Exploring galactic environments with AMR simulations on Blue Waters Brian O Shea (MSU; PI), on behalf of: David Collins (FSU; co-pi) Lauren Corlies (STScI) Cameron Hummels (CalTech) Claire Kopenhofer (MSU) Michael Norman (UCSD) Molly Peeples (STScI) Devin Silvia (MSU) Britton Smith (UCSD; co-pi) Jason Tumlinson (STScI) John Wise (GATech; co-pi) Blue Waters allocations: PRAC ACI-1514580 GLCPC 2015 PRAC OAC-1810584
What questions are we trying to answer? 1. How do the earliest progenitors of the Milky Way behave, and how the first galaxies grow? 2. How do we connect the first galaxies to the Local Group? 3. How do galaxies like the Milky Way interact with their environments and regulate themselves?
Motivations
Galaxies form hierarchically
James Webb Space Telescope: Set to launch May 2020 Large Synoptic Survey Telescope: First light 2019, first science results ~2021
Tools for this work Enzo (Bryan et al. 2014, enzo-project.org): Community-developed adaptive mesh refinementbased cosmological structure formation code: gravity, hydro, MHD, radiation transport, lots of microphysics, star formation+feedback, yt (Turk et al. 2011, yt-project.org): Communitydeveloped data analysis and visualization tool, highly capable and easy to extend for many purposes
Some recent Blue Waters-related results
Black hole formation in the early universe Blue Waters-related papers: Smith et al. 2018, ApJ, accepted Wise et al. 2018, Nature Astronomy, submitted Note: includes simulations analyzed in PRAC ACI-0832662, w/co-pi M. Norman)
Super-massive black holes are ubiquitous in massive galaxies: where do they come from? Two popular scenarios: growth of stellar-mass black holes vs. direct collapse into massive black hole
Tracking stellar-mass black hole growth Renaissance Simulations (Xu et al. 2013,14,15; Chen et al. 2014, 16; O Shea et al. 2015) + resimulation (Wise+ 2018, submitted.) Simulations include Pop III star formation; trace relics and estimate black hole accretion rate/ growth rate (Smith et al. 2018, ApJ) Also examine galaxy population and look for direct collapse SMBH candidates (Wise+ 2018, submitted)
Black hole accretion rates Differential rate distribution
Black hole accretion rates Cumulative rate distribution
Individual growth histories
A new mechanism (?)
Maximum Mvir z = 18 z = 17 z = 16 z = 15 a b c d J21 = 1 10 30 3 e f g h Maximum J21 5 kpc 10 26 10 24 Density [g/cm 3 ] 10 2 10 3 10 4 10 5 Temperature [K] 10 4 10 2 10 0 Metallicity [Z ]
z = 18 z = 17 z = a b c Maximum J21 Maximum Mvir e f g 5 kpc
17 z = 16 z = 15 c d 10 30 3 J21 = 1 g h
17 z = 16 z = 15 c d 10 30 3 J21 = 1 g h
Probing circumgalactic gas Blue Waters-related papers: Corlies et al., in prep. Peeples et al., in prep. Hummels et al., in prep
Tumlinson, Peeples, & Werk (2017) ARA&A
Forcing high resolution Spatial size of cells (resolution elements): 6.0 kpc 3.0 1.5 0.75 0.37 0.19 0.093 Slice of gas metallicity:
Forcing high resolution Spatial size of cells (resolution elements): 6.0 kpc 3.0 1.5 0.75 0.37 0.19 0.093 Forced to 200 pc resolution Slice of gas metallicity:
Better spatial resolution = Better mass resolution! Illustris Cold, T < 10 4 Cool, 10 4 < T < 10 5 Warm, 10 5 < T < 10 6 Hot, T > 10 6 Auriga, EAGLE 4.4 MARVELous Triple Latte Standard simulation
Better spatial resolution = Better mass resolution! Illustris Cold, T < 10 4 Cool, 10 4 < T < 10 5 Warm, 10 5 < T < 10 6 Hot, T > 10 6 Auriga, EAGLE 4.4 MARVELous Triple Latte Forced refinement simulation
High spatial resolution everywhere Density-based refinement
Resolution has a huge impact on observable properties! Trident tool; Hummels, Smith & Silvia 2016, trident-project.org Blue Waters-related papers: Corlies et al., in prep. Peeples et al., in prep. Hummels et al., in prep
Summary 1.Stellar-mass black holes grow slowly in the early universe - HII regions and supernovae remove lots of gas! 2.We have found a new direct-collapse mechanism for SMBH formation: combination of UV flux and rapid growth 3.Increase spatial resolution in the outskirts of galaxies is crucial, and we find significant differences in observable quantities and morphology. Lots more coming soon - stay tuned!