The shape of dark matter haloes in the Aquarius simulations: Evolution and memory
We use the high resolution cosmological N-body simulations from the Aquarius project to investigate in detail the mechanisms that determine the shape of Milky Way-type dark matter haloes. We find that, when measured at the instantaneous virial radius, the shape of individual haloes changes with time...
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Published in | EPJ Web of conferences Vol. 19; pp. 1009 - 1010 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
EDP Sciences
01.01.2012
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Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | We use the high resolution cosmological N-body simulations from the Aquarius project to investigate in detail the mechanisms that determine the shape of Milky Way-type dark matter haloes. We find that, when measured at the instantaneous virial radius, the shape of individual haloes changes with time, evolving from a typically prolate configuration at early stages to a more triaxial/oblate geometry at the present day. This evolution in halo shape correlates well with the distribution of the infalling material: prolate configurations arise when haloes are fed through narrow filaments, which characterizes the early epochs of halo assembly, whereas triaxial/oblate configurations result as the accretion turns more isotropic at later times. Interestingly, at redshift z = 0, clear imprints of the past history of each halo are recorded in their shapes at different radii, which also exhibit a variation from prolate in the inner regions to triaxial/oblate in the outskirts. Provided that the Aquarius haloes are fair representatives of Milky Way-like 1012M☉ objects, we conclude that the shape of such dark matter haloes is a complex, time-dependent property, with each radial shell retaining memory of the conditions at the time of collapse. |
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Bibliography: | other:2012EPJWC..1901009V istex:38B1692D5F0FF9516C79E5CCB6AB63CCEE83CE02 publisher-ID:epjconf_apmw2012_01009 ark:/67375/80W-JB14QDC7-0 |
ISBN: | 2759807185 9782759807185 |
ISSN: | 2100-014X 2100-014X |
DOI: | 10.1051/epjconf/20121901009 |