Theory Of Structure Formation Research Articles

New image statistics for detecting disturbed galaxy morphologies at high redshift

Testing theories of hierarchical structure formation requires estimating the distribution of galaxy morphologies and its change with redshift. One aspect of this investigation involves identifying galaxies with disturbed morphologies (e.g., merging galaxies). This is often done by summarizing galaxy images using, e.g., the CAS and Gini-M20 statistics of Conselice (2003) and Lotz et al. (2004), respectively, and associating particular statistic values with disturbance. We introduce three statistics that enhance detection of disturbed morphologies at high-redshift (z ~ 2): the multi-mode (M), intensity (I), and deviation (D) statistics. We show their effectiveness by training a machine-learning classifier, random forest, using 1,639 galaxies observed in the H band by the Hubble Space Telescope WFC3, galaxies that had been previously classified by eye by the CANDELS collaboration (Grogin et al. 2011, Koekemoer et al. 2011). We find that the MID statistics (and the A statistic of Conselice 2003) are the most useful for identifying disturbed morphologies. We also explore whether human annotators are useful for identifying disturbed morphologies. We demonstrate that they show limited ability to detect disturbance at high redshift, and that increasing their number beyond approximately 10 does not provably yield better classification performance. We propose a simulation-based model-fitting algorithm that mitigates these issues by bypassing annotation.

Lagrangian theory of structure formation in relativistic cosmology. II. Average properties of a generic evolution model

Kinematical and dynamical properties of a generic inhomogeneous cosmological model, spatially averaged with respect to free-falling (generalized fundamental) observers, are investigated for the matter model irrotational dust. Paraphrasing a previous Newtonian investigation, we present a relativistic generalization of a backreaction model based on volume-averaging the Relativistic Zeldovich Approximation. In this model we investigate the effect of kinematical backreaction on the evolution of cosmological parameters as they are defined in an averaged inhomogeneous cosmology, and we show that the backreaction model interpolates between orthogonal symmetry properties by covering subcases of the plane-symmetric solution, the Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi solution and the Szekeres solution. We so obtain a powerful model that lays the foundations for quantitatively addressing curvature inhomogeneities as they would be interpreted as Dark Energy or Dark Matter in a quasi-Newtonian cosmology. The present model, having a limited architecture due to an assumed FLRW background, is nevertheless capable of replacing 1/4 of the needed amount for Dark Energy on domains of 200 Mpc in diameter for typical (one-sigma) fluctuations in a CDM initial power spectrum. However, the model is far from explaining Dark Energy on larger scales (spatially), where a 6% effect on 400 Mpc domains is identified that can be traced back to an on average negative intrinsic curvature today. One drawback of the quantitative results presented is the fact that the epoch when backreaction is effective on large scales and leads to volume acceleration lies in the future. We discuss this issue in relation to the initial spectrum, the Dark Matter problem, the coincidence problem, and the fact that large-scale Dark Energy is an effect on the past light cone (not spatial), and we pinpoint key elements of future research.

COSMIC EMULATION: THE CONCENTRATION-MASS RELATION FORwCDM UNIVERSES

The concentration-mass relation for dark matter-dominated halos is one of the essential results expected from a theory of structure formation. We present a simple prediction scheme, a cosmic emulator, for the c-M relation as a function of cosmological parameters for wCDM models. The emulator is constructed from 37 individual models, with three nested N-body gravity-only simulations carried out for each model. The mass range covered by the emulator is 2 x 10^{12} M_sun < M <10^{15} M_sun with a corresponding redshift range of z=0 -1. Over this range of mass and redshift, as well as the variation of cosmological parameters studied, the mean halo concentration varies from c ~ 2 to c ~ 8. The distribution of the concentration at fixed mass is Gaussian with a standard deviation of one-third of the mean value, almost independent of cosmology, mass, and redshift over the ranges probed by the simulations. We compare results from the emulator with previously derived heuristic analytic fits for the c-M relation, finding that they underestimate the halo concentration at high masses. Using the emulator to investigate the cosmology dependence of the c-M relation over the currently allowable range of values, we find -- not surprisingly -- that \sigma_8 and \omega_m influence it considerably, but also that the dark energy equation of state parameter, w, has a substantial effect. In general, the concentration of lower-mass halos is more sensitive to changes in cosmological parameters as compared to cluster mass halos.

