Virial Radius Research Articles

A Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Ionised Gas Emission (VESTIGE)

We examine the prevalence of truncated star-forming discs in the Virgo cluster down to M* ≃ 107 M⊙. This work makes use of deep, high-resolution imaging in the Hα+[N II] narrow-band from the Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Ionised Gas Emission (VESTIGE) and optical imaging from the Next Generation Virgo Survey (NGVS). To aid in the understanding of the effects of the cluster environment on star formation in Virgo galaxies, we take a physically motivated approach to define the edge of the star-forming disc via a drop-off in the radial specific star formation rate profile. A comparison with the expected sizes of normal galactic discs provides a measure of how truncated star-forming discs are in the cluster. We find that truncated star-forming discs are nearly ubiquitous across all regions of the Virgo cluster, including beyond the virial radius (0.974 Mpc). The majority of truncated discs at large cluster-centric radii are of galaxies likely on their first infall. As the intra-cluster medium density is low in this region, it is difficult to explain this population with solely ram-pressure stripping. A plausible explanation is that these galaxies are undergoing starvation of their gas supply before ram-pressure stripping becomes the dominant quenching mechanism. A simple model of starvation shows that this mechanism can produce moderate disc truncations within 1−2 Gyr. This model is consistent with ‘slow-then-rapid’ or ‘delayed-then-rapid’ quenching, whereby the early starvation mode drives disc truncations without significant change to the integrated star formation rate, and the later ram-pressure stripping mode rapidly quenches the galaxy. The origin of starvation may be in the group structures that exist around the main Virgo cluster, which indicates the importance of understanding pre-processing of galaxies beyond the cluster virial radius.

Lyman Limit System with O vi in the Circumgalactic Environment of a Pair of Galaxies

We report on the analysis of a multiphase Lyman limit system (LLS) at z = 0.39047 identified toward the background quasar FBQS J0209–0438. The O VI doublet lines associated with this absorber have a different profile from the low-ionization metals and H i. Ly α has a very broad H i (b ≈ 150 km s−1) component well-aligned with one of the O VI components. The Doppler b-parameters for the broad H i and O VI indicate gas with T = (0.8 − 2.0) × 106 K and a total hydrogen column density that is an order of magnitude larger than the cooler phase of gas responsible for the LLS. Observations by the Very Large Telescope MUSE show two moderately star-forming galaxies within ρ ≲ 105 kpc and ∣Δv∣ ≲ 130 km s−1 of the absorber, one of them a dwarf galaxy (M * ≈ 106 M ⊙) overlapping with the quasar point-spread function, and the other a larger galaxy (R 1/2 ≈ 4 kpc) with M * ≈ 3 × 1010 M ⊙ and M h ≈ 7 × 1011 M ⊙, and the dwarf galaxy within its virial radius. Although the absorption is aligned with the extended major axis of the larger galaxy, the line-of-sight velocity of the absorbing gas is inconsistent with corotating accretion. The metallicity inferred for the LLS is lower than the gas phase [O/H] of the two galaxies. The mixture of cool and warm/hot gas phases for the absorbing gas and its proximity and orientation to the galaxy pair points to the LLS being a high-velocity gas in the combined halo environment of both galaxies.

The Power of High-precision Broadband Photometry: Tracing the Milky Way Density Profile with Blue Horizontal Branch Stars in the Dark Energy Survey

Blue horizontal branch stars (BHBs), excellent distant tracers for probing the Milky Way’s halo density profile, are distinguished in the g−r0 versus (i − z)0 color space from another class of stars, blue straggler stars. We develop a Bayesian mixture model to classify BHBs using high-precision photometry data from the Dark Energy Survey Data Release 2 (DES DR2). We select ∼2100 highly probable BHBs based on their griz photometry and the associated uncertainties, and we use these stars to map the stellar halo over the Galactocentric radial range 20 kpc ≲ R ≲ 70 kpc. After excluding known stellar overdensities, we find that the number density n ⋆ of BHBs can be represented by a power-law density profile n ⋆ ∝ R −α with an index of α=4.34−0.12+0.13±0.52 , consistent with existing literature values. In addition, we examine the impact of systematic errors and the spatial inhomogeneity on the fitted density profile. Our work demonstrates the effectiveness of high-precision griz photometry in selecting BHBs. The upcoming photometric survey from the Rubin Observatory, expected to reach depths 2–3 mag greater than DES during its 10 yr mission, will enable us to investigate the density profile of the Milky Way’s halo out to the virial radius, unraveling the complex processes of formation and evolution in our Galaxy.

