering variation of individual haloes to a $20\%$ level at $\sim 10\mathrm{Mpc}h^{-1}$. When an environmental density is measured outside $1\mathrm{Mpc}h^{-1}$ from the halo centre, it outperforms and largely accounts for the bias dependence on the internal halo structure, explaining the bias variation above a level of $30\%$.

The extended Planetary Nebula Spectrograph (ePN.S) early-type galaxy survey: The kinematic diversity of stellar halos and the relation between halo transition scale and stellar mass

Context. In the hierarchical two-phase formation scenario, the halos of early type galaxies (ETGs) are expected to have different physical properties from the galaxies’ central regions. Aims. The ePN.S survey characterizes the kinematic properties of ETG halos using planetary nebulae (PNe) as tracers, overcoming the limitations of absorption line spectroscopy at low surface brightness. Methods. We present two-dimensional velocity and velocity dispersion fields for 33 ETGs, including fast (FRs) and slow rotators (SRs). The velocity fields were reconstructed from the measured PN velocities using an adaptive kernel procedure validated with simulations, and extend to a median of 5.6 effective radii (Re). We complemented the PN kinematics with absorption line data from the literature, for a complete description of the kinematics from the center to the outskirts. Results. ETGs typically show a kinematic transition between inner regions and halo. Estimated transition radii in units of Re anti-correlate with stellar mass. SRs have increased but still modest rotational support at large radii. Most of the FRs show a decrease in rotation, due to the fading of the inner disk in the outer, more slowly rotating spheroid. 30% of the FRs are dominated by rotation also at large radii. Most ETGs have flat or slightly falling halo velocity dispersion profiles, but 15% of the sample have steeply falling profiles. All of the SRs and 40% of the FRs show signatures of triaxial halos such as kinematic twists or misalignments. We show with illustrative photometric models that this is consistent with the distribution of isophote twists from extended photometry. Conclusions. ETGs have more diverse kinematic properties in their halos than in the central regions. FRs do contain inner disk components but these frequently fade in outer spheroids which are often triaxial. The observed kinematic transition to the halo and its dependence on stellar mass is consistent with ΛCDM simulations and supports a two-phase formation scenario.

Stellar chemo-kinematics of the Cetus dwarf spheroidal galaxy

Context. The great majority of early-type dwarf galaxies, in the Local Group as well as in other galaxy groups, are found in the vicinity of much larger galaxies, making it hard to disentangle the role of internal versus external effects in driving their evolution. Aims. In order to minimize environmental effects and gain an insight into the internal mechanisms that shape the properties of these systems, we study one of the few dwarf spheroidal galaxies of the Local Group found in isolation: Cetus. This system is of particular interest since it does not follow the Local Group morphology-density relation. Methods. We obtained Very Large Telescope (VLT) FORS2 spectra (R ∼ 2600) in the region of the nIR CaII triplet lines for 80 candidate red giant branch (RGB) stars. The analysis yielded line-of-sight velocities and metallicities ([Fe/H]) for 54 bona fide member stars. Results. The kinematic analysis shows that Cetus is a mainly pressure-supported (σv = 110−1.3+1.6 km s−1), dark-matter-dominated system (M1/2/LV = 23.9−8.9+9.7 M⊙/L⊙) with no significant signs of internal rotation. We find Cetus to be a metal-poor system with a significant metallicity spread (median [Fe/H]= − 1.71 dex, median-absolute-deviation = 0.49 dex), as expected for its stellar mass. We report the presence of a mild metallicity gradient compatible with those found in other dwarf spheroidals of the same luminosity; we trace the presence of a stellar population gradient also in the spatial distribution of stars in different evolutionary phases in ancillary SuprimeCam photometric data. There are tentative indications of two chemo-kinematically distinct sub-populations, with the more metal-poor stars showing a hotter kinematics than the metal-richer ones. Furthermore, the photometric dataset reveals the presence of a foreground population that most likely belongs to the Sagittarius stream. Conclusions. This study represents an important step forward in assessing the internal kinematics of the Cetus dwarf spheroidal galaxy as well as the first wide-area spectroscopic determination of its metallicity properties. With our analysis, Cetus adds to the growing scatter in stellar-dark matter halo properties in low-mass galactic systems. The presence of a metallicity gradient akin to those found in similarly luminous and pressure-supported systems inhabiting very different environments may hint at metallicity gradients in Local Group early-type dwarfs being driven by internal mechanisms.

