The Baryon Cycle at High Redshifts: Effects of Galactic Winds on Galaxy Evolution in Overdense and Average Regions

We employ high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations focusing on a high-sigma peak and an average cosmological field at $z\sim 6-12$, in order to investigate the influence of environment and baryonic feedback on galaxy evolution in the reionization epoch. Strong feedback, e.g., galactic winds, caused by elevated star formation rates (SFRs) is expected to play an important role in this evolution. We compare different outflow prescriptions: (i) constant wind velocity (CW), (ii) variable wind scaling with galaxy properties (VW), and (iii) no outflows (NW). The overdensity leads to accelerated evolution of dark matter and baryonic structures, absent in the "normal" region, and to shallow galaxy stellar mass functions at the low-mass end. Although CW shows little dependence on both environments, the more physically motivated VW model does exhibit this effect. In addition, VW can reproduce the observed specific SFR (sSFR) and the sSFR-stellar mass relation, which CW and NW fail to satisfy simultaneously. Winds also differ substantially in affecting the state of the intergalactic medium (IGM). The difference lies in volume-filling factor of hot, high-metallicity gas which is near unity for CW, while it remains confined in massive filaments for VW, and locked up in galaxies for NW. Such gas is nearly absent in the normal region. Although all wind models suffer from deficiencies, the VW model seems to be promising in correlating the outflow properties to those of host galaxies. Further constraints on the state of the IGM at high-$z$ are needed to separate different wind models.Comment: 22 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Andalusia, from Peripheral Urbanism to Real-State Bubble. Hiperdevelopment of Real-State Sector as Sign of Underdevelopment

Andalucía ha sido históricamente una de las típicas periferias internas del capitalismo europeo. El presente artículo pretende plantear la actualidad de esta situación cambiando el foco tradicional sobre el problema andaluz, desde la cuestión agraria a la producción del espacio urbano. Se discuten para ello algunos aspectos del cuerpo teórico desarrollado en torno al concepto de urbanismo periférico, así como la teoría del segundo circuito de acumulación de capital de Henri Lefebvre y David Harvey. Las teorías se contrastan con el caso andaluz, construido a partir de fuentes secundarias y de datos de la estadística pública sobre estructura social y económica. Finalmente, se concluye que en la transición de un modelo agro-exportador a un modelo basado en el binomio formado por el sector turístico y la especulación inmobiliario-financiera, Andalucía continúa en una situación periférica y subordinada.Andalusia has been historically a peripheral area within European capitalism. This paper aims to present the actuality of this situation changing the usual focus, from the study of rural issues to the production of space. In order to do this, some theoretical aspects regarding peripheral urbanism and the theory of the second circuit of capital accumulation of Henry Lefebvre and David Harvey will be discussed. These models will be compared with the case of Andalusia, considering secondary sources and public statistics data about social and economic structure. Finally, the paper concludes that in the transition from a commodity-export pattern to another one based in the articulation between tourism and real-estate bubble, Andalusia retains its position as a peripheral and subordinated area

Disk Evolution and Bar Triggering Driven by Interactions with Dark Matter Substructure

We study formation and evolution of bar-disk systems in fully self-consistent cosmological simulations of galaxy formation in the LCDM WMAP3 Universe. In a representative model we find that the first generation of bars form in response to the asymmetric dark matter (DM) distribution (i.e., DM filament) and quickly decay. Subsequent bar generations form and are destroyed during the major merger epoch permeated by interactions with a DM substructure (subhalos). A long-lived bar is triggered by a tide from a subhalo and survives for ~10 Gyr. The evolution of this bar is followed during the subsequent numerous minor mergers and interactions with the substructure. Together with intrinsic factors, these interactions largely determine the stellar bar evolution. The bar strength and its pattern speed anticorrelate, except during interactions and when the secondary (nuclear) bar is present. For about 5 Gyr bar pattern speed increases substantially despite the loss of angular momentum to stars and cuspy DM halo. We analyze the evolution of stellar populations in the bar-disk and relate them to the underlying dynamics. While the bar is made mainly of an intermediate age, ~5-6 Gyr, disk stars at z=0, a secondary nuclear bar which surfaces at z~0.1 is made of younger, ~1-3 Gyr stars.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Effect of dark matter halo substructures on galaxy rotation curves