CHEX-MATE: Dynamical masses for a sample of 101 Planck Sunyaev-Zeldovich-selected galaxy clusters

The Cluster HEritage project with XMM-Newton – Mass Assembly and Thermodynamics at the Endpoint of structure formation (CHEX-MATE) is a programme to study a minimally biased sample of 118 galaxy clusters detected by Planck through the Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect. Accurate and precise mass measurements are required to exploit CHEX-MATE as an astrophysical laboratory and a calibration sample for cosmological probes in the era of large surveys. We measured masses based on the galaxy dynamics, which are highly complementary to weak-lensing or X-ray estimates. We analysed the sample with a uniform pipeline that is stable both for poorly sampled or rich clusters ---using spectroscopic redshifts from public (NED, SDSS, and DESI) or private archives--- and dedicated observational programmes. We modelled the halo mass density and the anisotropy profile. Membership is confirmed with a cleaning procedure in phase space. We derived masses from measured velocity dispersions under the assumed model. We measured dynamical masses for 101 CHEX-MATE clusters with at least ten confirmed members within the virial radius $r_ 200c $. Estimated redshifts and velocity dispersions agree with literature values when available. Validation with weak-lensing masses shows agreement within $8 (stat.) (sys.) \,<!PCT!>$, and confirms dynamical masses as an unbiased proxy. Comparison with Planck masses shows them to be biased low by $34 (stat.) (sys.) \,<!PCT!>$. A follow-up spectroscopic campaign is underway to cover the full CHEX-MATE sample.

Sequential formation of supermassive stars and heavy seed BHs through the interplay of cosmological cold accretion and stellar radiative feedback

ABSTRACT Supermassive stars (SMSs) and heavy seed black holes, as their remnants, are promising candidates for supermassive black hole (SMBH) progenitors, especially for ones observed in the early universe $z\simeq 8.5-10$ by recent JWST observations. Expected cradles of SMSs are the atomic cooling haloes ($M_{\rm halo}\simeq 10^7\ \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$), where ‘cold accretion’ emerges and possibly forms SMSs. We perform a suit of cosmological radiation hydrodynamics simulations and investigate star formation after the emergence of cold accretion, solving radiative feedback from stars inside the halo. We follow the mass growth of the protostars for $\sim 3\ \mathrm{Myr}$, resolving the gas inflow down to $\sim 0.1\ \mathrm{pc}$ scales. We discover that, after cold accretion emerges, multiple SMSs of $m_{\star }\gtrsim 10^5\ \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ form at the halo centre with the accretion rates maintained at $\dot{m}_{\star }\simeq 0.04\ \mathrm{M}_\odot \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ for $\lesssim 3\ \mathrm{Myr}$. Cold accretion supplies gas at a rate of $\dot{M}_{\rm gas}\gtrsim 0.01-0.1\ \mathrm{M}_\odot \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ from outside the halo virial radius to the central gas disc. Gravitational torques from spiral arms transport gas further inwards, which feeds the SMSs. Radiative feedback from stars suppresses $\mathrm{H}_2$ cooling and disc fragmentation, while photoevaporation is prevented by a dense envelope, which attenuates ionizing radiation. Our results suggest that cold accretion can bring efficient BH mass growth after seed formation in the later universe. Moreover, cold accretion and gas migration inside the central disc increase the mass concentration and provide a promising formation site for the extremely compact stellar clusters observed by JWST.

