The formation of cores in galaxies across cosmic time -- the existence of cores is not in tension with the LCDM paradigm

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Main Authors: Jackson, R. A., Kaviraj, S., Yi, S. K., Peirani, S., Dubois, Y., Martin, G., Devriendt, J. E. G., Slyz, A., Pichon, C., Volonteri, M., Kimm, T., Kraljic, K.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Jackson, R. A.
Kaviraj, S.
Yi, S. K.
Peirani, S.
Dubois, Y.
Martin, G.
Devriendt, J. E. G.
Slyz, A.
Pichon, C.
Volonteri, M.
Kimm, T.
Kraljic, K.
author_facet Jackson, R. A.
Kaviraj, S.
Yi, S. K.
Peirani, S.
Dubois, Y.
Martin, G.
Devriendt, J. E. G.
Slyz, A.
Pichon, C.
Volonteri, M.
Kimm, T.
Kraljic, K.
contents The `core-cusp' problem is considered a key challenge to the LCDM paradigm. Halos in dark matter only simulations exhibit `cuspy' profiles, where density continuously increases towards the centre. However, the dark matter profiles of many observed galaxies (particularly in the dwarf regime) deviate strongly from this prediction, with much flatter central regions (`cores'). We use NewHorizon (NH), a hydrodynamical cosmological simulation, to investigate core formation, using a statistically significant number of galaxies in a cosmological volume. Halos containing galaxies in the upper (M* > 10^10.2 MSun) and lower (M* < 10^8 MSun) ends of the stellar mass distribution contain cusps. However, halos containing galaxies with intermediate (10^8 MSun < M* < 10^10.2 MSun) stellar masses are generally cored, with typical halo masses between 10^10.2 MSun and 10^11.5 MSun. Cores form through supernova-driven gas removal from halo centres, which alters the central gravitational potential, inducing dark matter to migrate to larger radii. While all massive (M* > 10^9.5 MSun) galaxies undergo a cored-phase, in some cases cores can be removed and cusps reformed. This happens if a galaxy undergoes sustained star formation at high redshift, which results in stars (which, unlike the gas, cannot be removed by baryonic feedback) dominating the central gravitational potential. After cosmic star formation peaks, the number of cores, and the mass of the halos they are formed in, remain constant, indicating that cores are being routinely formed over cosmic time after a threshold halo mass is reached. The existence of cores is, therefore, not in tension with the standard paradigm.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2310_13055
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The formation of cores in galaxies across cosmic time -- the existence of cores is not in tension with the LCDM paradigm
Jackson, R. A.
Kaviraj, S.
Yi, S. K.
Peirani, S.
Dubois, Y.
Martin, G.
Devriendt, J. E. G.
Slyz, A.
Pichon, C.
Volonteri, M.
Kimm, T.
Kraljic, K.
Astrophysics of Galaxies
The `core-cusp' problem is considered a key challenge to the LCDM paradigm. Halos in dark matter only simulations exhibit `cuspy' profiles, where density continuously increases towards the centre. However, the dark matter profiles of many observed galaxies (particularly in the dwarf regime) deviate strongly from this prediction, with much flatter central regions (`cores'). We use NewHorizon (NH), a hydrodynamical cosmological simulation, to investigate core formation, using a statistically significant number of galaxies in a cosmological volume. Halos containing galaxies in the upper (M* > 10^10.2 MSun) and lower (M* < 10^8 MSun) ends of the stellar mass distribution contain cusps. However, halos containing galaxies with intermediate (10^8 MSun < M* < 10^10.2 MSun) stellar masses are generally cored, with typical halo masses between 10^10.2 MSun and 10^11.5 MSun. Cores form through supernova-driven gas removal from halo centres, which alters the central gravitational potential, inducing dark matter to migrate to larger radii. While all massive (M* > 10^9.5 MSun) galaxies undergo a cored-phase, in some cases cores can be removed and cusps reformed. This happens if a galaxy undergoes sustained star formation at high redshift, which results in stars (which, unlike the gas, cannot be removed by baryonic feedback) dominating the central gravitational potential. After cosmic star formation peaks, the number of cores, and the mass of the halos they are formed in, remain constant, indicating that cores are being routinely formed over cosmic time after a threshold halo mass is reached. The existence of cores is, therefore, not in tension with the standard paradigm.
title The formation of cores in galaxies across cosmic time -- the existence of cores is not in tension with the LCDM paradigm
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.13055