Effects of modified Chaplygin gas on structure formation in the universe

In this paper, the structure formation theories for the modified Chaplygin gas (MCG) model are established in the linear and non-linear regimes. Concretely, for the linear regime, the evolutions of the growth index \(f\) and the growth variable \(T\) are illustrated for the interacting MCG (IMCG) model and MCG model without interaction between dark energy and dark matter, which can give reasonable predictions for structure formation. While for the non-linear regime, by supposing the homogeneity and conservation of dark energy when the system reaches virialization, we can point out that MCG reaches the state of turn around later than GCG, the value of the collapse factor in MCG model is bigger than the fiducial value 0.5 in Einstein-de Sitter universe, namely \(\eta >0.5\), because of the effective repulsive force of dark energy, and the density contrast of the virialization tends to the Einstein-de Sitter value \(18\pi ^{2}\). Furthermore, the evolutions of the cluster number counts in LCDM, GCG and MCG models without and with interaction between dark energy and dark matter are illustrated by extending the Press-Schechter framework, which can exhibit the differences among the three models.

Minimal continuum theories of structure formation in dense active fluids

Self-sustained dynamical phases of living matter can exhibit remarkable similarities over a wide range of scales, from mesoscopic vortex structures in microbial suspensions and motility assays of biopolymers to turbulent large-scale instabilities in flocks of birds or schools of fish. Here, we argue that, in many cases, the phenomenology of such active states can be efficiently described in terms of fourth- and higher-order partial differential equations. Structural transitions in these models can be interpreted as Landau-type kinematic transitions in Fourier (wavenumber) space, suggesting that microscopically different biological systems can share universal long-wavelength features. This general idea is illustrated through numerical simulations for two classes of continuum models for incompressible active fluids: a Swift–Hohenberg-type scalar field theory, and a minimal vector model that extends the classical Toner–Tu theory and appears to be a promising candidate for the quantitative description of dense bacterial suspensions. We discuss how microscopic symmetry-breaking mechanisms can enter macroscopic continuum descriptions of collective microbial motion near surfaces, and conclude by outlining future applications.

Unconventional Landau theory of quasicrystalline structure formation

Abstract We propose an unconventional theory which unifies the description of quasicrystal thermodynamics and quasicrystal structure formation by combining the Landau theory of crystallization and the cluster approach to quasicrystals. The theory is illustrated on the example of pentagonal Penrose quasilattice. It employs the notion of non-linear order parameter dependent on the atomic coordinates which was developed in the theory of reconstructive phase transitions. The coordinates of the quasilattice nodes are calculated by minimizing the Landau free energy with the constraint imposed by internal organization of clusters. The correspondence is shown between the theory proposed and the conventional projection method.

DARK MATTER HALO PROFILES OF MASSIVE CLUSTERS: THEORY VERSUS OBSERVATIONS

Dark matter-dominated cluster-scale halos act as an important cosmological probe and provide a key testing ground for structure formation theory. Focusing on their mass profiles, we have carried out (gravity-only) simulations of the concordance LCDM cosmology, covering a mass range of 2.10^{12}-2.10^{15} solar mass/h and a redshift range of z=0-2, while satisfying the associated requirements of resolution and statistical control. When fitting to the Navarro-Frenk-White profile, our concentration-mass (c-M) relation differs in normalization and shape in comparison to previous studies that have limited statistics in the upper end of the mass range. We show that the flattening of the c-M relation with redshift is naturally expressed if c is viewed as a function of the peak height parameter, \nu. Unlike the c-M relation, the slope of the c-\nu relation is effectively constant over the redshift range z=0-2, while the amplitude varies by ~30% for massive clusters. This relation is, however, not universal: Using a simulation suite covering the allowed wCDM parameter space, we show that the c-\nu relation varies by about +/- 20% as cosmological parameters are varied. At fixed mass, the c(M) distribution is well-fit by a Gaussian with \sigma_c/c = 0.33, independent of the radius at which the concentration is defined, the halo dynamical state, and the underlying cosmology. We compare the LCDM predictions with observations of halo concentrations from strong lensing, weak lensing, galaxy kinematics, and X-ray data, finding good agreement for massive clusters (M > 4.10^{14} solar mass/h), but with some disagreements at lower masses. Because of uncertainty in observational systematics and modeling of baryonic physics, the significance of these discrepancies remains unclear.