Subhalos in Galaxy Clusters: Coherent Accretion and Internal Orbits

Subhalo dynamics in galaxy cluster host halos govern the observed distribution and properties of cluster member galaxies. We use the IllustrisTNG simulation to investigate the accretion and orbits of subhalos found in cluster-size halos. We find that the median change in the major axis direction of cluster-size host halos is approximately 80° between a ∼ 0.1 and the present day. We identify coherent regions in the angular distribution of subhalo accretion, and ∼68% of accreted subhalos enter their host halo through ∼38% of the surface area at the virial radius. The majority of galaxy clusters in the sample have ∼2 such coherent regions. We further measure angular orbits of subhalos with respect to the host major axis and use a clustering algorithm to identify distinct orbit modes with varying oscillation timescales. The orbit modes correlate with subhalo accretion conditions. Subhalos in orbit modes with shorter oscillations tend to have lower peak masses and accretion directions somewhat more aligned with the major axis. One orbit mode, exhibiting the least oscillatory behavior, largely consists of subhalos that accrete near the plane perpendicular to the host halo major axis. Our findings are consistent with expectations from inflow from major filament structures and internal dynamical friction: most subhalos accrete through coherent regions, and more massive subhalos experience fewer orbits after accretion. Our work offers a unique quantification of subhalo dynamics that can be connected to how the intracluster medium strips and quenches cluster galaxies.

The hot circumgalactic medium in the eROSITA All-Sky Survey

Context. The circumgalactic medium (CGM) provides the material needed for galaxy formation and influences galaxy evolution. The hot (T > 106K) CGM is poorly detected around galaxies with stellar masses (M*) lower than 3 × 1011 M⊙ due to the low surface brightness. Aims. We aim to detect the X-ray emission from the hot CGM around Milky Way-mass (MW-mass, log(M*/M⊙) = 10.5 − 11.0) and M31-mass (log(M*/M⊙) = 11.0 − 11.25) galaxies, in addition to measuring the X-ray surface brightness profile of the hot CGM. Methods. We applied a stacking technique to gain enough statistics to detect the hot CGM. We used the X-ray data from the first four SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Surveys (eRASS:4). We discussed how the satellite galaxies could bias the stacking and the method we used to carefully build the central galaxy samples. Based on the SDSS spectroscopic survey and halo-based group finder algorithm, we selected central galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts of zspec < 0.2 and stellar masses of 10.0 < log(M*/M⊙) < 11.5 (85 222 galaxies) – or halo masses of 11.5 < log(M200m/M⊙) < 14.0 (125,512 galaxies). By stacking the X-ray emission around galaxies, we obtained the mean X-ray surface brightness profiles. We masked the detected X-ray point sources and carefully modeled the X-ray emission from the unresolved active galactic nuclei (AGN) and X-ray binaries (XRB) to obtain the X-ray emission from the hot CGM. Results. We measured the X-ray surface brightness profiles for central galaxies of log(M*/M⊙) > 10.0 or log(M200m/M⊙) > 11.5. We detected the X-ray emission around MW-mass and more massive central galaxies extending up to the virial radius (Rvir). The signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the extended emission around MW-mass (M31-mass) galaxy is about 3.1σ (4.7σ) within Rvir. We used a β model to describe the X-ray surface brightness profile of the hot CGM (SX, CGM). We obtained a central surface brightness of log(SX,0[erg s−1 kpc−2]) = 36.7−0.4+1.4 (37.1−0.4+1.5) and β = 0.43−0.06+0.10 (0.37−0.02+0.04) for MW-mass (M31-mass) galaxies. For galaxies with log(M200m/M⊙) > 12.5, the extended X-ray emission is detected with S/N > 2.8σ and the SX, CGM can be described by a β model with β ≈ 0.4 and log(SX,0[erg s−1 kpc−2]) > 37.2. We estimated the baryon budget of the hot CGM and obtained a value that is lower than the prediction of ΛCDM cosmology, indicating significant gas depletion in these halos. We extrapolated the hot CGM profile measured within Rvir to larger radii and found that within ≈3Rvir, the baryon budget is close to the ΛCDM cosmology prediction. Conclusions. We measured the extended X-ray emission from representative populations of central galaxies around and above MW-mass out to Rvir. Our results set a firm footing for the presence of the hot CGM around such galaxies. These measurements constitute a new benchmark for galaxy evolution models and possible implementations of feedback processes therein.

