Multi-physics simulations of ram-pressure stripping of disc galaxies

• Applicant: Professor Marcus Brüggen, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2011 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 184361340

• Final Report Year: 2015

Final Report Abstract

Ram pressure stripping can remove significant amounts of gas from galaxies in clusters and massive groups, and thus has a large impact on the evolution of cluster galaxies. In this project, we have developed and run simulations of ram pressure stripping that include heating and cooling processes, as well as turbulence. These processes are related as a proper treatment of heating and cooling require a realistic temperature structure inside galaxies and, for this, turbulence and magnetic fields are important. By the time, this project has started, the magnetohydrodynamical simulations with heating and cooling terms of ram-pressure stripped galaxies was already underway and fairly advanced (this project was led by M. Ruszkowski in Michigan and M. Brüggen was a collaborator on this project). Hence, the work on this proposal was more focused on the characterisation of turbulence and magnetic fields in the intergalactic medium and their effects on galaxies. This work is important to understand the dependence of galaxy evolution on environment and the cosmic cycle of matter. We are pleased that we managed to achieve most of our goals. In particular the magnetohydrodynamical simulations on large, cosmological scales have been very successful. On the other hand, the use of subgrid models is not finished as even the subgrid models for Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in purely hydrodynamical tests still require further study. The results presented here are likely to spur further activity in the field. Global multi-physics simulations of galaxies and their interaction with their surroundings are still in its infancy. subgrid models for turbulence and the inclusion of further heating terms, e.g. by cosmic rays, are important avenues for further research.

Publications

• A&A 529, A17 (2011)
  Vazza, F., Brunetti, G., Gheller, C., Brunino, R., Brüggen, M.
  
• A&A 544, 17 (2012)
  Vazza, F., Roediger, E., Brüggen, M.
  
• 2014, MNRAS , 445, 3706
  Vazza, F., Brüggen, M., Gheller, C., & Wang, P.
  
• 2015, Astrophysics and Space Science Library, 407, 599
  Brüggen, M., & Vazza, F.