BULK FLOW OF HALOS IN ΛCDM SIMULATION

Analysis of the Pangu N-body simulation validates that the bulk flow of halos follows a Maxwellian distribution which variance is consistent with the prediction of the linear theory of structure formation. We propose that the consistency between the observed bulk velocity and theories should be examined at the effective scale of the radius of a spherical top-hat window function yielding the same smoothed velocity variance in linear theory as the sample window function does. We compared some recently estimated bulk flows from observational samples with the prediction of the \Lambda CDM model we used; some results deviate from expectation at a level of ~ 3\sigma but the discrepancy is not as severe as previously claimed. We show that bulk flow is only weakly correlated with the dipole of the internal mass distribution, the alignment angle between the mass dipole and the bulk flow has a broad distribution peaked at ~ 30-50 deg., and also that the bulk flow shows little dependence on the mass of the halos used in the estimation. In a simulation of box size 1Gpc/h, for a cell of radius 100 Mpc/h the maximal bulk velocity is >500 km/s, dipoles of the environmental mass outside the cell are not tightly aligned with the bulk flow, but are rather located randomly around it with separation angles ~ 20-40 deg. In the fastest cell there is a slightly smaller number of low-mass halos; however halos inside are clustered more strongly at scales > ~ 20 Mpc/h, which might be a significant feature since the correlation between bulk flow and halo clustering actually increases in significance beyond such scales.

Indirect dark matter searches: Towards a consistent top-bottom approach for studying the gamma-ray signals and associated backgrounds

While dark matter (DM) is the key ingredient for a successful theory of structure formation, its microscopic nature remains elusive. Indirect detection may provide a powerful test for some strongly motivated DM particle models. Nevertheless, astrophysical backgrounds are usually expected with amplitudes and spectral features similar to the chased signals. On galactic scales, these backgrounds arise from interactions of cosmic rays (CRs) with the interstellar gas, both being difficult to infer and model in detail from observations. Moreover, the associated predictions unavoidably come with theoretical errors, which are known to be significant. We show that a trustworthy guide for such challenging searches can be obtained by exploiting the full information contained in cosmological simulations of galaxies, which now include baryonic gas dynamics and star formation. We further insert CR production and transport from the identified supernova events and fully calculate the CR distribution in a simulated galaxy. We focus on diffuse gamma-rays, and self-consistently calculate both the astrophysical galactic emission and the dark matter signal. We notably show that adiabatic contraction does not necessarily induce large signal-to-noise ratios in galactic centers, and could anyway be traced from the astrophysical background itself. We finally discuss how all this may be used as a generic diagnostic tool for galaxy formation.

A GROUP-GALAXY CROSS-CORRELATION FUNCTION ANALYSIS IN zCOSMOS

We present a group-galaxy cross-correlation analysis using a group catalog produced from the 16,500 spectra from the optical zCOSMOS galaxy survey. Our aim is to perform a consistency test in the redshift range 0.2 < z < 0.8 between the clustering strength of the groups and mass estimates that are based on the richness of the groups. We measure the linear bias of the groups by means of a group-galaxy cross-correlation analysis and convert it into mass using the bias-mass relation for a given cosmology, checking the systematic errors using realistic group and galaxy mock catalogs. The measured bias for the zCOSMOS groups increases with group richness as expected by the theory of cosmic structure formation and yields masses that are reasonably consistent with the masses estimated from the richness directly, considering the scatter that is obtained from the 24 mock catalogs. An exception are the richest groups at high redshift (estimated to be more massive than 10^13.5 M_sun), for which the measured bias is significantly larger than for any of the 24 mock catalogs (corresponding to a 3-sigma effect), which is attributed to the extremely large structure that is present in the COSMOS field at z ~ 0.7. Our results are in general agreement with previous studies that reported unusually strong clustering in the COSMOS field.