Sunyaev–Zeldovich Signals from L* Galaxies: Observations, Analytics, and Simulations

We analyze measurements of the thermal Sunyaev–Zeldovich (tSZ) effect arising in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of L* galaxies, reported by J. N. Bregman et al. (B+22) and S. Das et al. (D+23). In our analysis, we use the Y. Faerman et al. CGM models, a new power-law model (PLM), and the TNG100 simulation. For a given M vir, our PLM has four parameters: the fraction, f hCGM, of the halo baryon mass in hot CGM gas, the ratio, ϕ T , of the actual gas temperature at the virial radius to the virial temperature, and the power-law indices, a P,th and a n for the thermal electron pressure and the hydrogen nucleon density. The B+22 Compton-y profile implies steep electron pressure slopes (a P,th ≃ 2). For isothermal conditions, the temperature is at least 1.1 × 106 K, with a hot CGM gas mass of up to 3.5 × 1011 M ⊙ for a virial mass of 2.75 × 1012 M ⊙. However, if isothermal, the gas must be expanding out of the halos. An isentropic equation of state is favored for which hydrostatic equilibrium is possible. The B+22 and D+23 results are consistent with each other and with recent (0.5–2 keV) CGM X-ray observations of Milky Way mass systems. For M vir ≃ 3 × 1012 M ⊙, the scaled Compton pressure integrals, E(z)−2/3Y500/Mvir,125/3 , lie in the narrow range, 2.5 × 10−4–5.0 × 10−4 kpc2, for all three sets of observations. TNG100 underpredicts the tSZ parameters by factors ∼0.5 dex for the L* galaxies, suggesting that the feedback strengths and CGM gas losses are overestimated in the simulated halos at these mass scales.

Mass scaling relations for dark halos from an analytic universal outer density profile

Context. The average matter density within the turnaround scale, which demarcates where galaxies shift from clustering around a structure to joining the expansion of the Universe, is an important cosmological probe. However, a measurement of the mass enclosed by the turnaround radius is difficult. Analyses of the turnaround scale in simulated galaxy clusters place the turnaround radius at about three times the virial radius in a ΛCDM universe and at a (present-day) density contrast with the background matter density of the Universe of δ ~ 11. Assessing the mass at such extended distances from a cluster’s center is a challenge for current mass measurement techniques. Consequently, there is a need to develop and validate new mass-scaling relations, to connect observable masses at cluster interiors with masses at greater distances. Aims. Our research aims to establish an analytical framework for the most probable mass profile of galaxy clusters, leading to novel mass scaling relations, allowing us to estimate masses at larger scales. We derive such analytical mass profiles and compare them with those from cosmological simulations. Methods. We used excursion set theory, which provides a statistical framework for the density and local environment of dark matter halos, and complement it with the spherical collapse model to follow the non-linear growth of these halos. Results. The profile we developed analytically showed good agreement (better than 30%, and dependent on halo mass) with the mass profiles of simulated galaxy clusters. Mass scaling relations were obtained from the analytical profile with offset better than 15% from the simulated ones. This level of precision highlights the potential of our model for probing structure formation dynamics at the outskirts of galaxy clusters.

Refractive lensing of scintillating FRBs by subparsec cloudlets in the multiphase CGM

We consider the refractive lensing effects of ionized cool ([Formula: see text]) gas cloudlets in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of galaxies. In particular, we discuss the combined effects of lensing from these cloudlets and scintillation from plasma screens in the Milky Way interstellar medium (ISM). We show that, if the CGM comprises a mist of subparsec cloudlets with column densities of order [Formula: see text] (as predicted by [M. McCourt, S. P. Oh, R. O'Leary, A. M. Madigan, MNRAS 473, 5407-5431 (2018)]), then fast radio bursts (FRBs) whose sightlines pass within a virial radius of a CGM halo will may be lensed into tens of refractive images with a ∼10 ms scattering timescale. When these images are formed, they will be resolved by scintillating screens in the Milky Way ISM and will suppress the observed scintillation. We illustrate this effect in refractive lensing and argue that positive detections of FRB scintillation may constrain the properties of these cool-gas cloudlets, with current scintillation observation weakly disfavoring the cloudlet model. We propose that sheet-like geometries for the cool gas in the CGM can reconcile quasar absorption measurements (from which we infer the presence of the cool gas with structure on subparsec scales) and the unexpected lack of lensing signals from this gas thus far observed.

