Speaker
Description
The large-scale structure of the Universe has been primarily shaped by the gravitational collapse of dark matter. On the largest scales, galaxies are distributed across galaxy groups, galaxy clusters, and filaments which surround vast cosmic voids. My work focuses on systems with masses in the range of 1012 - 1014 M☉. Although less massive than galaxy clusters, these structures are much more common, thus contributing significantly to the overall matter distribution of the Universe.
Feedback processes, primarily driven by active galactic nuclei (AGN), counteract the effects of gravitational collapse by redistributing baryonic matter within their host dark matter halos. In galaxy groups, AGN feedback can eject gas beyond the virial radius of the host halo. Due to the complexity of the underlying gravitational and hydrodynamic processes, the evolution of these systems cannot be fully described by analytical models alone, making numerical simulations essential. In this project, I use the state-of-the-art IllustrisTNG cosmological simulation, which models the gravitational evolution of dark matter alongside the evolution of baryonic matter, including gas, stars, and black holes, while accounting for hydrodynamics, star formation, and feedback processes.
This project investigates how the supermassive black hole at the center of the host halo affects the gas content of galaxy groups and their dynamical evolution. To address this question, I analyse the relationship between gas mass and halo mass in galaxy groups from the IllustrisTNG-300 simulation, taking into account the mass of the central black hole. The evolution of the gas mass fraction points to gas ejection in both low- and high-mass galaxy groups; however, in more massive halos, previously expelled gas appears to undergo reaccretion. I compare my results with previous studies based on the Magneticum and FLAMINGO simulations, looking for similarities and differences across different halo mass ranges.