Gas and dark matter spherical dynamics

Jean Pierre Chieze, Romain Teyssier, Jean Michel Alimi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

We investigate the formation of spherical cosmological structures following both dark matter and gas components. We focus on the dynamical aspect of the collapse assuming an adiabatic, y = 5/3, fully ionized primordial plasma. We use for that purpose a fully Lagrangian hydrodynamical code designed to describe highly compressible flows in spherical geometry. We investigate also a "fluid approach" to describe the mean physical quantities of the dark matter flow. We test its validity for a wide range of initial density contrast. We show that a homogeneous isentropic core forms in the gas distribution, surrounded by a self-similar hydrostatic halo, with much higher entropy generated by shock dissipation. We derive analytical expressions for the size, density, and temperature of the core, as well as for the surrounding halo. We show that, unless very efficient heating processes occur in the intergalactic medium, we are unable to reproduce within adiabatic models the typical core sizes in X-ray clusters. We also show that, for dynamical reasons only, the gas distribution is naturally antibiased relative to the total mass distribution, without invoking any reheating processes. This could explain why the gas fraction increases with radius in very large X-ray clusters. As a preparation for the next study devoted to the thermodynamical aspect of the collapse, we investigate the initial entropy level required to solve the core problem in X-ray clusters.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)40-52
Number of pages13
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume484
Issue number1 PART I
DOIs
StatePublished - 1997
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

Keywords

  • Cosmology: theory
  • Dark matter
  • Galaxy: formation
  • Hydrodynamics
  • Methods: numerical

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Gas and dark matter spherical dynamics'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this