Hot gas accretion fuels star formation faster than cold accretion in high-redshift galaxies

ABSTRACT We use high-resolution ($\simeq$35pc) hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation to investigate the relation between gas accretion and star formation in galaxies hosted by dark matter haloes of mass $10^{12}$${{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot }}$ at $z = 2$. At high-redshift, cold-accreted gas is expected to be readily available for star formation, while gas accreted in a hot mode is expected to require a longer time to cool down before being able to form stars. Contrary to these expectations, we find that the majority of cold-accreted gas takes several hundred Myr longer to form stars than hot-accreted gas after it reaches the inner circumgalactic medium (CGM). Approximately 10 per cent of the cold-accreted gas flows rapidly through the inner CGM on to the galactic disc. The remaining 90 per cent is trapped in a turbulent accretion region that extends up to $\sim 50$ per cent of the virial radius, from which it takes several hundred Myr for the gas to be transported to the star-forming disc. In contrast, most hot shock-heated gas avoids this ‘slow track’, and accretes directly from the CGM on to the disc where stars can form. We find that shock-heating of cold gas after accretion in the inner CGM and supernova-driven outflows contribute to, but do not fully explain, the delay in star formation. These processes combined slow down the delivery of cold-accreted gas to the galactic disc and consequently limit the rate of star formation in Milky Way mass galaxies at $z \gt 2$.

XLSSC 122 caught in the act of growing up

Context. How protoclusters evolved from sparse galaxy overdensities to mature galaxy clusters is still not well understood. In this context, detecting and characterizing the hot intracluster medium (ICM) at high redshifts (z ∼ 2) is key to understanding how the continuous accretion from the filamentary large-scale structure and the mergers along it impact the first phases of cluster formation. Aims. We study the dynamical state and morphology of the z = 1.98 galaxy cluster XLSSC 122 with high-resolution observations (≈5″) of the ICM through the Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ) effect. XLSSC 122 is the highest redshift optically confirmed galaxy cluster found in an unbiased, widefield survey. Methods. Via Bayesian forward modeling, we mapped the ICM on scales from the virial radius down to the core of the cluster. To constrain such a broad range of spatial scales, we employed a new technique that jointly forward-models parametric descriptions of the pressure distribution to interferometric ACA and ALMA observations and multiband imaging data from ACT. Results. We detect the SZ effect with 11σ significance in the ALMA+ACA observations and find a flattened inner pressure profile that is consistent with a noncool core classification with a significance of ≥3σ. In contrast to the previous works, we find better agreement between the SZ effect signal and the X-ray emission as well as the cluster member distribution. Further, XLSSC 122 exhibits an excess of SZ flux in the south of the cluster where no X-ray emission is detected. By reconstructing the interferometric observations and modeling in the uv-plane, we obtain a tentative detection of an infalling group or filamentary-like structure in the southeast that is believed to boost and heat up the ICM while the density of the gas is still low. In addition to characterizing the dynamical state of the cluster, we provide an improved SZ mass estimate M500,c = 1.66−0.20+0.23 × 1014 M⊙. Conclusions. Altogether, the observations indicate that we see XLSSC 122 in a dynamic phase of cluster formation while a large reservoir of gas is already thermalized.