Tidal stripping and post-merger relaxation of dark matter haloes: causes and consequences of mass-loss

We study the properties of distinct dark matter halos (i.e., those that are not subhalos) that have a final virial mass $M_{\mathrm{vir}}$ at $z = 0$ less than their peak mass ($M_{\mathrm{peak}}$) in the Bolshoi-Planck cosmological simulation. We identify two primary causes of halo mass loss: relaxation after a major merger and tidal stripping by a massive neighbouring halo. Major mergers initially boost $M_{\mathrm{vir}}$ and typically cause the final halo to become more prolate and less relaxed and to have higher spin and lower NFW concentration. As the halo relaxes, high energy material from the recent merger gradually escapes beyond the virial radius, temporarily resulting in a net negative accretion rate that reduces the halo mass by $5-15\%$ on average. Halos that experience a major merger around $z = 0.4$ typically reach a minimum mass near $z = 0$. Tidal stripping mainly occurs in dense regions, and it causes halos to become less prolate and have lower spins and higher NFW concentrations. Tidally stripped halos often lose a large fraction of their peak mass ($> 20\%$) and most never recover (or even reattain a positive accretion rate). Low mass halos can be strongly affected by both post-merger mass loss and tidal stripping, while high mass halos are predominantly influenced by post-merger mass loss and show few signs of significant tidal stripping.

The Connection Between Galaxies and Their Dark Matter Halos

In our modern understanding of galaxy formation, every galaxy forms within a dark matter halo. The formation and growth of galaxies over time is connected to the growth of the halos in which they form. The advent of large galaxy surveys as well as high-resolution cosmological simulations has provided a new window into the statistical relationship between galaxies and halos and its evolution. Here, we define this galaxy–halo connection as the multivariate distribution of galaxy and halo properties that can be derived from observations and simulations. This galaxy–halo connection provides a key test of physical galaxy-formation models; it also plays an essential role in constraints of cosmological models using galaxy surveys and in elucidating the properties of dark matter using galaxies. We review techniques for inferring the galaxy–halo connection and the insights that have arisen from these approaches. Some things we have learned are that galaxy-formation efficiency is a strong function of halo mass; at its peak in halos around a pivot halo mass of 1012M⊙, less than 20% of the available baryons have turned into stars by the present day; the intrinsic scatter in galaxy stellar mass is small, less than 0.2 dex at a given halo mass above this pivot mass; below this pivot mass galaxy stellar mass is a strong function of halo mass; the majority of stars over cosmic time were formed in a narrow region around this pivot mass. We also highlight key open questions about how galaxies and halos are connected, including understanding the correlations with secondary properties and the connection of these properties to galaxy clustering.

Cosmic degeneracies III: N-body simulations of interacting dark energy with non-Gaussian initial conditions

We perform for the first time N-body simulations of Interacting Dark Energy assuming non-Gaussian initial conditions, with the aim of investigating possible degeneracies of these two theoretically independent phenomena in different observational probes. We focus on the large-scale matter distribution, as well as on the statistical and structural properties of collapsed halos and cosmic voids. On very large scales, we show that it is possible to choose the Interaction and non-Gaussian parameters such that their effects on the halo power spectrum cancel, and the power spectrum is indistinguishable from a $\mathrm{\Lambda CDM}$ model. On small scales, measurements of the non-linear matter power spectrum, halo-matter bias, halo and subhalo mass function and cosmic void number function validate the degeneracy determined on large scales. However, the internal structural properties of halos and cosmic voids, namely halo concentration-mass relation and void density profile, are very different from those measured in the $\mathrm{\Lambda CDM}$ model, thereby breaking the degeneracy. In practice, the values of $\mathrm{f_{NL}}$ required to cancel the effect of interaction are already ruled by observations. Our results show in principle that the combination of large- and small-scale probes is needed to constrain Interacting Dark Energy and Primordial non-Gaussianity separately.