Lagrangian theory of structure formation in relativistic cosmology: Lagrangian framework and definition of a nonperturbative approximation

In this paper, we present a Lagrangian framework for the description of structure formation in general relativity, restricting attention to irrotational dust matter. As an application we present a self-contained derivation of a general-relativistic analogue of Zel'dovich's approximation for the description of structure formation in cosmology and compare it with previous suggestions in the literature. This approximation is then investigated: paraphrasing the derivation in the Newtonian framework we provide general-relativistic analogues of the basic system of equations for a single dynamical field variable and recall the first-order perturbation solution of these equations. We then define a general-relativistic analogue of Zel'dovich's approximation and investigate its implications by functionally evaluating relevant variables, and we address the singularity problem. We so obtain a possibly powerful model that, although constructed through extrapolation of a perturbative solution, can be used to put into practice nonperturbatively, e.g., problems of structure formation, backreaction problems, nonlinear properties of gravitational radiation, and light propagation in realistic inhomogeneous universe models. With this model we also provide the key building blocks for initializing a fully relativistic numerical simulation.

A FIRST LOOK AT GALAXY FLYBY INTERACTIONS. I. CHARACTERIZING THE FREQUENCY OF FLYBYS IN A COSMOLOGICAL CONTEXT

Hierarchical structure formation theory is based on the notion that mergers drive galaxy evolution, so a considerable framework of semi-analytic models and N-body simulations has been constructed to calculate how mergers transform a growing galaxy. However, galaxy mergers are only one type of major dynamical interaction between halos -- another class of encounter, a close flyby, has been largely ignored. We use cosmological N-body simulations to reconstruct the entire dynamical interaction history of dark matter halos. We present a careful method of identifying and tracking a dark matter halo which resolves the typical classes of anomalies that occur in N-body data. This technique allows us to robustly follow halos and several hierarchical levels of subhalos as they grow, dissolve, merge, and flyby one another -- thereby constructing both a census of the dynamical interactions in a volume and an archive of the dynamical evolution of an individual halo. In addition to a census of mergers, our tool characterizes the frequency of close flyby interactions in the Universe. We find that the number of close flyby interactions is comparable to, or even surpasses, the number of mergers for halo masses $\gtrsim 10^{11}\,\Msun$ at $z \lesssim 2$. Halo flybys occur so frequently to high mass halos that they are continually perturbed, unable to reach a dynamical equilibrium. In particular, we find that Milky Way type halos undergo a similar number of flybys as mergers irrespective of mass-ratio for $z\lesssim 2$. We also find tentative evidence that at high redshift, $z \gtrsim 14$, flybys are as frequent as mergers. Our results suggest that close halo flybys can play an important role in the evolution of the earliest dark matter halos and their galaxies, and can still influence galaxy evolution at the present epoch. [Abridged]

COSMOS: STOCHASTIC BIAS FROM MEASUREMENTS OF WEAK LENSING AND GALAXY CLUSTERING

In the theory of structure formation, galaxies are biased tracers of the underlying matter density field. The statistical relation between galaxy and matter density field is commonly referred as galaxy bias. In this paper, we test the linear bias model with weak-lensing and galaxy clustering measurements in the 2 square degrees COSMOS field (Scoville et al. 2007). We estimate the bias of galaxies between redshifts z=0.2 and z=1, and over correlation scales between R=0.2 h^-1 Mpc and R=15 h^-1 Mpc. We focus on three galaxy samples, selected in flux (simultaneous cuts I_814W < 26.5 and K_s < 24), and in stellar-mass (10^9 < M_* < 10^10 h^-2 Msun and 10^10 < M^*< 10^11 h^-2 Msun). At scales R > 2 h^-1 Mpc, our measurements support a model of bias increasing with redshift. The Tinker et al. (2010) fitting function provides a good fit to the data. We find the best fit mass of the galaxy halos to be log(M_200 h^-1 Msun) = 11.7^+0.6_-1.3 and log(M_200 h^-1 Msun) = 12.4^+0.2_-2.9 respectively for the low and high stellar-mass samples. In the halo model framework, bias is scale-dependent with a change of slope at the transition scale between the one and the two halo terms. We detect a scale-dependence of bias with a turn-down at scale R=2.3\pm1.5 h^-1 Mpc, in agreement with previous galaxy clustering studies. We find no significant amount of stochasticity, suggesting that a linear bias model is sufficient to describe our data. We use N-body simulations to quantify both the amount of cosmic variance and systematic errors in the measurement.