Proper Motions and Orbits of Distant Local Group Dwarf Galaxies from a Combination of Gaia and Hubble Data

We have determined the proper motions (PMs) of 12 dwarf galaxies in the Local Group (LG), ranging from the outer Milky Way (MW) halo to the edge of the LG. We used the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) as the first and Gaia as the second epoch using the GaiaHub software. For Leo A and Sag DIG, we also used multi-epoch HST measurements relative to background galaxies. Orbital histories derived using these PMs show that two-thirds of the galaxies in our sample are on first infall with >90% certainty. The observed star formation histories of these first-infall dwarfs are generally consistent with infalling dwarfs in simulations. The remaining four galaxies have crossed the virial radius of either the MW or M31. When we compare their star formation (SF) and orbital histories we find tentative agreement between the inferred pattern of SF with the timing of dynamical events in the orbital histories. For Leo I, SF activity rises as the dwarf crosses the MW’s virial radius, culminating in a burst of SF shortly before pericenter (≈1.7 Gyr ago). The SF then declines after pericenter, but with some smaller bursts before its recent quenching (≈0.3 Gyr ago). This shows that even small dwarfs like Leo I can hold onto gas reservoirs and avoid quenching for several gigayears after falling into their host, which is longer than generally found in simulations. Leo II, NGC 6822, and IC 10 are also qualitatively consistent with this SF pattern in relation to their orbit, but more tentatively due to larger uncertainties.

Milky Way-est: Cosmological Zoom-in Simulations with Large Magellanic Cloud and Gaia–Sausage–Enceladus Analogs

We present Milky Way-est, a suite of 20 cosmological cold-dark-matter-only zoom-in simulations of Milky Way (MW)-like host halos. Milky Way-est hosts are selected such that they (i) are consistent with the MW’s measured halo mass and concentration, (ii) accrete a Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC)-like (≈1011 M ⊙) subhalo within the last 2 Gyr on a realistic orbit, placing them near 50 kpc from the host center at z ≈ 0, and (iii) undergo a >1:5 sub-to-host halo mass ratio merger with a Gaia–Sausage–Enceladus (GSE)-like system at early times (0.67 < z < 3). Hosts satisfying these LMC and GSE constraints constitute <1% of all halos in the MW’s mass range, and their total masses grow rapidly at late times due to LMC analog accretion. Compared to hosts of a similar final halo mass that are not selected to include LMC and GSE analogs, Milky Way-est hosts contain 22% more subhalos with present-day virial masses above 108 M ⊙ throughout the virial radius, on average. This enhancement reaches ≈80% in the inner 100 kpc and is largely, if not entirely, due to LMC-associated subhalos. These systems also induce spatial anisotropy in Milky Way-est subhalo populations, with ≈60% of the total subhalo population within 100 kpc found in the current direction of the LMC. Meanwhile, we find that GSE-associated subhalos do not significantly contribute to present-day Milky Way-est subhalo populations. These results provide context for our Galaxy’s dark matter structure and subhalo population and will help interpret a range of measurements that are currently only possible in the MW.

Symfind : Addressing the Fragility of Subhalo Finders and Revealing the Durability of Subhalos

A major question in ΛCDM is what this theory actually predicts for the properties of subhalo populations. Subhalos are difficult to accurately simulate and to find within simulations, and this propagates into uncertainty in theoretical predictions for satellite galaxies. We present Symfind, a new particle-tracking-based subhalo finder, and demonstrate that it can track subhalos to orders-of-magnitude lower masses than commonly used halo-finding tools, with a focus on Rockstar and consistent-trees. These longer survival times mean that at a fixed peak subhalo mass, we find ≈ 15%–40% more subhalos within the virial radius, R vir, and ≈35%–120% more subhalos within R vir/4 in the Symphony dark-matter-only simulation suite. More subhalos are found as the resolution is increased, in contrast to the Rockstar halo finder, which appears to be converged at smaller subhalo counts. We perform extensive numerical testing. In agreement with idealized simulations, we show that the vmax , the maximum circular velocity, is systematically biased low until high resolutions (n peak ≳ 3 × 104) are achieved, but that mass loss itself can be resolved at much more modest resolutions (n peak ≳ 4 × 103). We show that Rockstar converges to false solutions for the mass function, radial distribution, and disruption masses of subhalos. We argue that our new method can trace resolved subhalos until the point of typical galaxy disruption without invoking post hoc orphan modeling. We outline a concrete set of steps for determining whether other subhalo finders meet the same criteria. We publicly release Symfind catalogs and particle data for the Symphony simulation suite at http://web.stanford.edu/group/gfc/symphony.

