The Impact of Galactic Winds on the Angular Momentum of Disk Galaxies in the Illustris Simulation

Journal Article · Sat May 20 04:00:00 EDT 2017 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/AA6DFC· OSTI ID:22872707

DeFelippis, Daniel; Bryan, Greg L. ^[1]; Genel, Shy ^[2]

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1. Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027 (United States)
2. Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute, 162 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010 (United States)

Observed galactic disks have specific angular momenta similar to expectations for typical dark matter halos in ΛCDM. Cosmological hydrodynamical simulations have recently reproduced this similarity in large galaxy samples by including strong galactic winds, but the exact mechanism that achieves this is not yet clear. Here we present an analysis of key aspects contributing to this relation: angular momentum selection and evolution of Lagrangian mass elements as they accrete onto dark matter halos, condense into Milky-Way-scale galaxies, and join the z = 0 stellar phase. We contrast this evolution in the Illustris simulation with that in a simulation without galactic winds, where the z = 0 angular momentum is ≈0.6 dex lower. We find that winds induce differences between these simulations in several ways: increasing angular momentum, preventing angular momentum loss, and causing z = 0 stars to sample the accretion-time angular momentum distribution of baryons in a biased way. In both simulations, gas loses on average ≈0.4 dex between accreting onto halos and first accreting onto central galaxies. In Illustris, this is followed by ≈0.2 dex gains in the “galactic wind fountain” and no further net evolution past the final accretion onto the galaxy. Without feedback, further losses of ≈0.2 dex occur in the gas phase inside the galaxies. An additional ≈0.15 dex difference arises from feedback preferentially selecting higher angular momentum gas at accretion by expelling gas that is poorly aligned. These and additional effects of similar magnitude are discussed, suggesting a complex origin of the similarity between the specific angular momenta of galactic disks and typical halos.

• OSTI ID: 22872707
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 841; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
BARYONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DISTRIBUTION
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
HYDRODYNAMICS
LAGRANGIAN FUNCTION
MASS
MILKY WAY
NONLUMINOUS MATTER
STARS