Formation of the first stars in the universe

The standard theory of cosmic structure formation posits that the present-day rich structure of the universe developed through gravitational amplification of tiny matter density fluctuations left over from the Big Bang. Recent observations of the cosmic microwave background, large-scale structure, and distant supernovae determined the energy content of the universe and the basic statistics of the initial density field with great accuracy. It has become possible to make accurate predictions for the formation and nonlinear growth of structure through early to the present epochs. We review recent progress in the theory of structure formation in the early universe. Results from state-of-the-art computer simulations are presented. Finally, we discuss prospects for future observations of the first generation of stars, black holes, and galaxies.

How are Bright Galaxies Embedded within their Dark Matter Halos?

Recent studies suggest that the orientations of large, bright galaxies within their dark matter halos are related to the morphologies of the galaxies themselves. Elliptical galaxies tend to be oriented such that, in projection on the sky, the mass (i.e., the dark matter) is well-aligned with the luminous galaxy. On the other hand, disk galaxies tend to be oriented such that their angular momentum vectors are aligned with the angular momenta of their halos. This results in a misalignment of mass and light, and has important implications for future studies that seek to measure the shapes of the dark matter halos that surround disk galaxies. 1. Bright Galaxies and Dark Matter Halos The idea that large, bright galaxies reside within massive, invisible halos of dark matter is well-accepted. In fact, if the currently-favored theory of structure formation, known as Cold Dark Matter (CDM), is correct, then the dark matter halos of galaxies like our own Milky Way are expected to completely dwarf the visible galaxies that reside within them. High-resolution computer simulations of CDM universes suggest that the dark matter halos of large, bright galaxies should extend to radii that are at least a factor of 10 larger than the radii of the visible galaxies (see, e.g., [1] and references therein). In addition, the simulations suggest that the dark matter halos should be 100 to 200 times more massive than the sum total of the visible material contained within the galaxies (i.e., the stars, the gas, and the dust). For all intents and purposes, then, the “mass” of a galaxy is the mass of its dark matter halo. Although the existence of dark matter halos is well-accepted, relatively few direct constraints exist for the sizes and shapes of the halos that surround the galaxies we observe in our Universe. The reason for this is simple: at present we cannot directly detect the dark matter halos at any wavelength of light. (In the future, however, it may be possible to detect the gamma rays that are produced when CDM particles in the dark matter halos annihilate.) If we wish to place strong constraints on the nature of the dark matter halos, we need a way to “see” that which is invisible. In the past, a number of different techniques have been used to study the dark matter halos of galaxies, and in all cases the techniques use some type of luminous material as a “tracer” of the gravitational potentials of the halos. Here I will focus on recent work that has been carried out with two of these techniques: satellite galaxies that orbit large “primary” galaxies, and weak gravitational lensing. Observationally, the most poorly constrained property of the dark matter halos is their overall shape distribution. CDM predicts that the halos are not spherical. Rather, they

Gravothermal collapse of isolated self-interacting dark matter haloes: N-body simulation versus the fluid model

Self-Interacting Dark Matter (SIDM) is a collisional form of cold dark matter (CDM), originally proposed to solve problems that arose when the collisionless CDM theory of structure formation was compared with observations of galaxies on small scales. The quantitative impact of the proposed elastic collisions on structure formation has been estimated previously by Monte Carlo N-body simulations and by a conducting fluid model, with apparently diverging results. To improve this situation, we make direct comparisons between new Monte Carlo N-body simulations and solutions of the conducting fluid model, for isolated SIDM haloes of fixed mass. This allows us to separate cleanly the effects of gravothermal relaxation from those of continuous mass accretion in an expanding background universe. When these two methods were previously applied to halo formation with cosmological boundary conditions, they disagreed by an order of magnitude about the size of the scattering cross section required to solve the so-called 'cusp-core problem.' We show here, however, that the methods agree with each other within 20 per cent for isolated haloes. This suggests that the two methods are consistent, and that their disagreement for cosmological haloes is not caused by a breakdown of their validity. The isolated haloes studied here undergo gravothermal collapse. We compare the solutions calculated by these two methods for gravothermal collapse starting from several initial conditions. This allows us to calibrate the heat conduction which accounts for the effect of elastic hard-sphere scattering in the fluid model. The amount of tuning of the thermal conductivity parameters required to bring the two methods into close agreement for isolated haloes, however, is too small to explain the discrepancy found previously in the cosmological context.