Entrainment of hot gas into cold streams: the origin of excessive star formation rates at cosmic noon

ABSTRACT We explore the evolution of cold streams from the cosmic web that feed galaxies through their shock-heated circumgalactic medium (CGM) at cosmic noon, $z\simeq 1-5$. In addition to the hydrodynamical instabilities and radiative cooling that we have incorporated in earlier works, we embed the stream and the hot CGM in the gravitational potential of the host dark matter halo, deriving equilibrium profiles for both. Self-gravity within the stream is tentatively ignored. We find that the cold streams gradually entrain a large mass of initially hot CGM gas that cools in the mixing layer and condenses onto the stream. This entrainment, combined with the acceleration down the gravitational potential well, typically triples the inward cold inflow rate into the central galaxy, compared to the original rate at the virial radius, which makes the entrained gas the dominant source of gas supply to the galaxy. The potential sources for the hot gas to be entrained are recycled enriched gas that has been previously ejected from the galaxy, and fresh virial-shock-heated gas that has accumulated in the CGM. This can naturally elevate the star formation rate in the galaxy by a factor of $\sim 3$ compared to the gas accretion rate onto the halo, thus explaining the otherwise puzzling observed excess of star formation at cosmic noon. When accounting for self-shielding of dense gas from the ultraviolet background, we find that the energy radiated from the streams, originating predominantly from the cooling of the entrained gas, is consistent with observed Lyman-$\alpha$ blobs around galaxies.

The origin and evolution of wide Jupiter mass binary objects in young stellar clusters

The recently observed population of 540 free-floating Jupiter-mass objects, including 40 dynamically soft pairs, and two triples, in the Trapezium cluster have raised interesting questions on their formation and evolution. We test various scenarios for the origin and survivability of these free floating Jupiter-mass objects and Jupiter-mass Binary Objects (JuMBOs) in the Trapezium cluster. The numerical calculations are performed by direct NN-body integration of the stars and planets in the Trapezium cluster starting with a wide variety of planets in various configurations. We discuss four models: \mathcal{SPP}𝒮𝒫𝒫, in which selected stars have two outer orbiting Jupiter-mass planets; \mathcal{SPM}𝒮𝒫ℳ, where selected stars are orbited by Jupiter-mass planet-moon pairs; \mathcal{ISF}ℐ𝒮ℱ in which JuMBOs form in situ with the stars, and \mathcal{FFC}ℱℱ𝒞, where we introduce a population of free-floating single Jupiter-mass objects, but no initialised binaries. Models \mathcal{FFC}ℱℱ𝒞 and \mathcal{SPP}𝒮𝒫𝒫 fail to produce enough JuMBOs. Models \mathcal{SPM}𝒮𝒫ℳ can produce sufficient free-floaters and JuMBOs, but requires unusually wide orbits for the planet-moon system around the star. The observed JuMBOs and free-floating Jupiter-mass objects in the Trapezium cluster are best reproduced if they formed in pairs and as free-floaters together with the other stars in a smooth (Plummer) density profile with a virial radius of \sim 0.5∼0.5pc. A fractal (with fractal dimension 1.6) stellar density distribution also works, but requires relatively recent formations (⪆ 0.2⪆0.2Myr after the other stars formed) or a high (⪆ 50⪆50%) initial binary fraction. This would make the primordial binary fraction of JuMBOs even higher than the already large observation fraction of \sim 8∼8% (42/540). The fraction of JuMBOs will continue to drop with time, and the lack of JuMBOs in Upper Scorpius could then result in its higher age, causing more JuMBOs to be ionized. We then also predict that the interstellar density of Jupiter-mass objects (mostly singles with some \sim 2∼2% lucky surviving binaries) is \sim 0.05∼0.05 per pc^{-3}−3 (or around 0.24 per star).

