Stellar angular momentum can be controlled from cosmological initial conditions

The angular momentum of galaxies controls the kinematics of their stars, which in turn drives observable quantities such as the apparent radius, the bulge fraction, and the alignment with other nearby structures. To show how angular momentum of galaxies is determined, we build high (35 pc) resolution numerical experiments in which we increase or decrease the angular momentum of the Lagrangian patches in the early universe. We perform cosmological zoom-in simulations of three galaxies over their histories from z = 200 to z = 2, each with five different choices for the angular momentum (15 simulations in total). Our results show that altering early universe angular momentum changes the timing and orbital parameters of mergers, which in turn changes the total stellar angular momentum within a galaxy’s virial radius in a predictable manner. Of our three galaxies, one has no large satellite at z = 2; in this case, the specific angular momentum is concentrated in the central galaxy. Our changes to the initial conditions result in its stellar angular momentum changing over 0.7 dex (from 61 to 320kpckms−1⁠) at z = 2. This causes its effective radius to grow by 40 per cent, its v/σ parameter to grow by a factor of 2.6, and its bulge fraction to decrease from 0.72 to 0.57. This proof of concept illustrates how causal studies can contribute to a better understanding of the origin of galaxy scaling relations and intrinsic alignments

Estimating major merger rates and spin parameters ab initio via the clustering of critical events

We build a model to predict from first principles the properties of major mergers. We predict these from the coalescence of peaks and saddle points in the vicinity of a given larger peak, as one increases the smoothing scale in the initial linear density field as a proxy for cosmic time. To refine our results, we also ensure, using a suite of $\sim 400$ power-law Gaussian random fields smoothed at $\sim 30$ different scales, that the relevant peaks and saddles are topologically connected: they should belong to a persistent pair before coalescence. Our model allows us to (a) compute the probability distribution function of the satellite-merger separation in Lagrangian space: they peak at three times the smoothing scale; (b) predict the distribution of the number of mergers as a function of peak rarity: halos typically undergo two major mergers ($>$1:10) per decade of mass growth; (c) recover that the typical spin brought by mergers: it is of the order of a few tens of per cent.Comment: 11 pages, submitted to MNRAS; comments welcom

The causal effect of environment on halo mass and concentration

Understanding the impact of environment on the formation and evolution of dark matter halos and galaxies is a crucial open problem. Studying statistical correlations in large simulated populations sheds some light on these impacts, but the causal effect of an environment on individual objects is harder to pinpoint. Addressing this, we present a new method for resimulating a single dark matter halo in multiple large-scale environments. In the initial conditions, we 'splice' (i.e. insert) the Lagrangian region of a halo into different Gaussian random fields, while enforcing consistency with the statistical properties of $\Lambda$CDM. Applying this technique, we demonstrate that the mass of halos is primarily determined by the density structure inside their Lagrangian patches, while the halos' concentration is more strongly affected by environment. The splicing approach will also allow us to study, for example, the impact of the cosmic web on accretion processes and galaxy quenching.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. Accepted 2021 September 10. Received 2021 September 9; in original form 2021 July

Evolution of cosmic filaments in the MTNG simulation

We present a study of the evolution of cosmic filaments across redshift with emphasis on some important properties: filament lengths, growth rates, and radial profiles of galaxy densities. Following an observation-driven approach, we build cosmic filament catalogues at z=0,1,2,3 and 4 from the galaxy distributions of the large hydro-dynamical run of the MilleniumTNG project. We employ the extensively used DisPerSE cosmic web finder code, for which we provide a user-friendly guide, including the details of a physics-driven calibration procedure, with the hope of helping future users. We perform the first statistical measurements of the evolution of connectivity in a large-scale simulation, finding that the connectivity of cosmic nodes (defined as the number of filaments attached) globally decreases from early to late times. The study of cosmic filaments in proper coordinates reveals that filaments grow in length and radial extent, as expected from large-scale structures in an expanding Universe. But the most interesting results arise once the Hubble flow is factored out. We find remarkably stable comoving filament length functions and over-density profiles, showing only little evolution of the total population of filaments in the past ~12.25 Gyrs. However, by tracking the spatial evolution of individual structures, we demonstrate that filaments of different lengths actually follow different evolutionary paths. While short filaments preferentially contract, long filaments expand along their longitudinal direction with growth rates that are the highest in the early, matter dominated Universe. Filament diversity at fixed redshift is also shown by the different (~$5 \sigma$) density values between the shortest and longest filaments. Our results hint that cosmic filaments can be used as additional probes for dark energy, but further theoretical work is still needed.Comment: 17 pages, submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysics, comments welcome