Structure Formation in the Early Universe

The standard theory of cosmic structure formation posits that the present-day rich structure of the Universe developed through gravitational amplification of tiny matter density fluctuations generated in its very early history. Recent observations of the cosmic microwave background, large-scale structure, and distant supernovae determined the energy content of the Universe and the basic statistics of the initial density field with great accuracy. It has become possible to make accurate predictions for the formation and nonlinear growth of structure from early to the present epochs. We review recent progress in the theory of structure formation in the universe. We focus on the formation of the first cosmological objects. Results from state-of-the-art numerical simulations are presented. Finally, we discuss prospects for future observations of the first generation of stars and galaxies.

Probing galaxy dark matter haloes in COSMOS with weak lensing flexion

Current theories of structure formation predict specific density profiles of galaxy dark matter haloes, and with weak gravitational lensing we can probe these profiles on several scales. On small scales, higher-order shape distortions known as flexion add significant detail to the weak lensing measurements. We present here the first detection of a galaxy-galaxy flexion signal in space-based data, obtained using a new Shapelets pipeline introduced here. We combine this higher-order lensing signal with shear to constrain the average density profile of the galaxy lenses in the Hubble Space Telescope COSMOS survey. We also show that light from nearby bright objects can significantly affect flexion measurements. After correcting for the influence of lens light, we show that the inclusion of flexion provides tighter constraints on density profiles than does shear alone. Finally we find an average density profile consistent with an isothermal sphere.

INCREASING THE FISHER INFORMATION CONTENT IN THE MATTER POWER SPECTRUM BY NONLINEAR WAVELET WIENER FILTERING

We develop a purely mathematical tool to recover some of the information lost in the non-linear collapse of large-scale structure. From a set of 141 simulations of dark matter density fields, we construct a non-linear Weiner filter in order to separate Gaussian and non-Gaussian structure in wavelet space. We find that the non-Gaussian power is dominant at smaller scales, as expected from the theory of structure formation, while the Gaussian counterpart is damped by an order of magnitude on small scales. We find that it is possible to increase the Fisher information by a factor of three before reaching the translinear plateau, an effect comparable to other techniques like the linear reconstruction of the density field.

ONLY THE LONELY: H I IMAGING OF VOID GALAXIES

Void galaxies, residing within the deepest underdensities of the Cosmic Web, present an ideal population for the study of galaxy formation and evolution in an environment undisturbed by the complex processes modifying galaxies in clusters and groups, as well as provide an observational test for theories of cosmological structure formation. We have completed a pilot survey for the HI imaging aspects of a new Void Galaxy Survey (VGS), imaging 15 void galaxies in HI in local (d < 100 Mpc) voids. HI masses range from 3.5 x 10^8 to 3.8 x 10^9 M_sun, with one nondetection with an upper limit of 2.1 x 10^8 M_sun. Our galaxies were selected using a structural and geometric technique to produce a sample that is purely environmentally selected and uniformly represents the void galaxy population. In addition, we use a powerful new backend of the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope that allows us to probe a large volume around each targeted galaxy, simultaneously providing an environmentally constrained sample of fore- and background control sample of galaxies while still resolving individual galaxy kinematics and detecting faint companions in HI. This small sample makes up a surprisingly interesting collection of perturbed and interacting galaxies, all with small stellar disks. Four galaxies have significantly perturbed HI disks, five have previously unidentified companions at distances ranging from 50 to 200 kpc, two are in interacting systems, and one was found to have a polar HI disk. Our initial findings suggest void galaxies are a gas-rich, dynamic population which present evidence of ongoing gas accretion, major and minor interactions, and filamentary alignment despite the surrounding underdense environment.