Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The observed rotation curves of dwarf galaxies exhibit significant diversity at fixed halo mass, challenging galaxy formation within the cold dark matter (CDM) model. Previous cosmological galaxy formation simulations with baryonic physics fail to reproduce the full diversity of rotation curves, suggesting that there is a flaw in baryonic feedback models, observational bias, or that an alternative to CDM must be invoked. In this work, we use the Marvelous Massive Dwarf zoom-in simulations, a suite of high-resolution dwarf simulations with M 200 ∼ 10 10 –10 11 M ⊙ and M * ∼ 10 7 –10 9 M ⊙ , designed to target the mass range where the galaxy rotation curve diversity is maximized, i.e., between V max ∼ 70 and 100 km s −1 . We add to this a set of low-mass galaxies from the Marvel Dwarf Zoom Volumes to extend the galaxy mass range to lower values. Our fiducial star formation and feedback models produce simulated dwarfs with a broader range of rotation curve shapes, similar to observations. These simulations both create dark matter cores via baryonic feedback, reproducing the slower-rising rotation curves, while also allowing for compact galaxies and steeply rising rotation curves. Our simulated dwarfs also reproduce the observed size– M * relation, including scatter, producing both extended and compact dwarfs for the first time in simulated field dwarfs. However, the slowly rising and high baryon mass fraction, as well as the steeply rising and low baryon mass fraction, remain missing. We explore star formation and feedback models and conclude that previous simulations may have had feedback that was too strong to produce compact dwarfs.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,499
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Simons Foundation, Aspen Center for Physics, Space Telescope Science Institute, Flatiron Health, Ames Research Center, Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara
Awards: HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS, Collaborative Research: Tests of Dark Matter physics with isolated dwarf galaxies in the Dark Energy Survey, G1453181110, G1587926220, G1588448908, G1693976111, Track 4: Advanced CI Coordination Ecosystem: Monitoring and Measurement Services, G2452989760, G2595738051, G2815302120, Collaborative Research: Connecting galaxies to halos with the Marvelous Merian Dwarfs, G3245429106, G3339971651, G3398237449, G3562386289, G3927959030, G3993056153, Track 1: ACCESS Resource Allocations Marketplace and Platform Services (RAMPS), G4010157413, G4248962021, G4437173897, ACO: An Open CI Ecosystem to Advance Scientific Discovery (OpenCI), G4689434848, Track 3: COre National Ecosystem for CyberinfrasTructure (CONECT), G5098925467, G5367127336, G5464919783, G5802204601, G6128126499, G6247045938, G62959605, G638484911, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, G754761654, Programs on Critical Problems in Physics, Astrophysics and Biophysics at the Aspen Center for Physics, G7976526739, Do We Need Something Beyond Cold Dark Matter?, G8250941178, Track 2: Customized Multi-tier Assistance, Training, and Computational Help (MATCH) for End User ACCESS to CI, Testing SIDM with Realistic Galaxy Formation Simulations
OpenAlex ID: W7167084542