Evolution of cosmic filaments in the MTNG simulation

We present a study of the evolution of cosmic filaments across redshift with an emphasis on some important properties: filament lengths, growth rates, and radial profiles of galaxy densities. Following an observation-driven approach, we built cosmic filament catalogues at z = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 from the galaxy distributions of the large hydro-dynamical run of the MilleniumTNG project. We employed the extensively used DisPerSE cosmic web finder code, for which we provide a user-friendly guide, including the details of a physics-driven calibration procedure, with the hope of helping future users. We performed the first statistical measurements of the evolution of connectivity in a large-scale simulation, finding that the connectivity of cosmic nodes (defined as the number of filaments attached) globally decreases from early to late times. The study of cosmic filaments in proper coordinates reveals that filaments grow in length and radial extent, as expected from large-scale structures in an expanding Universe. But the most interesting results arise once the Hubble flow is factored out. We find remarkably stable comoving filament length functions and over-density profiles, showing only little evolution of the total population of filaments in the past ∼12.25 Gyr. However, by tracking the spatial evolution of individual structures, we demonstrate that filaments of different lengths actually follow different evolutionary paths. While short filaments preferentially contract, long filaments expand along their longitudinal direction with growth rates that are the highest in the early, matter-dominated Universe. Filament diversity at a fixed redshift is also shown by the different (∼5σ) density values between the shortest and longest filaments. Our results hint that cosmic filaments can be used as additional probes for dark energy, but further theoretical work is still needed

The impact of the large scale structures of the Universe on dark matter halo and galaxy formation

À grande échelle, la distribution anisotrope de la matière forme un large réseau de vides délimités par des murs qui, avec les filaments présents à leurs intersections, tissent la toile cosmique. La matière qui doit former plus tard les halos de matière noire et leurs galaxies afflue vers les nœuds compacts se situant à l’intersection des filaments et garde dans ce processus une empreinte de la toile cosmique. Dans cette thèse, je développe une extension contrainte de la théorie de l’excursion qui, à l'aide d'un modèle de filament, me permet de montrer que l'environnement anisotrope a un effet sur l'histoire de formation des halos de matière noire. La toile cosmique a donc un rôle dans la formation des halos et de leurs galaxies. Dans un second temps, je construis un modèle qui décrit l'évolution de la toile cosmique (fusion de halos, mais aussi de filaments et de murs) afin de mieux contraindre les modèles de formation de galaxies. Le modèle prédit un excès d'accrétion anisotrope dans les filaments par rapports aux nœuds, biaisant ainsi la formation des galaxies. L'effet de l'accrétion anisotrope sur la formation des galaxies est ensuite étudié à l'aide de simulations hydrodynamiques et d'une nouvelle méthode permettant le suivi précis de l'histoire d'accrétion du gaz. J'y montre que le moment angulaire est transporté efficacement des grandes échelles de la toile cosmique jusque dans les zones internes du halo, où les couples gravitationnels le redistribue au disque de la galaxies et au halo interne.The anisotropic large-scale distribution of matter is made of an extended network of voids delimited by sheets, with filaments at their intersection which together form the cosmic web. Matter that will later form dark matter halos and their galaxies flows towards compact nodes at filaments' intersections and in the process, retains the imprint of the cosmic web. In this thesis, I develop a conditional version of the excursion set theory which, using a model of a large-scale filament, enables me to show that anisotropic environment have an impact on the formation history of dark matter halos. The cosmic web then has a role in the formation of halos and their galaxies. I then build a model that is able to capture the evolution of the cosmic web (halo mergers, but also filament and wall mergers) that can be used to better constrain galaxy formation models. The model predicts that an excess of anisotropic accretion is expected in filaments compared to nodes, so that the formation history of galaxies is biased. The effect of anisotropic accretion on galaxy formation is then studied using hydrodynamical simulations and a novel numerical method tailored to accurately follow the accretion history of the gas. I show that the angular momentum is transported efficiently from the cosmic web down to the inner halo, where gravitational torques redistribute it to the disk and the inner halo

