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Context.Disc-dominated galaxies can be difficult to accommodate in a hierarchical formation scenario such as Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM), where mergers are an important growth mechanism. However, observational evidence indicates that these galaxies are common in the Universe. Aims.We seek to characterise the conditions that lead to the formation of disc-dominated galaxies within ΛCDM. Methods.We used dynamical decomposition of the stellar particles in all galaxies with stellar massM∗= [1010− 1011] M⊙within the cosmological hydrodynamical simulation Illustris TNG100. We selected a sample of 43 mostly-disc galaxies that have less than ∼10% of their mass in a bulge component. For comparison, we also studied two additional stellar-mass matched samples: 43 intermediate galaxies having ∼30% of their stellar mass in the bulge and 43 with a purely spheroidal-like morphology. Results.We find that the selection purely based on stellar dynamics is able to reproduce the expected stellar population trends of different morphological types, with higher star-formation rates and younger stars in disc-dominated galaxies. Halo spin seems to play no role in the morphology of the galaxies, in agreement with previous works. At a fixedM*, our mostly-disc and intermediate samples form in dark matter haloes that are two to ten times less massive than the spheroidal sample, highlighting a higher efficiency in disc galaxies to retain and condensate their baryons. On average, mergers are less prevalent in the buildup of discs than in spheroidal galaxies, but there is a large scatter, including the existence of mostly-disc galaxies, with 15%–30% of their stars coming from accreted origin. Discs start to form early on, settling their low vertical velocity dispersion as early as 9–10 Gyr ago, although the dominance of the disc over the spheroid was established more recently (3–4 Gyr lookback time). The most rotationally supported discs form in haloes with the lowest virial mass in the sample and the best aligned distribution of angular momentum in the gas.
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Taking the Milky Way for a spin: disc formation in the artemis simulations
ABSTRACT We investigate the formation (spin-up) of galactic discs in the artemis simulations of Milky Way (MW)-mass galaxies. In almost all galaxies, discs spin up at higher [Fe/H] than the MW. Those galaxies that contain an analogue of the Gaia Sausage-Enceladus (GSE) spin up at a lower average metallicity than those without. We identify six galaxies with spin-up metallicity similar to that of the MW, which formed their discs ∼8–11 Gyr ago. Five of these experience a merger similar to the GSE. The spin-up times correlate with the halo masses at early times: galaxies with early spin-up have larger virial masses at a lookback time tL = 12 Gyr. The fraction of stars accreted from outside the host galaxy is smaller in galaxies with earlier spin-ups. Accreted fractions small enough to be comparable to the MW are only found in galaxies with the earliest disc formation and large initial virial masses (M200c ≈ 2 × 1011 M⊙ at tL = 12 Gyr). We find that discs form when the halo’s virial mass reaches a threshold of M200c ≈ (6 ± 3) × 1011 M⊙, independent of the spin-up time. However, the failure to form a disc in other galaxies appears to be instead related to mergers at early times. We also find that discs form when the central potential is not particularly steep. Our results indicate that the MW assembled its mass and formed its disc earlier than the average galaxy of a similar mass.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1911111
- PAR ID:
- 10478675
- Publisher / Repository:
- Oxford University Press
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Volume:
- 527
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 0035-8711
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 7070-7078
- Size(s):
- p. 7070-7078
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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