The interface of gravity and dark energy

At sufficiently large radii dark energy modifies the behavior of (a) bound orbits around a galaxy and (b) virialized gas in a cluster of galaxies. Dark energy also provides a natural cutoff to a cluster’s dark matter halo. In (a) there exists a maximum circular orbit beyond which periodic motion is no longer possible, and orbital evolution near critical binding is analytically calculable using an adiabatic invariant integral. The finding implicates the study of wide galaxy pairs. In (b), dark energy necessitates the use of a generalized Virial Theorem to describe gas at the outskirts of a cluster. When coupled to the baryonic escape condition, aided by dark energy, the results is a radius beyond which the continued establishment of a hydrostatic halo of thermalized baryons is untenable. This leads to a theoretically motivated virial radius. We use this theory to probe the structure of a cluster’s baryonic halo and apply it to X-ray and weak-lensing data collected on cluster Abell 1835. We find that gas in its outskirts deviates significantly from hydrostatic equilibrium beginning at ∼1.3 Mpc , the ‘inner’ virial radius. We also define a model dependent dark matter halo cutoff radius to A1835. The dark matter cutoff gives an upper limit to the cluster’s total mass of ∼7×1015M⊙ . Moreover, it is possible to derive an ‘outer’ hydrostatic equilibrium cutoff radius given a dark matter cutoff radius. A region of cluster gas transport and turbulence occurs between the inner and outer cutoff radii.

PAC. V. The Roles of Mass and Environment in the Quenching of Galaxies

The roles that mass and environment play in galaxy quenching are still under debate. Leveraging the Photometric objects Around Cosmic webs method, we analyze the excess surface distribution n¯2wp(rp) of photometric galaxies in different colors (rest-frame u − r) within the stellar mass range of 109.0 ∼ 1011.0 M ⊙ around spectroscopic massive central galaxies (1010.9 ∼ 1011.7 M ⊙) at the redshift interval of 0 < z s < 0.7, utilizing data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program and the spectroscopic samples of Slogan Digital Sky Survey (i.e., Main, LOWZ, and CMASS samples). We find that both mass and environmental quenching contribute to the evolution of companion galaxies. To isolate the environmental effect, we quantify the quenched fraction excess (QFE) of companion galaxies encircling massive central galaxies within 0.01h −1 Mpc < r p < 20h −1 Mpc, representing the surplus quenched fraction relative to the average. We find that the high-density halo environment affects star formation quenching up to about three times the virial radius, and this effect becomes stronger at lower redshift. We also find that even after being scaled by the virial radius, the environmental quenching efficiency is higher for more massive halos or for companion galaxies of higher stellar mass, though the trends are quite weak. We present a fitting formula that comprehensively captures the QFE across central and companion stellar mass bins, halo-centric distance bins, and redshift bins, offering a valuable tool for constraining galaxy formation models. Furthermore, we have made a quantitative comparison with IllustrisTNG that underscores some important differences, particularly in the excessive quenching of low-mass companion galaxies (<109.5 M ⊙) in the simulation.

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey. View of the Virgo Cluster

As the closest galaxy cluster, the Virgo Cluster is an exemplary environment for the study of the large-scale filamentary structure and physical effects that are present in cluster outskirts but absent from the more easily studied inner regions. Here, we present an analysis of the SRG/eROSITA data from five all-sky surveys. eROSITA allows us to resolve the entire Virgo cluster and its outskirts on scales between 1 kpc and 3 Mpc, covering a total area on the sky of about 25$^ by 25$^ We utilized image manipulation techniques and surface brightness profiles to search for extended emission, surface brightness edges, and features in the outskirts. We employed a method of comparing mean and median profiles to measure gas clumping out to and beyond the virial radius. Surface brightness analysis of the cluster and individual sectors of the cluster reveal the full extent of previously identified cold fronts to the north and south. The emissivity bias due to gas clumping, which we quantify over three orders of magnitude in the radial range, is found to be mild, consistent with previous findings. We find uniform clumping measurements in all directions, with no enhancements along candidate filaments. We find an estimated virial gas mass of $M_ gas r&lt;r_ $\,M$_ Through imaging analysis we detect the presence of extended emission spanning 320\,kpc to the southwest of M49. The extension has a significance of 3.15sigma and is coincident with radio emission detected with LOFAR, which could be evidence of an accretion shock or turbulent reacceleration as the M49 group or background W' cloud falls into the cluster and interacts with the intracluster medium.