Related papers: Constrained Violent Relaxation to a Spherical Halo
Collisionless self-gravitating systems such as cold dark matter halos are known to harbor universal density profiles despite the intricate non-linear physics of hierarchical structure formation in the $\Lambda$CDM paradigm. The origin of…
The term ``violent relaxation'' was coined by Donald Lynden-Bell as a memorable oxymoron describing how a stellar dynamical system relaxes from a chaotic initial state to a quasi-equilibrium. His analysis showed that this process is rapid,…
We investigate the structure of cold dark matter halos using advanced models of spherical collapse and accretion in an expanding Universe. These base on solving time-dependent equations for the moments of the phase-space distribution…
N-body simulations of collisionless collapse have offered important clues to the construction of realistic stellar dynamical models of elliptical galaxies. Such simulations confirm and quantify the qualitative expectation that rapid…
Violent relaxation process of spherical stellar systems is examined by numerical simulations of shell model. The collapse of uniform density sphere both with and without external force is investigated. It is found that time variation of…
We use maximum entropy arguments to derive the phase space distribution of a virialized dark matter halo. Our distribution function gives an improved representation of the end product of violent relaxation. This is achieved by incorporating…
Theory and simulations are used to study collisionless relaxation of a gravitational $N$-body system. It is shown that when the initial one particle distribution function satisfies the virial condition -- potential energy is minus twice the…
This paper aims at quantifying discreetness effects, born of finite particle number, on the dynamics of dark matter haloes forming in the context of cosmological simulations. By generalising the standard calculation of two body relaxation…
An estimate of the convergence radius of a simulated CDM halo is obtained under the assumption that the peak phase-space density in the system is set by discreteness effects that operate prior to relaxation. The predicted convergence radii…
By means of high-resolution N-body simulations we revisited the dissipationless collapse scenario for galaxy formation. We considered both single-component collapses and collapses of a cold stellar distribution in a live dark matter halo.…
We develop a self-consistent and accurate halo model by partitioning matter according to the depletion radii of haloes. Unlike conventional models that define haloes with the virial radius while relying on a separate exclusion radius or…
We study the impact of numerical parameters on the properties of cold dark matter haloes formed in collisionless cosmological simulations. We quantify convergence in the median spherically-averaged circular velocity profiles for haloes of…
The objective of the work summarised here has been to exploit and extend ideas from plasma physics and accelerator dynamics to formulate a unified description of collisionless relaxation that views violent relaxation, Landau damping, and…
We investigate the connection between collisionless equilibria and the phase-space relation between density $\rho$ and velocity dispersion $\sigma$ found in simulations of dark matter halo formation, $F=\psd \propto r^{-\alpha}$.…
The circumgalactic medium (CGM) is closely linked to galaxy formation and evolution, but difficult to characterize observationally and typically poorly resolved in cosmological simulations. We use spherically-symmetric, idealized,…
We investigate the conditions for the existence of an expanding virial shock in the gas falling within a spherical dark-matter halo. The shock relies on pressure support by the shock-heated gas behind it. When the radiative cooling is…
In $N$-body systems with long-range interactions mean-field effects dominate over binary interactions (collisions), so that relaxation to thermal equilibrium occurs on time scales that grow with $N$, diverging in the $N\to\infty$ limit.…
We report results of a study of the Newtonian dynamics of N self-gravitating particles which start in a quasi-uniform spherical configuration, without initial velocities. These initial conditions would lead to a density singularity at the…
As an idealized model of the effects of energy release by supernovae during galaxy formation, we consider an explosion at the center of a halo which forms at the intersection of filaments in the plane of a cosmological pancake by…
Collisionless self-gravitating systems, e.g., cold dark matter halos, harbor universal density profiles despite the intricate non-linear physics of hierarchical structure formation, the origin of which has been a persistent mystery. To…