L’impact des grandes structures de l’Univers sur la formation des halos de matière noire et des galaxies

The anisotropic large-scale distribution of matter is made of an extended network of voids delimited by sheets, with filaments at their intersection which together form the cosmic web. Matter that will later form dark matter halos and their galaxies flows towards compact nodes at filaments' intersections and in the process, retains the imprint of the cosmic web. In this thesis, I develop a conditional version of the excursion set theory which, using a model of a large-scale filament, enables me to show that anisotropic environment have an impact on the formation history of dark matter halos. The cosmic web then has a role in the formation of halos and their galaxies. I then build a model that is able to capture the evolution of the cosmic web (halo mergers, but also filament and wall mergers) that can be used to better constrain galaxy formation models. The model predicts that an excess of anisotropic accretion is expected in filaments compared to nodes, so that the formation history of galaxies is biased. The effect of anisotropic accretion on galaxy formation is then studied using hydrodynamical simulations and a novel numerical method tailored to accurately follow the accretion history of the gas. I show that the angular momentum is transported efficiently from the cosmic web down to the inner halo, where gravitational torques redistribute it to the disk and the inner halo.À grande échelle, la distribution anisotrope de la matière forme un large réseau de vides délimités par des murs qui, avec les filaments présents à leurs intersections, tissent la toile cosmique. La matière qui doit former plus tard les halos de matière noire et leurs galaxies afflue vers les nœuds compacts se situant à l’intersection des filaments et garde dans ce processus une empreinte de la toile cosmique. Dans cette thèse, je développe une extension contrainte de la théorie de l’excursion qui, à l'aide d'un modèle de filament, me permet de montrer que l'environnement anisotrope a un effet sur l'histoire de formation des halos de matière noire. La toile cosmique a donc un rôle dans la formation des halos et de leurs galaxies. Dans un second temps, je construis un modèle qui décrit l'évolution de la toile cosmique (fusion de halos, mais aussi de filaments et de murs) afin de mieux contraindre les modèles de formation de galaxies. Le modèle prédit un excès d'accrétion anisotrope dans les filaments par rapports aux nœuds, biaisant ainsi la formation des galaxies. L'effet de l'accrétion anisotrope sur la formation des galaxies est ensuite étudié à l'aide de simulations hydrodynamiques et d'une nouvelle méthode permettant le suivi précis de l'histoire d'accrétion du gaz. J'y montre que le moment angulaire est transporté efficacement des grandes échelles de la toile cosmique jusque dans les zones internes du halo, où les couples gravitationnels le redistribue au disque de la galaxies et au halo interne

Gravitational torques dominate the dynamics of accreted gas at z>2z>2

Galaxies form from the accretion of cosmological infall of gas. In the high redshift Universe, most of this gas infall is expected to be dominated by cold filamentary flows which connect deep down to the inside of halos, and, hence, to the vicinity of galaxies. Such cold flows are important since they dominate the mass and angular momentum acquisition that can make up rotationally-supported disks at high-redshifts. In hydrodynamical cosmological simulations of high-resolution zoomed-in halos of a few $10^{11}\,\rm M_\odot$ halos at $z=2$ including the physics of star formation and feedback from supernovae and supermassive black holes, we have studied the angular momentum acquisition of gas into galaxies, and in particular, the torques acting on the accretion flows. Torques can be separated into those of gravitational origin, and hydrodynamical ones driven by pressure gradients. We find that coherent gravitational torques dominate over pressure torques in the cold phase, and are hence responsible for the spin-down and realignment of this gas. Pressure torques display small-scale fluctuations of significant amplitude, but with very little coherence on the relevant galaxy or halo-scale that would otherwise allow them to effectively re-orientate the gas flows. Dark matter torques dominate gravitational torques outside the galaxy, while within the galaxy, the baryonic component dominates. The circum-galactic medium emerges as the transition region for angular momentum re-orientation of the cold component towards the central galaxy's mid-plane