The effect of halo substructures on galaxy rotation curves is investigated in this paper using a simple model of dark matter clustering. A dark matter halo density profile is developed based only on the scale free nature of clustering that leads to a statistically self-similar distribution of the substructures at galactic scale. Semi-analytical method is used to derive rotation curves for such a clumpy dark matter density profile. It is found that the halo substructures significantly affect the galaxy velocity field. Based on the fractal geometry of the halo, this self-consistent model predicts an NFW-like rotation curve and a scale free power spectrum of the rotation velocity fluctuations.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ. The definitive version will be available at http://iopscience.iop.org

The Dark Matter Distribution in Abell 383: Evidence for a Shallow Density Cusp from Improved Lensing, Stellar Kinematic and X-ray Data

We extend our analyses of the dark matter (DM) distribution in relaxed clusters to the case of Abell 383, a luminous X-ray cluster at z=0.189 with a dominant central galaxy and numerous strongly-lensed features. Following our earlier papers, we combine strong and weak lensing constraints secured with Hubble Space Telescope and Subaru imaging with the radial profile of the stellar velocity dispersion of the central galaxy, essential for separating the baryonic mass distribution in the cluster core. Hydrostatic mass estimates from Chandra X-ray observations further constrain the solution. These combined datasets provide nearly continuous constraints extending from 2 kpc to 1.5 Mpc in radius, allowing stringent tests of results from recent numerical simulations. Two key improvements in our data and its analysis make this the most robust case yet for a shallow slope \beta of the DM density profile \rho_DM ~ r^-\beta on small scales. First, following deep Keck spectroscopy, we have secured the stellar velocity dispersion profile to a radius of 26 kpc for the first time in a lensing cluster. Secondly, we improve our previous analysis by adopting a triaxial DM distribution and axisymmetric dynamical models. We demonstate that in this remarkably well-constrained system, the logarithmic slope of the DM density at small radii is \beta < 1.0 (95% confidence). An improved treatment of baryonic physics is necessary, but possibly insufficient, to reconcile our observations with the recent results of high-resolution simulations.Comment: Accepted to ApJ Letter

Dark Matter Subhalos in the Ursa Minor Dwarf Galaxy

Through numerical simulations, we study the dissolution timescale of the Ursa Minor cold stellar clump, due to the combination of phase-mixing and gravitational encounters with compact dark substructures in the halo of Ursa Minor. We compare two scenarios; one where the dark halo is made up by a smooth mass distribution of light particles and one where the halo contains 10% of its mass in the form of substructures (subhalos). In a smooth halo, the stellar clump survives for a Hubble time provided that the dark matter halo has a big core. In contrast, when the point-mass dark substructures are added, the clump survives barely for \sim 1.5 Gyr. These results suggest a strong test to the \Lambda-cold dark matter scenario at dwarf galaxy scale.Comment: accepted for publication in Ap

Dissecting Galaxy Formation: II. Comparing Substructure in Pure Dark Matter and Baryonic Models

We compare the substructure evolution in pure dark matter (DM) halos with those in the presence of baryons (PDM and BDM). The prime halos have been analyzed by Romano-Diaz et al (2009). Models have been evolved from identical initial conditions using Constrained Realizations, including star formation and feedback. A comprehensive catalog of subhalos has been compiled and properties of subhalos analyzed in the mass range of 10^8 Mo - 10^11 Mo. We find that subhalo mass functions are consistent with a single power law, M_sbh^{alpha}, but detect a nonnegligible shift between these functions, alpha -0.86 for the PDM, and -0.98 for the BDM. Overall, alpha const. in time with variations of +-15%. Second, we find that the radial mass distribution of subhalos can be approximated by a power law, R^{gamma} with a steepening around the radius of a maximal circular velocity, Rvmax, in the prime halos. Gamma ~-1.5 for the PDM and -1 for the BDM, inside Rvmax, and is steeper outside. We detect little spatial bias between the subhalo populations and the DM of the main halos. The subhalo population exhibits much less triaxiality with baryons, in tandem with the prime halo. Finally, we find that, counter-intuitively, the BDM population is depleted at a faster rate than the PDM one within the central 30kpc of the prime. Although the baryons provide a substantial glue to the subhalos, the main halos exhibit the same trend. This assures a more efficient tidal disruption of the BDM subhalos. This effect can be reversed for a more efficient feedback from stellar evolution and supermassive black holes, which will expel baryons from the center and decrease the concentration of the prime halo. We compare our results with via Lactea and Aquarius simulations and other published results.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, to be published by the Astrophysical Journa

Dissipational versus Dissipationless Galaxy Formation and the Dark Matter Content of Galaxies

