Constraining cosmic ray transport models using circumgalactic medium properties and observables

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Lu, Yue Samuel, Kereš, Dušan, Hopkins, Philip F., Ponnada, Sam B., Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André, Hummels, Cameron B.
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Lu, Yue Samuel
Kereš, Dušan
Hopkins, Philip F.
Ponnada, Sam B.
Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André
Hummels, Cameron B.
author_facet Lu, Yue Samuel
Kereš, Dušan
Hopkins, Philip F.
Ponnada, Sam B.
Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André
Hummels, Cameron B.
contents Cosmic rays (CRs) are a pivotal non-thermal component of galaxy formation and evolution. However, the intricacies of CR physics, particularly how they propagate in the circumgalactic medium (CGM), remain largely unconstrained. In this work, we study CGM properties in FIRE-2 (Feedback In Realistic Environments) simulations of the same Milky Way (MW)-mass halo at $z=0$ with different CR transport models that produce similar diffuse $\sim$ GeV $γ$-ray emission, as an attempt to further constrain CR transport models. We study the gas morphology and thermal properties, and generate synthetic observations of rest-frame UV ion absorption columns and X-ray emission. CRs lower galaxy masses and star formation rates (SFRs) while supporting more cool CGM gas, which boosts the HI and OVI column densities in the CGM, bringing simulations more in line with observations, but there can be large differences between CR transport models and resolution levels. X-ray emission within and close to galaxies is consistent with thermal (free-free and metal-line) emission plus X-ray binaries, while more extended ($\sim 100\,$kpc) CGM emission is potentially dominated by inverse Compton (IC) scattering, motivating future work on the spatially resolved X-ray profiles. Although comparisons with observations are sensitive to sample selection and mimicking the details of observations, and our analysis did not result in strong constraints on CR models, the differences between simulations are significant and could be used as a framework for future studies.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_13597
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Constraining cosmic ray transport models using circumgalactic medium properties and observables
Lu, Yue Samuel
Kereš, Dušan
Hopkins, Philip F.
Ponnada, Sam B.
Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André
Hummels, Cameron B.
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Cosmic rays (CRs) are a pivotal non-thermal component of galaxy formation and evolution. However, the intricacies of CR physics, particularly how they propagate in the circumgalactic medium (CGM), remain largely unconstrained. In this work, we study CGM properties in FIRE-2 (Feedback In Realistic Environments) simulations of the same Milky Way (MW)-mass halo at $z=0$ with different CR transport models that produce similar diffuse $\sim$ GeV $γ$-ray emission, as an attempt to further constrain CR transport models. We study the gas morphology and thermal properties, and generate synthetic observations of rest-frame UV ion absorption columns and X-ray emission. CRs lower galaxy masses and star formation rates (SFRs) while supporting more cool CGM gas, which boosts the HI and OVI column densities in the CGM, bringing simulations more in line with observations, but there can be large differences between CR transport models and resolution levels. X-ray emission within and close to galaxies is consistent with thermal (free-free and metal-line) emission plus X-ray binaries, while more extended ($\sim 100\,$kpc) CGM emission is potentially dominated by inverse Compton (IC) scattering, motivating future work on the spatially resolved X-ray profiles. Although comparisons with observations are sensitive to sample selection and mimicking the details of observations, and our analysis did not result in strong constraints on CR models, the differences between simulations are significant and could be used as a framework for future studies.
title Constraining cosmic ray transport models using circumgalactic medium properties and observables
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.13597