We examine two extreme models for the build-up of the stellar component of luminous elliptical galaxies. In one case, we assume the build-up of stars is dissipational, with centrally accreted gas radiating away its orbital and thermal energy; the dark matter halo will undergo adiabatic contraction and the central dark matter density profile will steepen. For the second model, we assume the central galaxy is assembled by a series of dissipationless mergers of stellar clumps that have formed far from the nascent galaxy. In order to be accreted, these clumps lose their orbital energy to the dark matter halo via dynamical friction, thereby heating the central dark matter and smoothing the dark matter density cusp. The central dark matter density profiles differ drastically between these models. For the isolated elliptical galaxy, NGC 4494, the central dark matter densities follow the power-laws r^(-0.2) and r^(-1.7) for the dissipational and dissipationless models, respectively. By matching the dissipational and dissipationless models to observations of the stellar component of elliptical galaxies, we examine the relative contributions of dissipational and dissipationless mergers to the formation of elliptical galaxies and look for observational tests that will distinguish between these models. Comparisons to strong lensing brightest cluster galaxies yield median M*/L_B ratios of 2.1+/-0.8 and 5.2+/-1.7 at z=0.39 for the dissipational and dissipationless models, respectively. For NGC 4494, the best-fit dissipational and dissipationless models have M*/L_B=2.97 and 3.96. Comparisons to expected stellar mass-to-light ratios from passive evolution and population syntheses appear to rule out a purely dissipational formation mechanism for the central stellar regions of giant elliptical galaxies.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, accepted to Ap

The Extreme Small Scales: Do Satellite Galaxies Trace Dark Matter?

We investigate the radial distribution of galaxies within their host dark matter halos by modeling their small-scale clustering, as measured in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Specifically, we model the Jiang et al. (2011) measurements of the galaxy two-point correlation function down to very small projected separations (10 < r < 400 kpc/h), in a wide range of luminosity threshold samples (absolute r-band magnitudes of -18 up to -23). We use a halo occupation distribution (HOD) framework with free parameters that specify both the number and spatial distribution of galaxies within their host dark matter halos. We assume that the first galaxy in each halo lives at the halo center and that additional satellite galaxies follow a radial density profile similar to the dark matter Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profile, except that the concentration and inner slope are allowed to vary. We find that in low luminosity samples, satellite galaxies have radial profiles that are consistent with NFW. M_r < -20 and brighter satellite galaxies have radial profiles with significantly steeper inner slopes than NFW (we find inner logarithmic slopes ranging from -1.6 to -2.1, as opposed to -1 for NFW). We define a useful metric of concentration, M_(1/10), which is the fraction of satellite galaxies (or mass) that are enclosed within one tenth of the virial radius of a halo. We find that M_(1/10) for low luminosity satellite galaxies agrees with NFW, whereas for luminous galaxies it is 2.5-4 times higher, demonstrating that these galaxies are substantially more centrally concentrated within their dark matter halos than the dark matter itself. Our results therefore suggest that the processes that govern the spatial distribution of galaxies, once they have merged into larger halos, must be luminosity dependent, such that luminous galaxies become poor tracers of the underlying dark matter.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, Accepted to Ap

Constrained simulations of the Local Group: on the radial distribution of substructures

We examine the properties of satellites found in high resolution simulations of the local group. We use constrained simulations designed to reproduce the main dynamical features that characterize the local neighborhood, i.e. within tens of Mpc around the Local Group (LG). Specifically, a LG-like object is found located within the 'correct' dynamical environment and consisting of three main objects which are associated with the Milky Way, M31 and M33. By running two simulations of this LG from identical initial conditions - one with and one without baryons modeled hydrodynamically - we can quantify the effect of gas physics on the $z=0$ population of subhaloes in an environment similar to our own. We find that above a certain mass cut, $M_{\rm sub} > 2\times10^{8}h^{-1} M_{\odot}$ subhaloes in hydrodynamic simulations are more radially concentrated than those in simulations with out gas. This is caused by the collapse of baryons into stars that typically sit in the central regions of subhaloes, making them denser. The increased central density of such a subhalo, results in less mass loss due to tidal stripping than the same subhalo simulated with only dark matter. The increased mass in hydrodynamic subhaloes with respect to dark matter ones, causes dynamical friction to be more effective, dragging the subhalo towards the centre of the host. This results in these subhaloes being effectively more radially concentrated then their dark matter counterparts.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figure